We're just over halfway through the offseason of no college basketball. A little more than 100 days ago, Michigan cut down the nets in Indianapolis for its first national championship in 37 years.
In less than 100 days, the Wolverines will begin their title defense, looking just a little different. Can new coach Mike Boynton and his new roster pick up where Dusty May left off before the latter's surprise departure for the NBA?
Who are the challengers? Florida , which did the unthinkable and kept its 2025 title-winning core intact for a third consecutive season?
A UConn program with dynasty dreams? Duke with a coach coveted by the NBA?
Then there are the larger, sport-level changes that went into effect: new eligibility rules that were followed by a slew of lawsuits, throwing the question of who can play in a few months into murky waters. The NCAA tournament has also, after years of speculation, finally expanded.
Eight more teams will now hear their name called on Selection Sunday. There's a lot to know if you stopped paying attention to college basketball after "One Shining Moment" played in April.
So, consider this your primer: ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf on 10 storylines plus 90 more things to know about the upcoming season, from wild predictions to the top players, new coaches and more. Jump to: Top storylines | Wild predictions Contenders | Teams that could make a jump Best nonconference matchups Freshmen | Transfers | Breakouts All-America candidates | New coaches 10 storylines that could shape the season How will Michigan defend its title without Dusty May and three lottery picks?
Michigan's march to a national championship last season was one of complete dominance. The Wolverines romped to a Players Era title in November with a plus-110 scoring margin over three games, won 29 games by double digits, and defeated teams by an average of 19 points per game in the NCAA tournament.
Unsurprisingly, their entire frontcourt departed for the NBA as lottery picks. And then came the stunner : Dusty May became the first men's college basketball coach to leave in the offseason immediately following a national title since 1988, when Larry Brown left Kansas in late June for the Dallas Mavericks.
The Wolverines have turned to Mike Boynton , who served as May's assistant coach the past two seasons, to lead the program. Boynton was able to keep nearly the entire roster together -- only backup guard L.J.
Cason , who could miss all of next season after tearing an ACL in February, left following May's exit -- but a potential repeat seems like a taller task than it did three months ago. -- Borzello The first-rounders who spurned the NBA draft to return to college.
Braylon Mullins made the most memorable shot of the NCAA tournament with his buzzer-beater to lead UConn to the Final Four over Duke. In a former era -- think 10 years ago -- a player like Mullins, a projected first-round pick entering this offseason, would have entered and stayed in the NBA draft.
But with the advent of the NIL era, he and other elite prospects decided to return to college basketball for another season, altering the landscape and strengthening national title contenders. Dan Hurley will now turn to Mullins to chase his third national title in five seasons.
Thomas Haugh , also a projected lottery pick, is back in Gainesville, Florida, to chase another championship two years after he won it all with Florida. Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu will join him, locking up the nucleus of the Gators' championship frontcourt.
Rick Pitino signed Tounde Yessoufou , who withdrew from the draft after averaging 17.8 PPG at Baylor last season and entered the transfer portal -- he takes St. John's from an afterthought in the 2026-27 national title race to a top-10 team.
The biggest move of them all, however, is former Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic (16.9 PPG, 49% from beyond the arc) choosing Kentucky. Until Momcilovic's decision -- he also flirted with first-round projections after a string of good workouts for NBA teams -- the Wildcats were one of the field's mysteries.
Now, they're solidly a top-25 team and SEC contender. -- Medcalf Michael Malone starts a new era at North Carolina .
Malone, the championship-winning former NBA coach, was working for ESPN in April when he received the call to replace Hubert Davis, the former UNC star who was fired following a series of lackluster showings during his five-year tenure. Three years removed from leading the Denve