John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
Welcome to the 2024-25 college basketball season!
Another journey to madness tips off Monday, and with it comes a slew of storylines from across the country. From UConn looking to complete a three-peat, to the Cooper Flagg Show revving up at Duke, to Kansas seeking a redemption season, to Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins headlining the women’s game — there’s plenty to look forward to this season.
FOX Sports’ coverage of the men’s college basketball season kicks off Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET with “Big East Opening Night Tip-Off” featuring live look-ins of eight non-conference tilts on FS1. Rick Pitino and St. John’s welcome Fordham to Carnesecca Arena to start the evening, while Big Ten newcomer No. 22 UCLA, led by Dylan Andrews, hosts Rider on FS1.
Big Ten Network will carry a triple-header, as life without Zach Edey begins for reigning national runner-up Purdue when the 14th-ranked Boilermakers host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 6 p.m. ET. Following that, Michigan kicks off the Dusty May Era against Cleveland State (8 p.m. ET) before USC begins the Eric Musselman Era against Chattanooga (10 p.m. ET).
Other marquee games on opening night include a top-10 showdown between No. 6 Gonzaga and No. 8 Baylor from Spokane, Washington (11:30 p.m. ET), and No. 19 Texas taking on Ohio State in Las Vegas (10 p.m. ET).
On the women’s side, Watkins and No. 3 USC take on No. 20 Ole Miss from Paris at (noon ET), followed by No. 5 UCLA and No. 17 Louisville hitting the floor in France (2:30 p.m. ET). No. 1 South Carolina begins its title defense by taking on Michigan in Las Vegas (7:30 p.m. ET).
With that, let’s set the table with a list of 50 names — 25 players and 25 coaches — to watch throughout the road to March.
Top 25 players to watch:
1. Cooper Flagg, Duke
The 6-foot-9 forward is the most compelling prospect in college basketball since Zion Williamson. His defensive abilities are off the charts, and he is a vicious attacker at the rim on offense. If the perimeter game continues to evolve, Flagg will be a lock for the No. 1 draft pick in Brooklyn next June.
2. Paige Bueckers, UConn
Bueckers averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game last season. The senior guard has battled injuries and accomplished just about everything outside of winning that elusive national championship. Is this the year the Huskies end that eight-year drought? Bueckers is the centerpiece in the women’s game.
3. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
He’s the most recognizable veteran player on the men’s side, and now Dickinson returns for a fifth year after averaging at least 18 points and nine rebounds in the past three seasons. Shooting close to 60% from the floor last year, the 7-foot-2 center leads the preseason No. 1 team in the country. Can he get to a Final Four before his career is over?
4. JuJu Watkins, USC
The reigning national freshman of the year broke the NCAA freshman scoring record with 920 points in her first year at USC, averaging 27.1 points per game — second only to Caitlin Clark — and totaling at least 30 points in 14 contests. She already scored a school-record 51 points (against Stanford) in a game, which is downright scary. Watkins and the Trojans will meet Bueckers and the Huskies on FOX in prime time at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 21.
5. Mark Sears, Alabama
Sears is a microwave scorer who charged Alabama to its first Final Four last year. The fifth-year senior is looking to build upon a season in which he averaged eye-opening totals: 21.5 points per game, 4.0 assists per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 51% from the floor and 44% from 3-point range. Sears is as dynamic of a guard as any in college basketball.
6. RJ Davis, North Carolina
Davis is another high-octane, fifth-year guard who decided to come back for another year. He averaged 21.2 points, 3.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game last season while shooting 43% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. His return to Chapel Hill is the top reason why the Heels are No. 9 in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll.
7. Alex Karaban, UConn
He’s the top returning player for the reigning back-to-back national champion Huskies, having averaged 13.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season. The question is, can the 6-foot-8 forward take on an increased role and lead this Connecticut team? There’s no reason to believe he can’t do it.
[Read more: FOX Sports’ 2024-25 college basketball preseason All-America teams]
8. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Watkins wasn’t the only freshman who shined last year, as Hidalgo averaged 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.6 steals per game in her first season in South Bend. That resulted in her being named a unanimous preseason AP first-team All-American. To lead the country in steals as a freshman and break a Notre Dame single-season scoring mark? Ridiculous!
9. Braden Smith, Purdue
While life without Edey begins, the Boilermakers can be at peace knowing they have Smith running their team. Averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore, he does so many things right and is comfortable being the head of the snake in Matt Painter’s system.
10. Caleb Love, Arizona
Love’s ability to change games with the tempo he plays at, coupled with his dynamic scoring prowess, makes him one of the most compelling watches in college basketball. Can he lead the Wildcats on a redemption path after a disappointing Sweet 16 exit last season? We shall see.
11. Johni Broome, Auburn
The 6-foot-10 fifth-year senior is a stud on the interior, averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 blocks last year. Broome is the enforcer for Bruce Pearl’s team.
12. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Speaking of enforcers, the Big East Preseason Player of the Year was second in the country in blocks a year ago while averaging 17.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He makes Creighton a great defensive team because of how much he does from 15 feet and in.
13. Johnell Davis, Arkansas
Having already written a magical March story after leading Florida Atlantic to a Final Four in 2023, Davis now heads to Fayetteville to try and get the Razorbacks going in Year 1 of John Calipari’s tenure.
14. Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights get the combo package because it’s not every day you see two of America’s top freshmen playing at … Rutgers. But that’s the case for the Scarlet Knights, who have a lead guard in Harper and a specimen of an athlete in Bailey to stretch the floor and play multiple positions. Jersey Mike’s Arena (it will always be The RAC) will be on fire as a result.
15. Myles Rice, Indiana
Mike Woodson has a high-level point guard in Bloomington and Hoosiers fans are dreaming of a Big Ten title and Sweet 16 run this year. Rice, a Washington State transfer who averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds this past season, is a multi-skilled lead guard who will be critical to Indiana’s success. Oumar Ballo is a preseason All-American in my book and one of my favorite players in college hoops, but I’m giving Rice the nod because of his importance to this team.
16. Kiki Rice, UCLA
It could be “The Year of Kiki” in women’s basketball for more reasons than one. And yes, the USC-UCLA rivalry is going to be at all-time levels this season. Rice, a 5-foot-11 junior guard, showed growth in Year 2 in Westwood by averaging 13.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 45% from the floor. The intensity she plays the game with stands out the moment you watch her, and perhaps the best part about Rice is that she holds herself to a high bar, stating she’s with the Bruins to give them their first national championship.
17. Madison Booker, Texas
Another sophomore superstar in women’s college basketball, Booker is the reigning Cheryl Miller small forward of the year and a preseason AP All-American after averaging 20.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, while shooting 48% from the field and 91.6% from the free throw line last season. With the 6-foot-1 Booker leading them, the preseason fourth-ranked Longhorns have their sights set on reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2003.
18. Kon Knueppel, Duke
Just remember the name if you don’t know it already. Remember what Reed Sheppard meant to Kentucky last year, becoming the first American player taken in this past year’s NBA Draft at No. 3 by the Houston Rockets? Knueppel, a 6-foot-7 wing from Milwaukee, can make that level of an impact on the Blue Devils this season.
19. Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
The preseason co-player of the year in the SEC takes the reins from Angel Reese and looks like she will be one of the top picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Johnson averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting over 50% from the floor last season.
20. Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
One of the top bucket-getters in college basketball, the 6-foot guard is back for his fifth season after averaging 19.1 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game last season. Taylor is electrifying as a scorer, to say the least.
21. Kam Jones, Marquette
By season’s end, we could be talking about the Golden Eagles’ star guard as a first-team All-American. Expect Jones to average around 20 points per game and be a better distributor. It’s his show in Milwaukee with Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro gone.
22. Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
The Cyclones’ floor general is beyond his years in maturity and manages the game at an elite level, averaging 12.4 points, 4.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game last season. He’s one of the best veteran guards in the game.
23. Kadary Richmond, St. John’s
Making the move across the river from Seton Hall to Queens, the 6-foot-6 guard set aim on a big season after posting 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for the NIT champion Pirates last season. But this is a whole new ballgame with Rick Pitino, as the Johnnies are trying to snap a 25-year winless drought in the NCAA Tournament.
24. Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons have been to the NCAA Tournament just once since 2010, and that happened in 2017. Sallis, a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged over 18.0 points per game last season, is back for his senior season and poised for a big year. He’s an elite scorer, shooting better than 40% from 3-point land last season.
25. Bryce Hopkins, Providence
Can the 6-foot-7 wing come off an ACL injury and return to top form? It’s a big question in the Big East, but when Hopkins is rolling, he’s one of the most dynamic players in college basketball. His return and health going forward will play a massive role in determining how far the Friars go in Kim English’s second season. There’s no shortage of depth in Friartown, but Hopkins is invaluable when he’s on.
Top 25 coaches to watch:
1. Dan Hurley, UConn
He’s the face of college basketball. After turning down the Los Angeles Lakers and instead coming back to Storrs, Connecticut to pursue something only John Wooden has done — win three consecutive national championships — Hurley looks to join royal company and has a preseason top-three team in the nation to do it. His fearless and passionate personality is very, very good for college basketball.
2. Dawn Staley, South Carolina
How about four consecutive Final Four trips and a combined record of 109-3 in the last three seasons? Coming off a 38-0 national championship season, which marked her second title in three years, Staley and her Gamecocks are the top-ranked team in the nation heading into the season.
3. Jon Scheyer, Duke
Year 1 brought a Round of 32 trip. In Year 2, he went to the Elite Eight. Now, in Year 3, Scheyer has Flagg, Knueppel and a star-studded freshman class. The big question: Can Tyrese Proctor lead a functional, consistent ACC backcourt? We shall see.
4. Geno Auriemma, UConn
Sitting at 1,213 career wins — just three victories shy of the all-time winningest college basketball coach in Division I history, Tara VanDerveer (1,216) — Auriemma enters Year 40 of his Hall of Fame career on his way to being in a class all by himself. The Huskies open with Boston University, South Florida and No. 15 North Carolina before hosting Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 20, which could be a record-breaking night.
5. John Calipari, Arkansas
It was an all-time offseason shocker when the 65-year-old said he was leaving Kentucky to take the Razorbacks job. He has not been to the Sweet 16 since 2019 and was criticized for his inability to win in March late in his tenure in Lexington. Are we going to see a new Cal this time around?
6. Mark Pope, Kentucky
The 52-year-old Pope bleeds Kentucky blue, and he won the offseason by capturing his fan base’s imagination with all that’s possible in Lexington. But, can Pope have success as the head coach of a blue blood? We are about to find out.
7. Bill Self, Kansas
As he enters Year 22 at the helm, Self comes into this season having reeled in the country’s best transfer portal class with the likes of AJ Storr (Wisconsin) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State), among others. He said last year was a failure when the Jayhawks, the preseason No. 1 team, got clobbered by Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “Redemption” is the word in Lawrence.
8. Kim Mulkey, LSU
In three seasons at the helm in Baton Rouge, the highest-paid coach in the sport and four-time national champion holds a record of 91-14. The question entering this season: What does life without Reese bring? Between Johnson, Arizona transfer Kailyn Gilbert and Aneesah Morrow, Mulkey has a strong core, and there are certainly more options than just them. LSU is loaded again.
9. Mike Woodson, Indiana
The Hoosiers brought in the nation’s No. 2 transfer portal class with point guard Rice (Washington State), big man Ballo (Arizona) and guard Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford) headlining the group. As Woodson enters his fourth year, he’s trying to take Indiana to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. Can this be the breakthrough year? The pieces are in place.
10. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Year 30. Yes, a three-decade run as the head coach of the Spartans is about to officially hit for Izzo, who looks to extend his legendary March Madness streak to 27 this season. Michigan State will need Jeremy Fears and Jaden Akins to step up in a big way, while Coen Carr and Xavier Booker must make a leap in the frontcourt.
11. Mark Few, Gonzaga
Few has won 716 games and enters Year 26 at the helm, riding a nine-year streak of making the Sweet 16 with the Zags. He will rely on Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard to lead the way.
12. Nate Oats, Alabama
He has done a masterful job over the past two years, leading Alabama to a 56-18 record and the program’s first Final Four appearance last April. Between Mark Sears, Grant Nelson and Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi, there are some terrific pieces in Tuscaloosa for more history to be made and a national title to be won.
13. Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Over the past four seasons, Sampson has a record of 125-19. He’s been a constant in the sport, winning the Big 12 regular-season crown in his first season in that league, which is super impressive. Jamal Shead is gone, but L.J. Cryer and Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan will team up with Emanuel Sharp to make a lethal perimeter.
14. Hubert Davis, North Carolina
He has really seen it all in his first three years as the head coach of the Tar Heels, from a national championship game appearance to not making the NCAA Tournament after being preseason No. 1 in the polls, to a Sweet 16 this past season. This year, Davis is tasked with life after Armando Bacot. Can Cade Tyson (Belmont) and Ven Allen-Lubin (Vanderbilt) make up for it at the 4 and 5 slots? We’ll see, but the good news is that Davis says Elliott Cadeau has taken a seismic leap.
15. Rick Pitino, St. John’s
He brought in Kadary Richmond. He reeled in Deivon Smith from Utah and Aaron Scott from North Texas. He has a big man in Zuby Ejiofor, who looks ready to take off. All the pieces are in place in Queens. Now, can the Hall of Famer lead the Johnnies to their first NCAA Tournament in six years and a first win in the Big Dance in a quarter-century?
16. Scott Drew, Baylor
He has become one of the biggest names in the sport and has a top-10 team in the nation with Jeremy Roach and Norchad Omier poised to lead the way.
17. Pat Kelsey, Louisville
Finally, the Cardinals are nationally relevant for the right reasons. Kelsey, who took Charleston to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments before landing this job, is a breath of fresh air and has an NCAA Tournament contender powered by Kasean Pryor and Chucky Hepburn. Look out for James Madison transfer Terrence Edwards, who led the Dukes to the second round of the Big Dance last year, as well as big man James Scott, who has major upside.
18. Dusty May, Michigan
Can the March Madness coaching legend author a resurgence of the Wolverines? He did a very nice job in the transfer portal, in particular with his bigs, as Vlad Goldin followed May from FAU and Danny Wolf came in from Yale. Yes, they’ve got a pair of 7-footers.
19. Sean Miller, Xavier
Injuries riddled the Musketeers a year ago, and it feels like Miller, in his second stint at Xavier, is more than ready to put last season to bed and go on a deep run with this team. Look for Indiana State transfer Ryan Conwell to have a huge year and the return of Zach Freemantle.
20. Wes Miller, Cincinnati
It is a critical season for Miller, who is 63-43 through his first three seasons at the helm and without an NCAA Tournament trip. Now, he has the 20th-ranked team in the country in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll. Is this the year Miller breaks through? With Day Day Thomas and Dan Skillings leading the way, the blend of experience and talent is strong. But, the pressure’s on to win.
21. T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
To be 70-35 with a pair of Sweet 16 appearances in three years at Iowa State is remarkable. With Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert and Milan Momcilovic back, the Cyclones are stacked. Look out for Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson, who should make a big impact.
22. Bruce Pearl, Auburn
He went 27-8 last year and 26-6 two years previous to that. The problem? Pearl has just two combined NCAA Tournament wins since the program made the Final Four in 2019. He has become one of the sport’s staples on the sidelines and will need Furman transfer JP Pegues to be ready for a big role.
23. Penny Hardaway, Memphis
If nothing else, this season will be entertaining. After changing his staff in September, Hardaway enters his seventh season at the helm with just one NCAA Tournament win. Tulsa transfer PJ Haggerty, who had 32 points in an exhibition loss to Alabama, looks like the team’s best player, while Illinois transfer Dain Dainja holds down the frontcourt. Can this team come together after an autumn of coaching staff chaos? We shall see.
24. Lindsay Gottlieb, USC
Last year, she came one win away from the Final Four, and everything about the momentum of the program says the Trojans can reach Tampa this April. Being the coach of Watkins, who will be one of the faces of the sport, gives Gottlieb even more of a national spotlight.
25. Kyle Neptune, Villanova
Eric Dixon will charge the frontcourt. Wooga Poplar and Jordan Longino should lead the perimeter, while La Salle transfer Jhamir Brickus will run point. Villanova has not missed the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons since the early 2000s. It’s a “gotta have it” season for Neptune and the Wildcats. They really need to make the Big Dance, despite lower preseason expectations.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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