College football is in full swing, which means college basketball is right around the corner.
After another wild offseason shaped by NIL and the transfer portal, there are countless intriguing storylines to monitor this year. Below are five burning questions to consider as the 2025-26 campaign rapidly approaches.
1. Can UConn bounce back and retake the Big East?
UConn’s quest for a three-peat did not go as planned last season, as Dan Hurley’s team stumbled to a 24-11 record and was knocked out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Florida, the eventual national champ. Rick Pitino and St. John’s completely stole the spotlight in the Big East, sweeping UConn and winning both the regular-season and tournament titles. The Red Storm are stacked once again (The Portal Report ranked their transfer class third in the Big East), but so are the Huskies.
With a strong returning core headlined by 6-foot-3 junior guard Solo Ball and 6-foot-8 senior forward Alex Karaban (two All-American candidates), one of the top freshmen in the country in 6-foot-6 wing Braylon Mullins (a 5-star out of Greenfield, Ind.) and a new point guard in 6-foot-4 junior Silas Demary Jr. (a transfer from Georgia), UConn has all the pieces to not only win the conference, but to climb all the way back to the mountaintop. The program should start the year ranked in the top 10 along with the Johnnies. The rivals will meet for the first time on Feb. 6, 2026.
2. Can Houston be dethroned in the Big 12?
Since joining the Big 12 in 2023, Houston has gone 34-4 in league play and claimed back-to-back regular-season championships. That dominance is likely to continue, as Kelvin Sampson has put together one of his strongest rosters for the 2025-26 campaign.
The Cougars are returning three starters from last year’s national runner-up: 6-foot-4 senior guard Milos Uzan (All-Big 12 Second Team), 6-foot-3 senior guard Emanuel Sharp (Big 12 Tournament MVP) and 6-foot-7 junior forward Joseph Tugler (Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year). Plus, Houston has the nation’s No. 3-ranked freshman recruiting class (per 247Sports), which includes three consensus top-25 prospects in 6-foot-10 center Chris Cenac Jr., 6-foot-6 wing Isiah Harwell and 6-foot-2 point guard Kingston Flemings.
The Cougars will open the season as clear favorites to win the Big 12 for a third consecutive year. There are a few programs that could make a run at the throne, however. With freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing, and 2024-25 Big 12 Most Improved Player Richie Saunders leading the way, BYU has the firepower to contend with any team in the country. Texas Tech finished second in the conference a season ago and has a Wooden Award candidate in 6-foot-9 junior forward J.T. Toppin, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year. Arizona has Final Four potential because of its stellar freshmen (6-foot-8 forward Koa Peat and 6-foot-4 guard Brayden Burries), while Iowa State is always a threat and Kansas should be much improved.
3. Will a transfer-heavy Kentucky team rise to the top of the SEC?
Mark Pope’s first year in Lexington was an immense success, as the Wildcats went 24-12 (10-8 in the SEC) and reached the Sweet Sixteen. His second season could be even better.
Kentucky is returning its leading scorer, 6-foot-5 senior guard Otega Oweh (a Wooden Award candidate), and adding The Portal Report’s No. 1-ranked transfer class. Four of the program’s six transfers are expected to step into the starting lineup alongside Oweh: 6-foot-3 junior guard Jaland Pitt (Pittsburgh), 6-foot-5 senior guard Denzel Aberdeen (Florida), 6-foot-7 junior forward Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama) and 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State). Pitt was an All-ACC Third Team selection; Aberdeen played a significant role for the national champs; Dioubate averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in just 16 minutes; and Quaintance, who was the youngest player in college basketball last season, is expected to make a dramatic leap upon returning from an ACL injury. In addition to those five, the Wildcats have arguably the deepest bench in the country.
Of course, Kentucky will face stiff competition in the SEC. Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Alabama remain forces, and Arkansas is on the rise. Nonetheless, Kentucky certainly has the talent to finish atop the conference for the first time since 2019-20.
4. Can John Calipari get back to the Final Four?
Between 2007-2015, John Calipari reached the Final Four five times (once with Memphis, four times with Kentucky) and won the 2012 national title. Since then, the now-Arkansas coach has not returned to the sport’s biggest stage.
This season, his team looks like a legitimate contender to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. The Razorbacks are returning four key players from last year’s team, which surged late and went on a shocking run to the Sweet Sixteen, and a stellar freshman class is headlined by consensus 5-star prospects Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas. Acuff, a 6-foot-2 guard out of IMG Academy and projected lottery pick in 2026, is the program’s X-factor. He’ll replace former lead guard Boogie Fland in the starting lineup, slotting in alongside 6-foot-4 junior guard D.J. Wagner. If Acuff can live up to lofty expectations, Calipari might just get back to the Final Four — and perhaps even claim his second NCAA championship.
5. Will a freshman win National Player of the Year for the second consecutive season?
In 2024-25, Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, became just the fourth freshman in college basketball history to win National Player of the Year, joining Zion Williamson (Duke), Anthony Davis (Kentucky) and Kevin Durant (Texas). There are several candidates to become the fifth this season.
The incoming freshman class is loaded with star power, led by the aforementioned Dybantsa (BYU), 6-foot-6 guard Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and 6-foot-10 forward Cameron Boozer (Duke). Each will be the centerpiece of his respective team and should be in the running for the Wooden Award. In addition to those three, keep an eye on 6-foot-9 wing Nate Ament (Tennessee), 6-foot-2 point guard Mikel Brown Jr (Louisville), 6-foot-5 guard Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor) and 6-foot-8 forward Koa Peat (Arizona).
