Sports

Everything you need to catch up on for college basketball season

Feeling like there’s too much studying to do to get caught up and ready for the start of college basketball season? Here’s a primer that will help you cram for the start of what should be an interesting year for the sport. 

Big men on campus

For all of the flaws of the one-and-done model, college basketball is the rare sport that features new headlining stars each season. With Lonzo Ball gone, here are the most likely candidates to become the biggest name in the sport this season:

Michael Porter Jr., Missouri

The 6-foot-10 wing is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and already has accomplished the incredible feat of making the Tigers a must-see team. Porter has impressive perimeter skills for his size and should put up huge numbers as the focal point of the offense, but the freshman may never play any games of importance, because of his mediocre supporting cast.

Miles Bridges, Michigan State

The Spartans may have the best team and the best player in the country. Surprisingly, Bridges returned for his sophomore season, giving Tom Izzo one of his best opportunities at a second national championship. The 6-foot-7 all-around talent can dominate in the lane or beyond the arc, having averaged 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, while shooting nearly 39 percent on 3-pointers last season.

DeAndre Ayton, Arizona

Deandre AytonGetty Images

This highly-acclaimed freshman would be a natural fit in any era. While Ayton can shoot from outside, the 7-footer is even more dominant inside. Widely listed as the No. 2 recruit in the country coming out of high school, Ayton has remarkable athleticism, and can run the floor like a wing, but he also will be a beast on the boards for the Pac-12’s best team.

Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame

The undersized, 6-foot-6 senior may be the most feared — and hardest-working — big man in the country. As a junior, Colson averaged a double-double of 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds, while shooting over 43 percent on 3-pointers. Few players are better equipped to carry their teams on a deep run into March.

Grayson Allen, Duke

Hate him … or hate him, enjoy having college basketball’s favorite villain for one more season. Allen’s constant controversy distracts from his incredible talent, but the senior could put the focus back on his play this season, where he will move back to shooting guard, having averaged 21.6 points and 41.7 percent 3-point shooting there as a sophomore.

Coaches in new places

Archie Miller, Indiana

The Hoosiers might not need to fill this position again for decades. Miller, 38, had been at the top of nearly every wish list for coaching vacancies since leading Dayton to the Elite Eight in 2014, the first of his four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. At Indiana, Miller should revive the once-proud program into a national contender again, combining high-level coaching ability with great recruiting skills.

Patrick Ewing, Georgetown

Patrick EwingGetty Images

After 15 years as an NBA assistant, Ewing was unable to land a head coaching gig, so like rival/friend Chris Mullin, the Hoyas legend returns to his alma mater for his first opportunity in the big chair. Rebuilding will be difficult — former coach John Thompson III left little talent behind — but the return of the greatest player in Georgetown history will at least initially inspire the fanbase.

Chris Holtmann, Ohio State

Less than five years ago, Holtmann was the head coach at Gardner-Webb. Now, he swoops in to replace Thad Matta, who was fired after 13 years with the Buckeyes. Holtmann, 45, won at least 22 games in three seasons at Butler — and made the NCAA Tournament each season — and will attempt to lead Ohio State back to the Dance for the first time in three years, though ultimately matching Matta’s accomplishments will be challenging.

Will Wade, LSU

The Tigers are banking on one of the youngest head coaches in the country for consistency, following just one NCAA tournament appearance since 2008. Wade, 34, is 91-45 in four seasons as a head coach — reaching the NCAA tournament in his two seasons at Virginia Commonwealth — and could put LSU in position to soon force Kentucky to at least start looking over its shoulder in the SEC.

Mike Hopkins, Washington

You would’ve gotten tired of waiting, too. After 22 years as an assistant at Syracuse, Hopkins stopped waiting on Jim Boeheim to retire, and took his first head-coaching job after Lorenzo Romar was fired, following 15 years as coach. Hopkins will be tested at the football school, which hasn’t reached the NCAA tournament in six years.

Impact transfers

G Elijah Brown, Oregon

Arguably the top graduate transfer on the market, the physical 6-foot-4 guard from New Mexico should thrive in coach Dana Altman’s position-less spread offense, as he steps in for departed star Dillon Brooks, the departed Pac-12 Player of the Year.

F Marvin Clark II/G Justin Simon, St. John’s

Justin SimonPaul J. Bereswill

The duo — from Michigan State and Arizona, respectively — might start immediately. They’ll have major roles, as leaders coming from established powers and two of the team’s top defenders. Look for the 6-foot-5 Simon, a former five-star, top-25 recruit, to run the offense, giving sophomore guards Marcus LoVett Jr. and Shamorie Ponds the freedom to play off the ball and focus on scoring.

G Kory Holden, South Carolina

The Gamecocks lost every guard from last year’s Final Four run, leaving a major void the Delaware transfer — who averaged 17.7 points, 4.2 assists and shot 38 percent from deep in 2015-16 — can at least partially fill.

G Egor Koulechov, Florida

A lights-out shooter and strong rebounder, the Rice graduate transfer significantly upgrades Florida’s talent level on the wing, and should form a lethal 1-2 punch with speedy junior guard KeVaughn Allen, the Gators’ leading scorer a year ago.

G Malik Newman, Kansas

Before his underwhelming freshman year at Mississippi State, Newman was considered a one-and-done lottery pick. After sitting out last season, the ultra-skilled 6-foot-3 sophomore has the chance to prove the hype was warranted, and restore his draft stock.

Under the radar stars

G Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure

Jaylen AdamsAP

His return sent expectations through the roof in Olean. One of the most well-rounded guards in the country, the senior was 25th in the nation in scoring (20.6), sixth in assists (6.5), and 21st in steals (2.07) a year ago while rarely taking a breather, averaging 37.4 minutes a night.

G Tony Carr, Penn State

As a freshman, he led the Nittany Lions in scoring and distributing. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-5 guard will become a national name, keying Penn State’s run to its first postseason tournament since 2011.

G Kyron Cartwright, Providence

The Big East’s version of Rodney Dangerfield, he was somehow snubbed for preseason first-team honors by the league’s coaches after guiding Providence to a surprising NCAA Tournament berth. The 5-foot-11 senior is the star-less Friars’ engine, a blurry-fast playmaker and dogged defender who becomes a breakout star this winter.

F Kevin Huerter, Maryland

He showed glimpses of his immense potential as a freshman, averaging 9.3 rebounds, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 37 percent from downtown. This year, the 6-foot-7 Clifton Park, N.Y., native adds consistency, and emerges as Maryland’s premier playmaker and linchpin.

G Makai Mason, Yale

Baylor thought so much of this 6-foot-1 guard after he torched them for 31 points in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, they landed his verbal commitment for NEXT season as a graduate transfer. In the meantime, the sharpshooting lead guard returns to Yale, and regains his status as one of the premier mid-major players in the country after missing last season with a broken right foot.

Games to watch

Duke vs. Michigan State (Nov. 14)

The start of the season could simply be a preview of the final game we see. The Champions Classic in Chicago provides its annual must-see matchups, with the Spartans and Blue Devils partaking in perhaps the most talent-filled affair all season. Multiple future first-round NBA picks will be on display — with Michigan State’s Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. taking on blue chip freshmen Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter and Gary Trent Jr.

Kansas vs. Kentucky (Nov. 14)

John Calipari and Bill SelfGetty Images

The Wildcats and Jayhawks both will likely take a slight step back after losing so many stars, but both blue bloods are still strong contenders to get back to the Final Four. The last time Kansas and Kentucky met in the Champions Classic, the Wildcats walked away with a stunning 72-40 win; an unlikely scenario this time with a Jayhawks squad, led by senior Devonte’ Graham.

Notre Dame at Michigan State (Nov. 30)

A classic football rivalry will look even better on hardwood this year, and perhaps be nearly as physical. The Irish and Spartans have two of the best frontcourts in the country — with Miles Bridges a favorite to claim national player of the year honors, while undersized Notre Dame senior Bonzie Colson could become a first team All-American, after averaging 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds last season.

Louisville at Kentucky (Dec. 29)

Rick Pitino and John Calipari will likely never share a sideline together again, but one of the country’s fiercest rivalries will remain as heated as ever. Aside from still having two of the most talented teams in the nation, expect even more juice when the Cardinals go to Lexington — certain to hear all about the pair of scandals which cost their Hall of Fame coach his job.

Villanova vs. Gonzaga (Dec. 5)

The undisputed kings of their respective conferences have also been the nation’s most successful regular season teams over the past four seasons, with Villanova and Gonzaga both notching 129 wins. Meeting in Madison Square Garden at the Jimmy V Classic, the Wildcats and Bulldogs may not be national championship favorites like last season, but still feature two of the most well-rounded and well-coached teams in the nation.