NCAA Basketball Notebook: Thanksgiving Week Overview

 A concise look at the nation’s top contenders as we move into the holiday season

College basketball began on November 3, but in a long season, most fans start to tune in beyond their favorite team around Thanksgiving, as the gala of holiday tournaments and conference challenges starts up. Our goal with this overview piece is to give everyone a good look at the landscape, who is expected to contend, and some of the early results that have trickled in.

Perhaps more than any other sport, at least at the collegiate level, basketball is a portrait of America. College football, while more popular, is still more regionally based in the South and the Midwest. College baseball and college hockey are regional and niche. But NCAA hoops goes to coast-to-coast, and with teams routinely rising up out of non-power leagues, it reaches deeper into each region. So, as we approach Thanksgiving Week, this uniquely American holiday, we’re doing our early season college basketball overview region by region, to capture the American landscape for this season.

There was a time when you could simply go conference-by-conference and not have to give that flag-waving spiel by way of explanation But of course, leagues are now so far-flung and, in some cases, geographically non-sensical. The way we’ll format our presentation here is to start in New England, move down the southern coast, curl back up through Appalachia and into the Midwest, move back down through the Plains and Texas, and then shift westward on our journey to the Pacific.

Ready to start our journey? Here we go…

THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD: UConn, St. John’s

UConn slipped a bit last year, after winning back-to-back NCAA titles in 2023-24. The Huskies were an 8-seed and went out in the Round of 32. Dan Hurley’s key players this year will be senior forward Alex Karaban, who seems like he’s been in Storrs forever, along with guard Solomon Ball. Thus far, UConn has nipped BYU in a game played at Boston Garden and dropped a tough decision at home to Arizona.

St. John’s had a breakout year last season with Rick Pitino, who now enters his third year in Queens. As is typical of Pitino teams, the Red Storm played smothering defense a year ago. Some of their shooting difficulties caught up to them in an early NCAA Tournament exit. This year’s team will still defend and everyone can handle the ball. A player to keep an eye on is Dylan Darling—the transfer who was Player of the Year in the Big Sky last season, is the man who might improve the perimeter shooting.

THE RESEARCH TRIANGLE: Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State

There was a time when I might have called this section “Tobacco Road,” but in our modern economy, maybe the research angle works better…

Duke: Cooper Flagg is off to the NBA, but the Blue Devils keep thundering forward. Cameron Boozer, the son of Duke alum Carlos Boozer who enjoyed a long NBA career, is the latest freshman phenom they’ll build around in Durham. Head coach Jon Scheyer has a younger team that will wait for pieces to emerge. Keep an eye on Isiah Evans, a sophomore forward who can score, and another sophomore in center Patrick Ngonba. These youthful Dookies already have a nice win over Kansas under their belt.

North Carolina: It seems like Hubert Davis has been on the hot seat each of his four years in Chapel Hill and this season is no different. Success for the Tar Heels will need to start with 6’10” freshman Caleb Wilson, and they will rely on Kyra Evans and Seth Trimble for effective play in the backcourt. Under Davis, UNC has made the national final as an 8-seed, lost in the Sweet 16 as a 1-seed, and got a controversial bid last year. Fans want to see the stable success this program became renowned for under Dean Smith and Roy Williams.

N.C. State: After their surprise Final Four run in 2024 woke up echoes of Jimmy V and 1983, the Wolfpack fell off the map last season and made a coaching change. Will Wade, who was on his way to success at LSU before a scandal of paying players (doesn’t that sound quaint?) undid his tenure. After rehabbing his career at McNeese State, Wade is in Raleigh with NIL and player payments now all the rage. He’s got a pretty good team, led by Darron Williams. Key questions are that Williams and most of the contributors are in the “wing player” profile. The Pack needs to rebound and move the basketball.

POWER ON THE PANHANDLE: Florida, Alabama, Auburn

Florida: The Gators captured the school’s third national championship, and first since Billy Donovan’s teams went back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. Can this year’s Florida team be another repeat winner? They’re definitely in the conversation. Alex Condon at forward is a key holdover and playmaking guard Boogie Fland is a big-time transfer get. The Gators also have a senior playmaker in Xaivian Lee and a quality forward in Thomas Haugh, who pairs nicely with Condon. Todd Golden’s team is balanced, even with an early loss to Arizona on the resume.

Alabama: Nate Oates has made this legendary football school a national power in basketball. Since 2021, the Crimson Tide have been a top-6 seed every year, a top-2 seed three times, the #1 overall seed in 2023 and a Final Four team in 2024. This year looks like more of the same. ‘Bama will push the pace, and they have shooters at every spot. The key question that will determine how high they go is how good the rebounding is. Oates has tested his team early, already with wins over St. John’s and Illinois, and a loss to Purdue.

Auburn: With the great Bruce Pearl making his surprise retirement announcement in September, a move that effectively ensured his son Steven would get the job for this season, I wasn’t sure about including Auburn in this early overview. Particularly given that they were rebuilding anyway. But after being the #1 overall seed a year ago and making the Final Four, the Tigers deserve respect. And they have an outstanding senior forward in Keshawn Hall to build around. There won’t be much in the way of patience for Steven to show he can match what his daddy did.

BOURBON & BLUEGRASS: Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee

For reasons of length, legacy, and a soft early schedule, we didn’t include Vanderbilt, but the Commodores are another team in this region worth keeping an eye on…

Kentucky: Has it really been 2015 since the Wildcats last made a Final Four? Mark Pope, a part of the team that won the national championship in 1996 is now in his second season in Lexington. Kentucky anticipates improvement this year and has a well-balanced lineup. Denzel Aberdeen, Oteg Oweh, Mouhamed Dioubate and Collin Chandler give them the ability to score from anywhere and 7’0” freshman center Malachi Moreno will man the post. The ’Cats need to be a big-time national contender again this year, but so far, they’ve taken losses to Louisville and Michigan State.

Louisville: Speaking of the ‘Ville, it’s nice to see the Cardinals back into the national conversation for the first time since Pitino left after 2017. The ensuing dry spell has seen just two NCAA Tournament bids, both first-round exits, for the proud program. But one of those was last year, in the first season under Pat Kelsey. Louisville has added dynamic freshman Mikel Brown for the backcourt, where he’ll be joined by three-point gunners in Ryan Conwell and Isaac McNeely. A key to success will be if German import Sananda Fru can anchor the low post and provide some balance.

Tennessee: It’s easy to pick on Rick Barnes for NCAA Tournament shortcomings, but the Vols have made the Elite Eight each of the last two seasons and Barnes has gone to four Sweet 16s since coming to Knoxville in 2019. He’ll never been known as Mr. March, but it might be time to move past some of his early exits when he coached at Texas. The Vols gave him a lifetime contract, so he can finish his career here. And he’s got one of this season’s signature freshman, 6’10” Nate Ament, who will anchor a big frontline. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, a comparative little guy at 6’0” can score and distribute on the perimeter.

RUSTBELT RUMBLINGS: Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue

Again, for the sake of length, we didn’t include everyone, but Indiana is also lurking in this region under new head coach Darian DeVries and an arsenal of new shooters…

Michigan State: Tom Izzo had his first really good team since 2019, when he made the eighth Final Four of a legendary career. Last season’s Spartans got a 2-seed and played up to that billing, reaching the Elite Eight in March. There’s some retooling this year, as subordinate players move into key roles and new faces get blended in (although in this day and age, the latter is true everywhere). The forwards, Jaxon Kohler and Coen Carr are the focal points and the development of playmaker Jeremy Fears will be key. So far, so good—Michigan State has already nipped Arkansas and pounded Kentucky.

Michigan: After taking Florida Atlantic on their improbable Final Four run in 2023, coach Dusty May came to Ann Arbor and immediately turned around the Wolverine program. They got a 3-seed, won the Big Ten Tournament, and made the Sweet 16. This year’s team is built around size. With a big frontcourt that can score and rebound, that makes little Elliot Cadeu the quiet key to success. The junior guard isn’t a scorer, but he doesn’t need to be. What Cadeu does need to do is make sure offensive flow doesn’t get bogged down.

Purdue: Matt Painter has done everything since coming to Purdue. First, he restored the program to its status as a regular Big Ten contender. In 2024, he got the big breakthrough and made the school’s first Final Four since 1980. Only the last step remains and that’s to win on Monday night in April. He’s got the horses to do it. Braden Smith and Fletcher Lover make for a reliable senior backcourt, Trey Kaufmann-Renn is an outstanding forward, and they have big men in Oscar Clupp and 7’4” Daniel Jacobsen. And they’ve already won at Alabama and hammered Texas Tech.

BORDER RIVALS: Wisconsin, Illinois

Wisconsin: The Badgers underwent a personality makeover last season, going from a walk-it-up motion offense to a high-octane tempo. They ran all the way to a 3-seed before a disappointing loss to BYU—a defeat that got further ratified this past week when the Badgers were pounded by the Cougars. But Wisconsin should be competitive again this year, with John Blackwell at guard and big Nolan Winter in the post. The ability of head coach Greg Gard to move pieces in around them will define how far Wisconsin can go.

Illinois: Brad Underwood has quietly brought consistency to Champaign, putting the Illini in five straight NCAA Tournaments. Now, can they reach the program’s first Final Four since their great team in 2005? Underwood has two really good freshman forwards, in David Mirkovic and Keaton Wagler, both of whom can score and rebound. Illinois has a senior leader in Kylan Boswell who can put it all together. And so far, they’re hanging in with other top teams, with a close win over Texas Tech and a close loss to Alabama.

DOWN ON THE FARM: Kansas, Iowa State

Kansas: Since winning the national championship in 2022, the Jayhawks have steadily declined. They were a 1-seed again in 2023 before losing early in the NCAAs. Then a 4-seed in ’24, and a 7-seed a year ago, neither leading to a deep tournament run. The hopes for arresting the trajectory are resting on the shoulders of Darryn Peterson. The 6’5” freshman is being hyped as a possible one-and-done and #1 overall pick in next summer’s NBA draft. Peterson will be joined by forwards in Flory Bidunga and Tre White. So far, things aren’t meshing, with double-digit losses to Duke and North Carolina.

Iowa State: The Cyclones have been a quietly consistent program over the years, including under T.J. Otzelberger, who has taken them to five straight NCAA Tournaments. They’re starting to knock on the door of national prominence, having been a top-3 seed the last two years. Now, it’s about making the Final Four for the first time since 1944. Tamin Lipsey is an excellent all-around point guard. Joshua Jefferson can score and rebound at the forward spot, and he passes well for a big man. Milan Moncilovic is a classic stretch-4 who can step out and shoot it from behind the arc. Iowa State is good.

SOUTHWEST FIREPOWER: Houston, Texas Tech, Arkansas

Houston: Kelvin Sampson has Cougar basketball in the third distinct success phase of its history. Guy Lewis coached during the first two. There was the late 1960s/early 1970s teams that included the great Elvin Hayes. There was Phi Slamma Jamma in the early 1980s. And there’s now under Sampson. As last year showed, one thing that hasn’t changed is Houston’s ability to lose heartbreakers in the national championship game. But they will be back, with more smothering defense. Emanuel Sharp, a key holdover from that team at guard, will be buttressed by playmaker Kingston Evans and freshman center Chris Cenec. The beat goes on.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders were oh-so-close to the Final Four last year. Like Houston, they coughed up a late lead against Florida. Grant McCasland’s team is built around a great player in 6’9” forward J.T. Toppin and supported by Christian Anderson, a high-powered scorer and passer in the backcourt. Texas Tech will need time to put the supporting cast in place around them—as evidenced by the 30-point beatdown Purdue handed them.

Arkansas: John Calipari came to Fayetteville and inherited a team that had stepped back in 2024 after making consecutive Elite Eight trips. After a slow start, Calipari got the Hogs rolling, they played their way into the field and then reached the Sweet 16. They had their own heartbreaking loss, melting down against Texas Tech, but optimism reigns for this new season. A small lineup will be built around a couple of good freshmen, in Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas. The Razorbacks played competitively against Michigan State and should again get better as the season rolls on.

FROM THE DESERT TO THE MOUNTAINS: Arizona, BYU

Arizona: Tommy Lloyd is 4-for-4 in getting the Wildcats to the Sweet 16, each time with a commensurate seed, indicating sustained regular season success. What Lloyd hasn’t done yet is get to a Final Four, burdened by the same shortcomings on regional weekend that afflicted Sean Miller here for so many years. Arizona has been the nation’s most impressive team in the early weeks, beating Florida, UCLA, and UConn. The stars are guard Jaden Bradley and freshman forward Koa Peat, with a supporting scorer in Anthony Dell’Orso and a physical rebounder in Tobe Awaka. They lead the way as Arizona chases its first Final Four since Lute Olson did it in 2001.

BYU: Kevin Young took over last season when Mark Pope left for Kentucky, and the Cougar program didn’t skip a beat. In fact, they got a bit better. For the second straight season, BYU earned a 6-seed and this time, they advanced into the Sweet 16. Richie Saunders is an explosive all-around player, and Young recruited a genuine star in freshman forward A.J. Dybantsa. Robert Wright is both a scorer and a playmaker. BYU has the horses to make their first Elite Eight since Danny Ainge led the way in 1981, and maybe even their first Final Four ever.

HEADING FOR THE PACIFIC: UCLA, Gonzaga

UCLA: After making the Final Four in 2021 and then following it up with a couple of Sweet 16s, the Bruins slipped to mediocrity in 2024. Mick Cronin got them pointed back to respectability last year, with a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now, they’re looking to get back to real national prominence. UCLA was able, by the chaotic standards of today, to retain a good number of their players. They have six guys who can score, so that’s not a problem. The player I’m watching is 6’2” senior Donovan Dent, who will be in charge of overseeing it all.

Gonzaga: Mark Few has taken the Zags to the NCAAs every year since he became head coach in 2000 (obviously excepting 2020 when the event was cancelled with Gonzaga 31-2). But there has been a gradual decline—from a 1-seed in 2022, to the 3-line in 2023, then a 5-seed in ’24 and a non-descript 8-seed a year ago. They need to reverse course and they’ll look to do it behind a frontcourt that is big and deep. Graham Ike, Braden Huff and Tyon Grant-Foster will pound and score. Few will need to put a backcourt together as the year unfolds.

HOLIDAY SEASON HOOPS

From sea to shining sea, those are the core teams worth keeping an eye on. And while football will undoubtedly be what’s on most of our TV sets for the balance of the calendar year, there’s a lot of opportunities to check these teams out. Here’s a short list of games we can look forward to:

THANKSGIVING APPETIZER

Monday, November 24
This is part of the 18-team Players’ Classic Las Vegas that will take place at two different arenas:
St. John’s – Iowa State (4:30 PM ET, truTV)
Gonzaga – Alabama (9:30 PM ET, TNT)

Tuesday, November 25
The Players’ Classic continues with wall-to-wall coverage highlighted by:
Tennessee – Houston (6 PM ET, TNT)
Michigan – Auburn (8:30 PM ET, TNT)

Wednesday, November 26
The Players’ Classic rolls on with matchups determined by the first two days’ results. TNT and truTV have the action.

TURKEY WEEKEND HOOPS

Thursday, November 27
If the NFL tripleheader (Packers-Lions, Chiefs-Cowboys, Bengals-Ravens) doesn’t do it for you, audibling out to basketball is an option
North Carolina – Michigan State (4:30 PM ET, Fox – Fort Myers)
Duke – Arkansas (8 PM ET, CBS – Chicago)

Friday, November 28
UConn – Illinois (12:30 PM ET, Fox – Madison Square Garden)
Wisconsin and Florida both play, potentially against each other.

DECEMBER BUILDUP

Tuesday, December 2
Florida – Duke (7:30 PM ET, ESPN)
UConn – Kansas (9 PM ET, ESPN2)
North Carolina – Kentucky (9:30 PM ET, ESPN)

Wednesday, December 3
Louisville – Arkansas (7:15 PM ET, ESPN)
N.C. State – Auburn (9:15 PM ET, ESPN)

Friday, December 5
Gonzaga – Kentucky (7 PM ET, ESPN2)

THREE SATURDAYS IN DECEMBER

Saturday, December 6
Duke – Michigan State (Noon ET, Fox)
Iowa State – Purdue (Noon ET, CBS)
Indiana – Louisville (2 PM ET, CBS)
Marquette – Wisconsin (2 PM ET, FS1)
Illinois – Tennessee (8 PM ET, ESPN)
Auburn – Arizona (10 PM ET, ESPN)

Saturday, December 13
Arkansas – Texas Tech (Noon ET, ESPN2—Dallas)
Marquette – Purdue (2 PM ET, Peacock)
Kansas – NC State (5:30 PM ET, ESPN)
Indiana – Kentucky (7:30 PM ET, ESPN)
Arizona – Alabama (9:30 PM ET, ESPN)

In between, we have Louisville-Tennessee on Tuesday, December 16 at 7 PM ET (ESPN).

Saturday, December 20
St. John’s – Kentucky (12:30 PM ET, CBS – Atlanta)
Ohio State – North Carolina (3 PM ET, CBS – Atlanta)
Houston – Arkansas (5:30 PM ET, CBS)
Auburn – Purdue (6:30 PM ET, TBA – Indianapolis)
Duke – Texas Tech (8 PM ET, ESPN – Madison Square Garden)
San Diego State – Arizona (10:30 PM ET, ESPN2)

And with that we get to Christmas, when most programs take a few days off. And we’ll have our next college basketball landscape update between Christmas and the New Year.

But our next update in this space will come much sooner than that! When Monday Night Football concludes, the NFL regular season will be 2/3 of the way completed, with Thanksgiving Week signaling the stretch drive has arrived. We’ll have AFC and NFC evaluations of the playoff contenders posted on Tuesday and Wednesday. See you then!