Dickie V's Dazzling Dozen: Everything to Watch This Coming Season

Are You Ready For This?

Let me tell you something, folks – we're heading into a season that's going to have us all talking from November right through April. I'm not just excited; I'm absolutely fired up!

There's so much going on in college basketball this year. New rules, new conferences, fresh faces, and a tournament that's expanding to 76 teams – it's like we're living through the best of both worlds.

1. The Eligibility Chaos: Who's Really Playing?

This is easily the biggest off-court story I've seen in years. The new five-in-five eligibility model has created chaos, lawsuits, and a whole lot of uncertainty across the sport.

Some seniors are fighting for extra eligibility while schools are trying to figure out who's actually available when the season starts. It's changing roster construction, recruiting decisions, transfer strategies, and even championship expectations.

I've got coaches checking legal briefs as much as scouting reports now! It's a whole new world we're entering.

2. Kentucky is Back to Answer the Bell

BIG BLUE NATION isn't interested in moral victories. After an underwhelming season, Mark Pope landed Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic and paired him with talented youngster Malachi Moreno.

Kentucky looks deeper, tougher, and better suited for the SEC grind this coming campaign. But here's the deal – the SEC is a monster. The conference retained 10 of its top 30 scorers and imported 11 more top-30 scorers from other major conferences.

Kentucky has to contend, not just compete. This could be a real turning point for the program.

3. Conference Realignment Never Stops

The Pac-12 is back, sort of. The new-look league features Gonzaga, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Texas State, Oregon State, and Washington State.

Meanwhile, the rebuilt Mountain West welcomes Grand Canyon, UC Davis, UTEP, and Hawai'i among others. I can't wait to see how these leagues develop new identities – Gonzaga joining the Pac-12 is going to be a game changer.

4. Another Deep Kansas Run?

In comes Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the country and an early projected No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA draft. With his strength, playmaking ability, and elite passing skills, he gives coach Bill Self one of the most tantalizing young stars in America.

Could this be Self's latest opportunity to take Kansas back to the Final Four? We'll see when they meet Missouri in Kansas City on Dec. 6 – you can bet everybody will be watching.

One more title run? One more banner? We may be witnessing the final chapter of an all-time coaching legend.

5. Can Jon Scheyer Get His Title?

It's the Duke standard, and Scheyer has another elite Duke roster to put him in another national championship conversation.

With veteran leadership from Caleb Foster, Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, and a talented collection of young players led by five-star freshman Cameron Williams, Duke is prepared for another deep run.

Don't expect Duke to cruise through November, either. The Blue Devils may experience some early bumps while Scheyer blends the new players with a tough schedule. But come March? Watch out.

6. Welcome to the 76-Team NCAA Tournament

The Big Dance just got bigger! The NCAA tournament expands to 76 teams, with 44 at-large bids and Opening Round games – previously the First Four – split between Dayton, Ohio, and Wichita, Kansas.

Will we see more power-conference teams or more deserving mid-majors? My crystal ball says we're going to have some Selection Sunday drama!

The teams I have circled as national championship contenders: Florida, Duke, Illinois, UConn, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, Michigan State, Arizona, and Louisville.

I think we're going to see multiple leagues place 10 or more teams into the tournament. Which means the bubble could be absolutely brutal this year.

7. Circle These Must-See Early-Season Matchups

Get your popcorn ready! A few games that have me screaming "Awesome, baby!" already:

• Florida vs. Miami in Tampa (Nov. 2)
• UConn vs. Michigan in Boston (Nov. 6)
• Kansas vs. Kentucky in Chicago for the Champions Classic (Nov. 10)
• Illinois vs. Duke (Nov. 17)
• Duke at Florida (Dec. 1)
• Arkansas at North Carolina (Dec. 1)
• Arizona at St. John's (Dec. 5)
• Kansas vs. Missouri in Kansas City (Dec. 6)
• Louisville at Kentucky (Dec. 12)
• Arkansas vs. Arizona in Phoenix (Dec. 19)

That's not a schedule – that's a basketball buffet! And Duke-Florida in Gainesville? That one could well have a national championship preview feel to it.

8. My Breakout Stars

Every season has players who go from "Who?" to "WOW!" There are the players I have ready to take major jumps:

• Amari Allen (Alabama)
• Malachi Moreno (Kentucky)
• Ivan Kharchenkov (Arizona)
• Trey McKenney (Michigan)
• Patrick Ngongba II (Duke)
• Matt Able (North Carolina)
• Mercy Miller (Houston)
• Davis Fogle (Gonzaga)
• Ruben Prey (St. John's)
• Darren Harris (Indiana)

Kharchenkov, McKenney, Ngongba, Allen and Moreno are already generating serious NBA buzz. But pay particular attention to Moreno – Kentucky needs him. The SEC had better be ready for him.

9. Freshmen Chasing NBA Millions

The race for the top pick begins immediately, and this year is loaded with possibilities. My Diaper Dandy breakout watch list includes:

• Tyran Stokes, Kansas
• Caleb Holt, Arizona
• Jordan Smith, Arkansas
• Bruce Branch III, BYU
• Jason Crowe, Missouri
• Cameron Williams, Duke
• Anthony Thompson, Ohio State
• Caleb Gaskins, Miami
• Miikka Muurinen, Arkansas
• Austin Goosby, Texas

Stokes opens many mock drafts at No. 1, but Holt and Smith aren't far behind. And we'll get to see both put on a show against each other Dec. 19, when Arizona and Arkansas meet in Phoenix. NBA scouts, get your tickets for that one.

10. Mid-Majors That Could Bust Brackets

The power conferences will get most of the headlines, but March has a funny way of making everybody pay attention to the little guy.

I love New Mexico, Grand Canyon, VCU, Saint Louis and UIC. And don't forget Gonzaga – for years, the Zags helped define the West Coast Conference. Now, they enter a Pac-12 that has assembled a collection of programs with legitimate NCAA tournament credentials.

The expanded tournament gives more teams a chance to get in. And once you're in, anything can happen.

11. The New Rules Will Matter

Don't underestimate the impact of changes to the game. This year, officials will emphasize post-play physicality, offensive three-second calls, freedom of movement and traveling.

The transfer portal window has also been shortened dramatically, and teams can now schedule up to 32 regular-season games.

These aren't headline grabbers, but they absolutely could affect winning and losing. The rules are going to make or break some teams this season.

12. A New Generation of Coaches Takes Center Stage

The coaching carousel this past offseason was wild, giving us a whole slew of new coaches across the country. Here are the names to keep an eye on:

• Michael Malone at North Carolina
• Mike Boynton at Michigan
• Will Wade at LSU
• Gerry McNamara at Syracuse
• Bryan Hodgson at Providence
• Jerrod Calhoun at Cincinnati
• Randy Bennett at Arizona State
• Alan Huss at Creighton
• Justin Gainey at NC State

Michael Malone's move from the NBA to North Carolina is particularly fascinating. The former Denver Nuggets championship coach now has to navigate NIL, the transfer portal and college recruiting after years in the pros.

BONUS: My Preseason Top 25

1. Florida
2. Duke
3. Illinois
4. UConn
5. Michigan State
6. Arizona
7. Michigan
8. Virginia
9. Louisville
10. Texas
11. Tennessee
12. Houston
13. USC
14. Gonzaga
15. Arkansas
16. St. John's
17. Kentucky
18. Miami
19. UCLA
20. Iowa State
21. Vanderbilt
22. Alabama
23. Purdue
24. Missouri
25. Indiana

Dickie V's Final Take

If you love college basketball, this season has everything:

Florida wants another championship.

Duke wants Scheyer's first.

UConn wants another banner.

Michigan wants to prove it wasn't a one-hit wonder.

Kansas wants to give Self and Stokes a magical ride.

Kentucky wants to remind everybody what Big Blue basketball is supposed to look like.

And somewhere out there, a mid-major is waiting to become America's favorite Cinderella.

So, buckle up, basketball fans. The brackets will be bigger, the rosters will be deeper, the pressure will be greater. And when March arrives, I suspect we're going to have one heck of a basketball party.

Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be AWESOME, BABY, WITH A CAPITAL A!