It seems to be longer every year. But the college hoops offseason is now over and everyone is getting into the swing of NCAA basketball. There have been some surprising scores already and it promises to be another top-drawer year. We may only still be in the early months of the season but is it ever too early to be thinking about March Madness?
Some of the most popular pundits have already made their feelings known about eventual champions and all the best NCAA betting sites will have markets ready for you to make your own predictions. But who is looking good for the national championship this year? We will be concentrating on the men’s championship in this article, by the way.
So, can UConn three-peat and become the first school to do that since the legendary UCLA team of the 1970s? Or will Kansas come back from the disappointment of last year? Perennial challengers Gonzaga might finally win a championship in 2025 or will Mark Sears lead the Crimson Tide to glory? Here’s our, admittedly very early, look ahead to next year’s NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament.
Reigning Champion
Where else could we start this March Madness preview article but with the team that has won the last two championship games? Dan Hurley showed how committed he is to the program by turning down an offer to go to the NBA to stay in Connecticut. There may have been some serious talent leaving for the big league but there are still some real ballers at UConn.
Alex Karaban has returned and he is going to be supported by an interesting looking roster mixing experience and raw talent. There seems no doubt that the Huskies will challenge this season but the main factor on their side is the coach. Dan Hurley has shown he has a magic touch for winning championships and sometimes that can be enough.
Gonzaga Talent
The Bulldogs are such a common sight at March Madness these days that is a little difficult to remember that it is only since the 1990s that Gonzaga made it to the Big Dance at all, Mark Few has transformed this program into one that is now regularly predicted to go deep into the tournament each year.
This year Gonzaga has most of the players from 2024 returning, bringing experience and know-how to what is a pressure-cooker situation. They will also bring the memory of the relative disappointment of a Sweet Sixteen exit last season. This could be the year that Gonzaga finally wins a championship.
Alabama Time
A lot of people liked Alabama’s chances last year but it could only make it as far as the Final Four – the program’s first-ever appearance at that stage – where eventual champion UConn triumphed. Now with arguably the best player in college basketball, in Mark Sears, it could be time for the Crimson Tide to go all the way.
There is a lot of depth on this roster, even though it does include a lot of new faces. But the new arrivals all have exciting potential and, if everything gels for head coach Nate Oats, we might see Alabama go far. The early loss to Purdue will have raised concerns but this is one team with gold in its sights.
Freshman at Duke
Coach K could only make it to the Final Four in his last season as head coach of the Blue Devils and Jon Scheyer has been unable to take Duke past the Elite Eight in the two years since. But this year Duke has a freshman who has been getting everyone a little excited – and he might just be able to put the team in contention.
Cooper Flagg comes into the college game with a lot of promise and Duke should be able to benefit from his ability and matching up with Caleb Foster. Losing to Kentucky in the Champions Classic will not have bothered Scheyer too much if Duke can continue towards the ACC Tournament in style.
Don’t Sleep on UCLA
We mentioned UCLA earlier and it was those teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s that really set the standard for any college basketball program from then on. Winning 10 championships in 12 years – including seven in a row at one stage – John Wooden has gone down as one of the best-ever coaches in the sport.
But the modern-day Bruins should not be disregarded. Mick Cronin is now in his sixth season as coach and will be itching to get back to the national tournament after missing out last year. There is so much depth – and desire – in this Bruins roster. Add that to the frustration of missing out last year and other teams should watch out.
And the Winner Is…
We’ve got this far into the article without mentioning the likes of Kansas, Houston, Kentucky, Illinois, Baylor, and Iowa State. Even with the teams we have profiled, there is no real consensus among college hoops experts as to which one will be cutting down the nets in Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas next April.
That kind of competition – and the format of the national tournament – is what makes it so watchable and one of the most eagerly anticipated sports events on the calendar. However, we did promise you a prediction. Although there are at least seven or eight schools that could definitely call themselves worthy champions, we are going to stick with the Huskies winning a third title in a row.