Even though the UConn Huskies are back-to-back reigning national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Kansas Jayhawks appear to be the teams to beat heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season. The Huskies suffered several key losses to the NBA draft while Alabama and Kansas added to already loaded returning rosters this off-season.
For the Crimson Tide, there has been no better coach to guide them into the NIL and transfer portal era than Nate Oats, who works nonstop. When Oats took over the Alabama program they were a fringe top 25 team, now to see them winning SEC titles annually and making Final Four runs is truly remarkable. The expectations are higher than they have ever been in Tuscaloosa this season.
Kansas will enter this season as the team with the target on their back as they finished in the top spot of ESPNs preseason Top 25 rankings with Alabama and UConn behind at No. 2 and 3. ESPN says of the Tide’s stacked roster,
“The return of All-American guard Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson’s withdrawal from the NBA draft on deadline day put the Crimson Tide right there with Kansas in the No. 1 debate. Oats overhauled the rest of the roster, landing three potential starters from the portal: Aden Holloway (Auburn), Chris Youngblood (South Florida) and Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers) — although Youngblood is out until December with an ankle injury. But potential all-league forward Grant Nelson and part-time starter Latrell Wrightsell Jr. are also back from a team that reached the Final Four.”
The SEC was represented strongly on the rankings with Auburn at 10, Texas A&M at 12, Tennessee at 13, Arkansas at 14, Ole Miss at 20, Texas at 21, Florida at 22 and Kentucky at 23. It’s going to be an absolute blood bath to see who can come out of the conference on top.
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