68 things to get excited about

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Gary Parrish
College Basketball Insider

68 things to get excited about for the 2015-16 college hoops season
November 12, 2015 5:06 pm ET

1. FRIDAY NIGHT'S SCHEDULE

Where better to start than with opening night? Twenty-three teams ranked in the Associated Press poll will get their seasons underway -- including the reigning national champion Duke Blue Devils, who are hosting Siena at Cameron Indoor Stadium. That's the good news. The bad news is that there's not a single game between two ranked schools. So, as usual, college basketball is sort of limping into its season.

2. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN AT BAYLOR

Again, there are no games between ranked teams scheduled for Friday. But Stephen F. Austin at Baylor could be interesting, if only because it represents the start of Brad Underwood's third season at SFA, and he rarely lost in his first two. Underwood is 61-8 as a head coach with wins over VCU and Memphis, So be careful, Baylor. Be careful.

3. TEXAS VS. WASHINGTON /PITT VS. GONZAGA IN ... ASIA

Gonzaga and Pitt are playing in Japan. Meantime, Texas and Washington will play the first ever men's college basketball game in China early Saturday … though it'll still be Friday here in the States. It's the debut of Shaka Smart at UT. And, depending on how things unfold over the next four months, it could end up being the first game in the final season Lorenzo Romar spends at Washington. He hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2011.

4. THE VETERANS CLASSIC

I'm starting the season in the same spot I started last season -- here at the United States Naval Academy. I spent Thursday on campus, 33 miles east of Washington D.C., with North Carolina, Temple, Florida and Navy -- otherwise known as the four teams competing in this event. Just a neat experience in a variety of ways. And now, on Friday night, I'll get to watch the nation's preseason No. 1 team open its season … albeit shorthanded.

The Tar Heels take over the ship Simulator at the Naval Academy on Thursday. (CBS Sports)

5. MARCUS PAIGE'S RETURN FROM INJURY

North Carolina's leading returning scorer, Marcus Paige, fractured a bone in his hand earlier this month during a practice and is expected to be sidelined for a couple of more weeks, at least. And that's too bad. As Kobe Bryant has showed us, you can get 20 seasons of professional basketball if you're awesome enough. But you only get four seasons in college, at most, no matter what. And it's never cool when a Player of the Year candidate has to miss part of his final season with an injury. So get well soon, young man.

6. ANOTHER SHOOTER EMERGE AT UNC

Paige attempted 238 3-pointers last season and made 39.5 percent of them. But no other returning player averaged even one made 3-pointer per game or successfully connected from beyond the arc at least 37-percent of the time. And that'll probably have to change, one way or another, if North Carolina is going to win a national championship. Somebody else needs to shoot from deep and well.

7. THE ACC RACE

Yes, North Carolina is the favorite in the ACC. But Virginia returns most of the important pieces, including coach Tony Bennett, from last season's team that won the league, and Duke, as my friend Pete Gillen might say, is still Duke. Notre Dame and Miami should be good, too. So, sure, my money is on UNC, I guess. But it's reasonable to suggest at least two and maybe three or four other teams will challenge the Tar Heels in the ACC.

8. THE BIG 12 RACE

The only Power 5 league more up for grabs than the ACC is probably the Big 12 -- where Kansas, Iowa State and Oklahoma are ranked fourth, seventh and eighth in the preseason AP poll. In other words, this could go lots of different ways. And Kansas will really have to work to get that 12th consecutive Big 12 title.

9. KU'S QUEST TO WIN THAT 12TH CONSECUTIVE BIG 12 TITLE

It really is amazing that Kansas is even in a position to win a 12th consecutive league championship in this era of college basketball. And my prediction is this: Once KU's streak of conference titles is snapped, whenever that is, you'll never see another Power 5 school string conference titles this way again.

10. A RESOLUTION TO THE CHEICK DIALLO SITUATION

The highest-profile freshman who still isn't cleared to play this season is Kansas forward Cheick Diallo, the reigning Most Valuable Player of the McDonald's All-American game. The NCAA should rule one way or another soon, presumably. If the ruling is favorable, KU's odds of getting that 12th consecutive Big 12 title will increase.

11. A RESOLUTION TO THE TACKO FALL SITUATION

I am, as I wrote last week, in favor of the NCAA getting out of the initial academic eligibility business and allowing schools -- Stanford, Southern Miss, Tulsa, Illinois, Washington State, everybody -- to decide which student-athletes they're comfortable enrolling and allowing to play. UCF's Tacko Fall is among the reasons why. Fall, by all accounts, is an intelligent and ambitious student who is majoring in engineering. But the native of Senegal still hasn't been cleared. And, honestly, who benefits from making him sit? Again, by all accounts, Fall is an intelligent and ambitious student who seems genuinely interested in trying to use basketball to further his education and escape his impoverished background. Why do we have a system that makes it so difficult for him to do it?

12. SKAL LABISSIERE AT KENTUCKY

Skal Labissiere, like Diallo and Fall, had questions surrounding his eligibility all the way into October. But the Haitian immigrant was ultimately cleared, and he was terrific in UK's exhibitions. It's not crazy to think he could lead Kentucky to a national championship, then become the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. And if he isn't the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, then the No. 1 pick will probably be …

13. BEN SIMMONS AT LSU

No, the SEC won't be the nation's best basketball league this season. But NBA scouts are going to spend a lot of time bouncing from one SEC campus to another because at least four schools have possible lottery picks. Kentucky and LSU are two such schools, obviously. But Mississippi State and Vanderbilt are also on that list thanks to the presence of Malik Newman and Damian Jones.

14. VANDERBILT'S OFFENSE

While I'm on the subject of the SEC, let's talk about Vanderbilt for a minute. The Commodores will have Jones in the middle, and that's great. But what's really going to make that offense work is how Vandy can surround him with four players -- Riley LaChance, Wade Baldwin IV, Luke Kornet and Matthew Fisher-Davis -- who shot at least 38 percent from beyond the arc last season. It's nice to have shooters like that.

15. INDIANA'S OFFENSE

Speaking of fun offenses … Indiana might have the most entertaining offense in college basketball this season, if only because the Hoosiers can play lineups featuring five guys who are comfortable beyond the 3-point line. I know because I watched them practice two times recently. I know because I was really impressed with …

 

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16. IU'S THOMAS BRYANT

Thomas Bryant won't be the best freshman in the country, and he's probably not a one-and-done player. But, man, I really liked what I saw when I watched him workout a few weeks back. Great motor. More skilled than I realized. Comfortable shooter. If the Hoosiers compete for a Big Ten title, Bryant will likely be among the most important reasons why.

17. INDIANA'S YOGI FERRELL

Obviously, though, Yogi Ferrell is the biggest reason the Hoosiers are equipped to compete for a Big Ten title. While announcing his return to Indiana for his senior season, Ferrell said he wanted to "leave a legacy" at the Big Ten school. Best way to do that is to be responsible for adding to a banner inside Assembly Hall.

Indiana's Yogi Ferrell has high goals for his senior season.(USATSI)

18. MARYLAND TERRAPINS

That said, neither Indiana nor Ferrell project as the best team or point guard in the Big Ten. Those titles, at this point, belong to Maryland and Melo Trimble. A 6-foot-3 sophomore, Trimble averaged 16.2 points and 3.0 assists last season. He's good enough -- and his supporting cast is good enough -- to lead Maryland to its first Final Four since 2002.

19. THE REST OF THE BIG TEN

Maryland and Indiana should both be factors at the top. But Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan State are more than reasonable alternative picks. The Spartans are missing Travis Trice and Branden Dawson from last season's Final Four team. Still, they'll be good. And I can't wait to see them Tuesday in Chicago at the Champions Classic.

20. THE CHAMPIONS CLASSIC

This is, year in and year out, the most high-profile early event college basketball offers, and this season will be no different. It's No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 5 Duke followed by No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Michigan State. That's two current Hall of Fame coaches (John Calipari and Mike Krzyzewski), two future Hall of Fame coaches (Bill Self and Tom Izzo) and enough eventual pros to draw scouts from every NBA franchise. Always a good time.

21. JAMAL MURRAY AT THE CHAMPIONS CLASSIC

Labissierre will be the best NBA prospect in Chicago next week, most think. But Jamal Murray is also likely to someday be picked in the lottery of the NBA Draft. He's Canadian. And he's awesome. And he could end up being UK's leading scorer.

22. AND BRANDON INGRAM AT THE CHAMPIONS CLASSIC TOO

Hard to believe a projected top-three pick could be overshadowed by other freshmen, but Duke's Brandon Ingram kind of has been this preseason with most of the attention going to Labissiere and Simmons. Regardless, he's a special talent. And he plays for the Blue Devils. So you'll be seeing a lot of him even if you probably haven't read a lot about him yet.

23. DUKE IN GENERAL

The reigning national champions lost their four best players -- including Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones -- and thus were forced to completely restock. The good news is that Coach K and his staff restocked well. But it's hard to lose that much talent and not slip. So I'm anxious to see if Duke can avoid slipping much.

24. MIKE ANDERSON'S FIFTH YEAR AT ARKANSAS

On the subject of slipping, let's talk about Arkansas. The Hogs lost pretty much every important piece from last season's 27-win team, meaning they're going to fall pretty far -- both nationally and in the SEC. Consequently, Mike Anderson will likely miss the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons. And that's not good -- especially considering he seems likely to miss on a big instate recruit too. Which brings me to …

25. MALIK MONK'S COLLEGE ANNOUNCEMENT

There was a time when I believed there was no way Arkansas would let Malik Monk, a five-star prospect from Bentonville, leave the state. But I don't believe that anymore. Kentucky now seems like the likely destination. And if Anderson has another bad season and misses on Monk, well, that'll put pressure on him to rebound strongly the following season.

26. JOSH JACKSON'S COLLEGE ANNOUNCEMENT

Josh Jackson is the nation's top-ranked prospect, according to 247 Sports. And his recruitment remains in the air. Could be Michigan State, Kansas, Arizona or Maryland. Hard to say. But some school is getting an impactful prospect for next season.

27. ARIZONA'S QUEST FOR A THIRD STRAIGHT PAC-12 TITLE

Don't count Sean Miller out. But it's going to be tough for his Arizona Wildcats to win the Pac-12 for the third consecutive season given everything he lost off last season's roster combined with the fact that he already lost freshman Ray Smith for the season.

28. CAL 'S QUEST FOR A FIRST PAC-12 TITLE SINCE 2010

Did you realize Cal has only won one Pac-12 title since 1960? (It came in 2010.) In other words, Cuonzo Martin has an opportunity to do something rare Berkeley. And he has the roster to get it done thanks to ...

29. JAYLEN BROWN AND IVAN RABB

There are lots of reasons to pick Cal in the Pac-12 -- Tyrone Wallace being among the obvious ones. But it's the new guys -- specifically Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb -- who seem capable of pushing the Bears to the top of the league standings. Both are five-star recruits. Martin signed them both. And it's still funny to think about how Tennessee fans didn't want to keep the coach who is now in possession of a preseason top-15 team.

30. GONZAGA'S KYLE WILTJER

Let's stay on the West Coast and focus on the Zags, who are good enough to make a Final Four -- thanks mostly to the presence of Kyle Wiltjer. He's the CBS Sports Preseason National Player of the Year. He'll score a lot, which will help Gonzaga win a lot.

Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer is the CBS Sports Preseason Player of the Year. (CBS Sports)

31. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE

Anybody who stays up late watches their fair share of WCC games, largely because of Gonzaga. It'll be fun to do that again. But I wouldn't expect a close league race. The Zags should run away with what would be Mark Few's 13th WCC championship.

32. BYU 'S KYLE COLLINSWORTH

He won't be great enough to lead BYU past Gonzaga in the WCC. But Kyle Collinsworth will be great -- and he'll likely lead the sport in triple-doubles. Watch him, if you can.

33. UNLV 'S MAKE-OR-BREAK SEASON

Long as you're up late, might as well catch some UNLV games as well because Dave Rice enrolled two elite recruits. One is Stephen Zimmerman. The other is Derrick Jones. And Rice needs them to perform early and consistently because missing the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season might lead to, well, you know.

34. JOSH PASTNER'S MAKE-OR-BREAK SEASON

Josh Pastner has made the NCAA Tournament four of the past five seasons, which is good by most measuring sticks. Still, the Memphis fanbase cares less about that than they do about the fact that he's never reached a Sweet 16. So Pastner, like Rice, might have to at least get to the NCAA Tournament to ensure, well, you know.

35. THE COACHING CAROUSEL

It's no fun speculating on the jobs of men. I hope that's clear. But firings and hirings are part of the business, and the developments always create a fascinating March and April, which is when coaches are hired and fired and extended. Is it exhausting to follow? Yes, it's definitely exhausting. But, again, it's always fascinating.

 

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36. THE NEW RULES

The rule changes are going to create messes at times, and you'll hear plenty of folks crying about them. But, in the longterm, they're going to be good for college basketball. So try to keep that in mind ... even if you happen to be watching a game with 157 fouls.

37. THE NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES LIKE SHAKA SMART AT TEXAS

But Shaka Smart isn't the only coach who changed jobs. There's also ...

38. RICK BARNES AT TENNESSEE

Can the former Texas coach bring some stability to the Vols?

39. AND STEVE PROHM AT IOWA STATE

How hard is it to replace a legend at a school?

40. AND MICHAEL WHITE AT FLORIDA

The new UF coach and the new ISU coach are both in the legend-replacing business.

41. AND BEN HOWLAND AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

I still can't believe Missouri didn't hire the former UCLA coach two years ago. But I've been over that before. So let's turn our attention to Ben Howland's best player.

42. MALIK NEWMAN AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

Howland is probably a year away from making Mississippi State nationally relevant. But if it happens in his first season, it'll be because of Newman -- the five-star prospect who committed to the Bulldogs roughly one month after Howland was hired. He could lead the SEC in scoring -- unless, of course, another Mississippi player does.

43. STEFAN MOODY AT OLE MISS

Yep, it's another player in the Magnolia State who is the SEC's leading returning scorer -- namely Ole Miss guard Stefan Moody. He will shoot from anywhere at anytime. He averaged 16.6 points per game last season and will likely top that this season.

44. ROBERT CARTER AT MARYLAND

Like Moody, Robert Carter didn't start his career at the school where he's currently enrolled. He's a Georgia Tech transfer now at Maryland. And one person I know who has watched a Maryland workout thinks the stretch-forward will be the team's best player.

45. VIRGINIA'S PACK-LINE DEFENSE

It's still weird that Maryland and Virginia aren't in the same league. And, on some level, that's a good thing for Maryland, if only because the Terps don't have to deal with Virginia's insane defense anymore. Disciplined and tough. It's the reason why the Cavaliers might lead the ACC in league wins for the third straight season.

46. SAN DIEGO STATE'S SUFFOCATING DEFENSE

Like Virginia, SDSU flourishes because of the way it guards. The Aztecs have ranked in the top 10 of defensive efficiency each of the past two seasons. If they do that again, they'll win the Mountain West Conference. But watch out for . . .

47. BOISE STATE

If SDSU doesn't win the MWC, then put me down for Boise State. Leon Rice has built something nice at this school mostly known for football and blue turf. The Broncos finished tied with SDSU in the MWC last season. They're the best team that plays in an arena named after a fast-food taco joint, and it's not even close.

48. OKLAHOMA'S POSSIBLE FINAL FOUR RUN

Lon Kruger is another man who has built - or rebuilt, at least - something nice at a school mostly known for football. He's made three straight NCAA Tournaments. He was in the Sweet 16 last season. And he could be in the Final Four this season because he's a terrific coach with a star on his roster. That star's name, by the way, is …

49. OU'S BUDDY HIELD

There's something great about having a prominent college basketball player named 'Buddy' Hield. It's almost as good as that time we had 'Jimmer' Fredette. Make sure you catch Hield Tuesday when he plays on national television against Memphis. It's an afternoon game. So just stream it at work or something.

2015-16 CBS Sports Preseason All-America teams. (CBS Sports)

50. OUR OTHER PRESEASON FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

The CBS Sports Preseason First Team All-Americans are four players I've already mentioned - Hield, Simmons, Wiltjer, Labissiere - and Providence point guard Kris Dunn, who is really terrific. He could've maybe been a lottery pick after last season. But he returned to school instead. And he'll almost certainly average more than the 15.6 points, 7.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds he averaged last season, which is kind of absurd for someone playing in 40-minute games with a 35-second shot clock.

 

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51. THE NEW SHOT CLOCK

As I'm sure you've heard, the shot clock has been lowered from 35 seconds to 30 seconds this season. It's a good thing, if only because it'll lead to more possessions in a sport that often has too few possessions. But, if you want to know the truth, I would've loved to have seen it drop to 24.

52. VMI RUNNING AND GUNNING

The Keydets are the team least likely to even notice the shot clock change because they play so fast anyway. They ranked first in tempo last season and have been in the top 10 every season since 2006. They often don't win as much as they lose. But they're always going.

53. WOJO'S SECOND SEASON AT MARQUETTE

Former Duke player and assistant Steve Wojciechowski didn't inherit many good players last season. And he's still probably a year away. But keep an eye on freshman Henry Ellenson. The five-star recruit got 16 points and 17 rebounds in a recent exhibition.

54. RICO GATHERS GRABBING BOARDS

I can't type words about a college rebounder without mentioning Rico Gathers, Baylor's tenacious big man who averaged 11.6 rebounds last season. That ranked fourth nationally. He grabbed 28 boards during a game last season.

55. GONZAGA 'S BACKCOURT

The Zags should win the WCC almost regardless of how the guards play. But they'll need the guards to be great if they want to register nationally because neither Kevin Pangos nor Gary Bell are still members of the program. So everybody in the backcourt will be first-year starters.

56. VILLANOVA IN THE BIG EAST AND BEYOND

The Wildcats have been consistently good under Jay Wright - and they've won the Big East each of the past two seasons. But Villanova hasn't made the Sweet 16 since 2010. Is this the season they breakthrough again?

57. BUTLER IN THE BIG EAST

I'll be surprised, frankly, if anybody but Villanova wins the Big East. But how about Butler? Chris Holtmann inherited a dicey situation last preseason and did a better job than anybody could've anticipated. Now he has a preseason Top 25 team - and the best recruiting class in school history signed. So perhaps this transition to the Big East isn't going to be as difficult as it seemed when Brandon Miller went 4-14 in his first and only season at Butler.

58. ONE MORE YEAR OF FRED VANVLEET AND RON BAKER AT WICHITA STATE

I'm a little embarrassed that it took me this long to get to my favorite backcourt in the country. Both Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker are unheralded recruits who have developed into All-Americans. Their presence made Gregg Marshall's decision to stay at Wichita State easier than it would've otherwise been - although, in fairness, that $3 million salary also contributed to that easy decision.

59. VALPO'S EXPERIENCE

Do you mind if I stay outside of the power conferences for a minute? Because you should know that Valpo returns everybody from a 28-win team - including coach Bryce Drew, who has averaged 23.5 wins in his first four seasons.

60. STEVE MASIELLO AT MANHATTAN

Like Drew, Steve Masiello is one of the bright young coaches in the sport. He's led Manhattan to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. If he makes a third straight it might be hard for Manhattan to keep him in the Metro Atlantic.

61. UTAH'S JAKOB POELTL IN THE PAC-12

OK, back to the big boys - specifically a really big boy named Jakob Poeltl. The 7-footer could've reasonably entered the 2015 NBA Draft. But he didn't. So Utah should be relevant again, both in the Pac-12 and nationally. Pelt averaged 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in just 23.3 minutes per game last season.

62. NOTRE DAME WITHOUT JERIAN GRANT

The Irish lost their most dynamic playmaker in Jerian Grant, and, boy, am I going to miss some of those dunks. But there's still enough in South Bend to keep Notre Dame in play in the upper half of the ACC. Mike Brey should be in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in seven years.

63. SMU PLAYING FOR NOTHING BUT PRIDE

Whether Notre Dame - and basically everybody else, for that matter - makes the NCAA Tournament or not is still to be determined. But we already know SMU won't be involved because of a postseason ban. And that's too bad, honestly. Because this team, on paper, is good.

64. SMU AND SYRACUSE PLAYING WITHOUT THEIR HEAD COACHES

How weird is it that two Hall of Fame coaches - Syracuse's Jim Boeheim and SMU's Larry Brown - are going to serve suspensions this season for rules violations within their programs? On second thought, I guess it's not too weird considering most Hall of Fame coaches have run into some form of NCAA trouble. But, still, it's wild. Two icons. Serving suspensions.

65. LOUISVILLE'S STRANGE SEASON TO COME

Rick Pitino is a third Hall of Famer who could, at some point in the future, serve a suspension just like Boeheim and Brown. That's a possible result of an ongoing investigation into the Louisville prostitution scandal that has dominated headlines this preseason. So it'll be interesting to see how the Cardinals handle the extra, and strange attention they'll get this season.

66. THE ROUND OF 64 OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

There are few things better in sports than the first two (real) days of the NCAA Tournament - those Thursdays and Fridays that almost always deliver a wild story. Last season, it was Georgia State's Ron Hunter falling off of his stool after his son, R.J. Hunter, made a long 3-pointer in an upset of Baylor. Can't wait to see what this season delivers. And Brooklyn being a Round of 64 site is pretty cool, too.

67. THE SWEET 16 OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

Don't buy your tickets yet, Kentucky fans. But there's a decent chance the Wildcats could be in the Sweet 16 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Which means there's a decent chance Kentucky will end up playing what amounts to two home games in an attempt to make the Final Four for the fifth time in six years.

68. THE FINAL FOUR IN HOUSTON

The best spots for a Final Four are spots that have a dome within walking distance of lots of great restaurants and bars and hotels - like New Orleans and Indianapolis, for instance. So Houston doesn't really qualify. But whatever. It's still a Final Four. And Final Fours are almost always awesome. So I'll be there.

And, from now until then, we'll all be discussing and debating which four schools will also be there. Will it be some combination of blue bloods like North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Indiana and Michigan State? Will a school from outside of the Power 5 - like Gonzaga, Wichita State or Connecticut - crash the party? Can a freshman - like Cal's Jaylen Brown or LSU's Ben Simmons - march a non-traditional power through the Field of 68?

We won't know for sure until March 27.

That's when the Final Four will be set.

But the road to Houston starts Friday.

So enjoy the next five months.

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