This year in college basketball should be fun. As always, many of the powerhouses will be battling for the top spot in the rankings, but there are many other programs that will be battling along with them. Unlike last year, there remains no clear-cut favorite thus far, making this year that more exciting. Let us look at some of the pre-season favorites that may be hoisting the trophy come April. Don’t worry if your team is not here, a Cinderella is always bound to make an appearance in March.

Kentucky: Once again Kentucky has a monstrous set of youngsters in its freshman class. Coach Calipari has done another phenomenal job on the recruiting front to fill the voids from the seven players that left Lexington for the NBA last year. The incoming class will be taken under the wings of returning players such as Tyler Ulis, Marcus Lee, and Alex Poythress, who have been through the gauntlet of what is an NCAA season. Look for Kentucky to be heavily favored in the SEC. I’m sure no one will be surprised if the Wildcats are the only ones left standing at the end of the season.  

Kansas: Life is good if you are Jayhawk fan right now. The Cheick Diallo mess has been resolved and the freshman is finally on the court; he will make significant contributions to this team. Kansas is one of the most experienced teams in the nation with Frank Mason running the show at the point and Perry Ellis serving to mentor the young Diallo down low. With Bill Self adept at getting the most of his teams and varying talents, Kansas has a legitimate chance for its twelfth consecutive regular season Big 12 title. That being said, the team will have to work extremely hard for it this year. Although the streak is important to Bill Self, he looks to have the Jayhawks ready for a deep run in March.

North Carolina: This might be one of the most talented teams North Carolina has had in years, but it dodged an early season scare with a Marcus Paige injury. Without Paige on the floor, this particular Carolina team could easily unravel behind unproven player leadership. Paige, an All-American, holds the key to how far this North Carolina team will advance. Coach Roy Williams has done an exemplary job of building the chemistry around this team while holding onto most of his players. Carolina’s three studs in Paige, Kennedy Meeks, and Brice Johnson, will have to lead this team through the peaks and the valleys of the season, as the ACC will be a gauntlet similar to the Big 12. If the Tar Heels can survive the ACC they will be battle-tested enough to take down any team in March.

Iowa State: Iowa State is an “under the radar” type of team this year, but don’t be fooled — it is a very good and talented team. The Cyclones underwent a coaching change over the summer with previous head coach Fried Hoiberg going to the Chicago Bulls. In his place, Steve Prohm takes over. An early exit from the tournament last year is what prompted seniors Georgis Niang and Jameel McKay to turn down the NBA and return to college to win a championship. This Iowa State team is very similar to North Carolina because the Big 12 will test this team and, if they can survive, they are very capable of winning it all.  

Maryland: Maryland is one of the more interesting teams this year. The Big 10 doesn’t look as menacing as in years past; outside of Michigan State, the only other marquee game the Terrapins had on its schedule was against North Carolina. Melo Trimble is the star on Maryland, but the addition of Rasheed Sulaimon from Duke will loom large as his experiences and leadership will be an enormous part to the potential success of Maryland this season. If Maryland can beat Michigan State in the Big 10 it will quiet some of the doubters, but there will still be many as the team heads into the tournament.

Michigan State: Tom Izzo proved his greatness once again last year taking what looked like a sub-par Michigan State team and leading it into the Final Four where his Spartans were ousted by National Champion Duke Blue Devils. One positive that came from the loss was that Izzo was able to bring back most of the same players, led by Denzel Valentine, an early candidate for the “Player of the Year” award. The Spartans are a very talented squad and will go a long way, barring any injury or other non related basketball issue; however, the Spartan basketball team will need to create quite a stir to garner recognition over its Spartan football team as it heads towards the College Football Playoff. Look for Izzo’s bunch to make a lot of noise throughout the regular season and beyond.

Duke: How could we not mention the defending National Champions and pre-season favorites? There are a number of new faces on this year’s Blue Devils team as Quinn Cook, Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow all left for the NBA. Coach K will look to his few returning players (Grayson Allen, Matt Jones, Amile Jefferson, and Marshall Plumlee) to lead the highly regarded freshman class. Duke has more question marks than in years past, but, as always, it is steered by arguably the best to ever coach college basketball in Mike Krzyzewski. The ACC will be a good test for the Blue Devils as the team looks to repeat.