Best case: Bill Self started scoring from the wing in the transfer portal and turned last year’s disappointment into an aberration, elevating the Jayhawks back to serious national contenders.

Worst: Jayhawks star Hunter Dickinson has been the centerpiece of teams that have failed three years in a row. Will KU be able to create a champion around him?

Best case: Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi fixed the Tide’s interior defense from a year ago, and Nate Oats’ team jumped from a Final Four roster to a championship.

Worst: Alabama’s offense relies heavily on the three-point shot, and maybe Mark Sears and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. Some setbacks like these could drop them to a few spots in a loaded SEC.

Best case: Dan Hurley pushed the right buttons once again in the spring, and the Huskies took a serious step toward the historic three-peat, even with four new players.

Worst: There’s too much roster turnover for even a coach like Hurley to handle. That might not stop them from pushing for the Big East crown, but achieving a third straight national championship will be tough.

Best case: With the return of four starters, including star guards LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp, Kelvin Sampson finally captured his first national title after four straight KenPom top-five finishes.

Worst: The Cougars have had some very solid quarterback play during this dominant four-year stretch. Without Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan effectively taking the reins, UH’s ceiling would come down.

Best case: The Cyclones remain dominant defensively and making a splash offensively thanks to a veteran backcourt led by junior point guard Tamin Lipsey.

Worst: It’s been a decade since a team ranked outside the top 10 offensively in KenPom won a national championship, and the Hurricanes don’t have the firepower to seriously challenge to win it all.

Best case: You couldn’t have scripted a better offseason for Gonzaga with retention and key portal additions. This translates to the field and makes the Zags a top-tier contender.

Worst: Big man Graham Ike was dominant in his career when healthy, but injuries were a constant disruption. If he can’t stay down, it will be a big blow.

Best case: Cooper Flagg delivers on this excitement and more. With Flagg at center and talented role players around him, Duke is making a championship push.

Worst: Flagg won’t turn 18 until midseason, and Duke has a lot going for him in a player who will be among the youngest in the sport this season.

Best case: Scott Drew deftly combines youth (five-star VJ Edgecombe) with experience (signing Norchad Omier and Jeremy Roach).

Worst: Defense is again the Bears’ Achilles heel, as it has been the past two seasons. You can’t win a championship by assuming responsibility on this end of the field.

Best case: National Player of the Year candidate RJ Davis leads the way, but UNC’s role players shine just as much as they did a year ago.

Worst: After missing out on key targets to replace center Armando Bacot in the transfer portal, the player is coming back to bite Hubert Davis and his friends in Chapel Hill.

Best case: Coach Tommy Lloyd has added plenty of physicality to his rotation in anticipation of Arizona’s move to the Big 12, and that toughness is translating into March success.

Worst: Enigmatic star guard Caleb Love has another disastrous NCAA tournament run that led to an early exit.

Best case: Already armed with one of the best centers in college basketball in Johni Broome, Bruce Pearl’s backcourt improvements in the portal are taking Auburn to new heights.

Worst: The Tigers can’t shake the inconsistency that plagued them a year ago, including a disastrous loss to Yale in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Best case: No one can replicate Dalton Knecht’s impact, but North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier can come close.

Worst: The Vols are changing from an incredibly experienced group to one with a lot of new faces. Without roster continuity, the Vols can’t keep up with the top of the SEC.

Best case: Wade Taylor IV has had a bounce-back year in terms of efficiency as he has a talented backfield running back in SMU transfer Zhuric Phelps.

Worst: Losing Tyrece Radford, the heart and soul of the Aggies under Buzz Williams, hurts much more than the box score would indicate.

best case: Braden Smith has developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the country and led Purdue to the top of the Big Ten, even without Zach Edey.

Worst: Without Edey’s attention to every position, Purdue’s role players from a year ago look much more ordinary.

Best case: Keeping Ryan Kalkbrenner means the Bluejays will still have an elite rim defense, and Greg McDermott’s team has plenty of shots to surround Kalkbrenner.

Worst: Without Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander, it will be difficult for CU to be as productive offensively as it was a year ago.

Best case: John Calipari is finding his groove back in Fayetteville and challenging for the SEC title with a mix of young talent and portal stars like Johnell Davis.

Worst: Calipari brings his recent struggles from March with him, and the lack of three-point shooters could also be a concern for this group.

Best case: The revamped roster gives Mike Woodson the Hoosiers’ much-needed bounce-back year; Washington State transfer quarterback Myles Rice and former Arizona standout Oumar Ballo are leading the way.

Worst: Woodson’s old style doesn’t change much, even with better personnel than a year ago. The Hoosiers remain in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, putting Woodson in the hot seat.

Best case: Shaka Smart’s big bet on internal development is paying off, and the Golden Eagles remain near the top of the Big East despite losing Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro to the pros.

Worst: There aren’t enough offensive weapons outside of star guard Kam Jones. Smart’s bat collapses towards the bubble.

Best case: Freshman Tre Johnson lives up to the high preseason hype and gives the Longhorns some serious star power along with an experienced, transfer-laden core.

Worst: There’s only one ball to go between Johnson and high-volume signings Jordan Pope, Arthur Kaluma and Tramon Mark, and it’s tough to get them all playing at the top of their game.

Best case: After 10 losses by 5 points or less with a young group a year ago, the Bearcats have thrived in 2024-25 and are pushing for Big 12 contention.

Worst: Wes Miller’s club can’t overcome the shooting woes that plagued them a year ago and doomed the Bearcats to a middling season.

Best case: Australian big man Alex Condon has exploded in his second year in the Gator system, working with a talented backcourt to continue the rise of the Florida program under Todd Golden.

Worst: Golden’s team can’t replicate last year’s incredible portal move and surround guard Walter Clayton Jr. with enough talent.

Best case: The Bruins’ incredibly deep roster is quickly settling into roles, with transfers like Skyy Clark and William Kyle breathing life into an offense that was dormant a year ago.

Worst: Mick Cronin may have more options than he had a year ago, but this group’s lack of star power is keeping them from climbing the Big Ten ladder.

Best case: Mark Pope’s first shot approach in the transfer portal it pays off and produces a winner in Year 1 despite its lack of star power.

Worst: Putting together an entirely new roster is a monumental challenge…especially on a program where Kentucky is the center of attention. It shouldn’t be a shock that some struggles start early.

Best case: Chris Beard went to the Elite Eight in his second year at Texas Tech. Beard puts the Rebels on a similarly rapid upward trajectory with talented new players.

Worst: Beard can’t fix the Rebels’ defensive problems from a year ago, leaving Ole Miss struggling just to sneak into the NCAA tournament.

Best case: Freshmen excite Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey Effective from Day 1, even against older enemies. This once-in-a-lifetime injection of talent carries the Scarlet Knights into a historic campaign.

Worst: Relying on 18-year-old players isn’t ideal in today’s college basketball, and the Knights don’t have enough shooting to play to their strengths around their two first-year stars.