Men’s college basketball in 2024: 68 bold predictions

The men’s college basketball season tips off Monday night with all but six AP Top 25 teams in action. To celebrate the start of the new season, here are 68 bold predictions that are sure to come true (unless they don’t).

1. Duke’s Cooper Flagg will be this college basketball season’s biggest story, bigger than Mark Pope trying to reinvigorate Kentucky, bigger than John Calipari’s fresh start at Arkansas, bigger than UConn’s bid for a historic three-peat. The presumed No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA Draft is the rare prospect capable of siphoning mainstream attention away from the NFL and enticing curious viewers to tune into college basketball before March.

2. Anyone expecting Flagg to put up Carmelo Anthony- or Kevin Durant-like numbers at 17 years old is setting the bar too high. The aspect of the 6-foot-9 forward’s game that has the most room for growth is his ability to create shots attacking off the dribble. Most of Flagg’s 16.3 points per game at Montverde Academy last season came crashing the offensive glass, sinking spot-up jumpers and cutting deftly without the ball. Expect more of the same at Duke.

3. That doesn’t mean that Flagg is overhyped — far from it, in fact. Where Flagg wows scouts the most is with his defensive versatility, his ability to contest a jump shot on the perimeter and rotate to protect the rim. He’s also a relentless rebounder, a willing passer and the sort of fierce competitor who won’t hesitate to sacrifice his body chasing after a loose ball headed out of bounds. He’ll impact winning at Duke in all sorts of ways that don’t show up in a box score.

4. Team outside the AP preseason Top 25 who could surprise: Xavier. Injuries stripped Xavier of two of its most important frontcourt players last season, but forwards Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter are healthy again. The Musketeers are deep, fast-paced, experienced and loaded with shooters. It’s easy to envision Sean Miller guiding this group to a top-four Big East…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-31 13:27:00

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