Dickie V’s early Sugary food 16, baby!

• Cock Vitale, College Basketball analystJul 11, 2024, 10:00 AM ET Close Penis Vitale, college basketball’s leading expert and ambassador, signed up with ESPN throughout the 1979-80 season. His extensive knowledge of the game is brought forth in a passionate, enthusiastic style. Vitale also contributes columns to ESPN.com.Here’s an early

preseason look at my Sweet 16 groups heading into the 2024-25 guys’s college basketball season. After hectic weeks of motion in the transfer website and with lineups finally settling down, it’s time to dive into which teams are going to be competitors next season.The era of totally free agency has hit all collegiate sports, and

it has been interesting to see how coaches, who used to sell a program and university way of life, have now become general supervisors, creating groups based upon market price. Those who find the best values will be the ones who succeed.With that in mind, let’s take an initial take a look at the leading teams heading into the season– and some of their key players. Editor’s Picks 2 Associated After 4 second-round exits in five NCAA tournaments, it looks like Bill Self has actually assembled a lineup that can make a deep run once again. The addition of border shooting should assist in an area that was doing not have last season. – Returns: 3 of the top 6 scorers in Hunter Dickinson, K.J. Adams Jr. and Dajuan Harris Jr. – Transfer additions: AJ Storr(Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (Alabama), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State )and Noah Shelby(Rice )- Freshmen: 2 top-50 prospects in center Flory Bidunga( No.
17 in the ESPN 100)and guard Rakease Passmore(No. 32 in ESPN 100) The return of Mark Sears makes Alabama an instant contender to return to the Final 4. Nate Oats brought in some interior depth to help fifth-year senior Grant Nelson with the addition of All-Big Ten big man Clifford Omoruyi from Rutgers. – Returns: Three of leading five scorers in Sears, Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. – Transfer additions: Omoruyi and Aden Holloway (Auburn) – Freshmen: 3 top-30 recruits in Derrion Reid(No. 11 in ESPN 100 ), Aiden Sherrell(No. 21 in ESPN 100) and Labaron Philon(No. 30 in ESPN 100) Dare I discuss”three-peat “? Dan Hurley certainly has the semblance of a group that can make another run with St. Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney joining Hassan Diarra in the backcourt.

Alex Karaban headings the frontcourt and is the early front-runner for Big East player of the year. – Returns: Five of leading 9 scorers in Karaban, Diarra, Samson Johnson, Solomon Ball and Jaylin Stewart – Transfer additions: Mahaney and Tarris Reed Jr. (Michigan )- Freshmen: Luxury

Liam McNeeley (No. 9 in ESPN 100)together with Ahmad Nowell( No. 34 in ESPN 100) and Isaiah Abraham
(No. 58 in ESPN 100) Kelvin Sampson and Houston made a big effect in their very first season in the Big 12,

and there’s no letup in year 2 as shotmaker L.J. Cryer returns along with Emanuel Sharp for one of the premier backcourts in the country. – Returns: Eight of top 10 scorers with Cryer and Sharp in the backcourt. Ja’Vier Francis and J’Wan Roberts anchor the frontcourt. – Transfer additions: Milos Uzan( Oklahoma )- Freshmen: Grace Miller (No. 68 in ESPN 100
)and Chase McCarty With a veteran lineup, the Cyclones look to move past the Sugary food 16, a spot they reached in 2 of the past 3 seasons. Returner Tamin Lipsey is the guts of T.J. Otzelberger’s offense, and Milan Momcilovic is primed for a breakout sophomore season. – Returns: Top four scorers in Lipsey, Momcilovic, Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones – Transfer additions: Nate Heise(Northern

Iowa ), Dishon Jackson( Charlotte), Brandton Chatfield( Seattle )and Joshua Jefferson (St. Mary’s)- Freshmen: Four-star additions Nojus Indrusaitis (No. 67 in ESPN 100)and Dwayne Pierce With fifth-year senior and national player of the year enthusiastic RJ Davis returning, Hubert Davis likes the structure for this Tar Heels group. And once extremely promoted freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell jell in the preseason, North Carolina will be the front-runner in the ACC. – Returns: Five of top eight scorers in Davis, Elliot Cadeau, Seth Trimble, Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington – Transfer additions: Cade Tyson(Belmont)and Ven-Allen Lubin( Vanderbilt)- Freshmen: First-class prospects Jackson( No. 7 in ESPN 100)and Powell (No. 13 in ESPN 100)along with James Brown(No. 66 in ESPN 100) After being courted by Louisville and Kentucky, Scott Drew elected to stay

at Baylor. One take a look at the lineup and you can see why he likes this contending club. Getting transfers Jeremy Roach from Duke and Norchad Omier from Miami is big. And with 3 top-50 ESPN 100 recruits, led by among the nation’s leading freshmen in V.J. Edgecombe, the Bears will be a harmful team come March. – Returns: 3 of top seven scorers in Langston Love, Jayden Nunn and Josh Ojianwuna – Transfer additions: Roach(Duke), Omier (Miami )and Jalen Celestine(Cal) – Freshmen: A top-10 recruiting class, with top-50 players in first-class wing Edgecombe (No. 3 in ESPN 100), Robert Wright III (No. 23 in ESPN 100)and Jason Asemota( No. 48 in ESPN 100) A group that made a late run and another

Sugary food 16 appearance under Mark Few is poised to go back to the nation’s upper tier. Ryan Nembhard, Graham Ike and Nolan Hickman supply a strong nucleus. Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle has the ability to be a big-time scorer out West. – Returns: Ike, Hickman, Nembhard, Steele Venters, Braden Huff, Ben Gregg and Dusty Stromer – Transfer additions: Fight(Arkansas), Michael Ajayi( Pepperdine), Emmanuel Innocenti(Tarleton State )and Braeden Smith(Colgate)- Freshmen: Ismaila Diagne(Real Madrid) I sign up with the remainder of the nation in wanting to see the No. 1 prep player in the nation, Cooper Flagg, in a Duke uniform. He is a prime-time player who is a diaper dandy in name just. With a young team this season, Jon Scheyer is going to rely greatly on Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster. – Returns: Two of top 6 scorers in Foster and Proctor – Transfer additions: Maliq Brown(Syracuse), Mason Gillis(Purdue), Sion James(Tulane)- Freshmen: No. 1 possibility in Flagg(tops in ESPN 100 and also the predicted No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA draft)and top-30 freshmen in Isaiah Evans (No. 14 in ESPN 100 ), Kon Knueppel (No. 18 in ESPN 100), Pat Ngongba(No. 25 in ESPN 100), Darren Harris (No. 29 in ESPN 100) A consensus third-team All-American, Johni Broome is the anchor Bruce Pearl requires to get this group

doing much better than in 2015’s first-round upset loss to Yale. The addition of JP Pegues, who averaged 18.4 points per game at Furman, provides the Tigers some scoring punch. – Returns: Three of leading 5 scorers in Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones – Transfer additions: Pegues( Furman), Miles Kelly(Georgia Tech )and Ja’Heim Hudson(SMU )- Freshmen: First-class Tahaad Pettiford (No. 33 in ESPN 100)and four-star Jahki Howard(No. 60 in ESPN 100)Top stories of the week from Get special access to countless premium articles a year from top writers. – WNBA rookie rankings: New No. 1 “- NFL overreactions: Dak out of Dallas? “- Would USMNT win under Jurgen Klopp
?”More ESPN+content” Matt Painter likes his huge guys, and he has another on deck in 7-foot-3 freshman Daniel Jacobsen. Given time to establish, Jacobsen can be an impact player in the Big 10. Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer return as one of the best guard duos. The offense will look a lot various in the post-Zach Edey era.

– Returns: Five of leading 8 scorers in Smith, Loyer, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Myles Colvin and Camden Heide
– Transfer additions: None
– Freshmen: Includes Gicarri Harris (No. 88 in ESPN 100), Raleigh Burgess and Jacobsen.

Tommy Lloyd got a big boost when Caleb Love and KJ Lewis chose to return. With those 2 back, Lloyd hit the transfer portal hard, generating Horizon player of the year Trey Townsend from Oakland and adding Anthony Dell’Orso, who averaged 19.5 points per game last season at Campbell.

– Returns: 4 of top eight scorers in Love, Lewis, Motiejus Krivas and Jaden Bradley
– Transfer additions: Townsend (Oakland), Dell’Orso (Campbell) and Tobe Awaka (Tennessee)
– Freshmen: Carter Bryant (No. 19 in ESPN 100) and Emmanuel Stephen (No. 93 in ESPN 100)

John Calipari has built this team from ground zero. Three Kentucky players join him in the relocation from the Bluegrass State, consisting of forecasted NBA draft pick D.J. Wagner. Veteran guard Johnell Davis from FAU joins up with true freshman Boogie Fland. Three top-40 freshmen create a strong core group that must see the Razorbacks dancing in March.

– Returns: One player from last year’s roster, Trevon Brazile
– Transfer additions: Davis (FAU), Wagner (Kentucky), Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee), Adou Thiero (Kentucky) and Zvonimir Ivisic (Kentucky)
– Freshmen: Led by the heralded recruit Fland (No. 15 in ESPN 100) in addition to Karter Knox (No. 26 in ESPN 100) and Billy Richmond (No. 38 in ESPN 100).

Among the most vibrant players in college basketball is Wade Taylor IV, who will when again be leaned on to direct the Aggies. Buzz Williams included a number of effect transfers in Zhuric Phelps from SMU and Pharrel Payne from Minnesota to fill out the lineup.

– Returns: Four of leading 5 scorers, including reigning SEC player of the year Taylor, Henry Coleman III, Solomon Washington, Manny Obaseki
– Transfer additions: Phelps (SMU), Payne (Minnesota) and C.J. Wilcher (Nebraska)
– Freshmen: Andre Mills, George Turkson, Rob Dockery

With no Sweet 16 appearances considering that 2019, the Wildcats are looking to make a huge jump with new coach Mark Pope. With nine transfers and 3 freshmen, the Wildcats need time to mesh and gain self-confidence however needs to be primed come March.

– Returns: Without any returning players, Kentucky is building from the ground up
– Transfer additions: Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Koby Brea (Dayton), Amari Williams (Drexel), Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia) and Ansley Almonor (Fairleigh Dickinson)
– Freshmen: Travis Perry (No. 74 in ESPN 100) is a Kentucky Mr. Basketball. Also added Collin Chandler (No. 32 in 2022 ESPN 100) and Trent Noah.

After coming so near the NCAA competition in his first season with the Red Storm, Rick Pitino has revamped and filled some requirements, consisting of with the No. 1 transfer in the portal, Kadary Richmond, from Seton Hall. The Johnnies now have one of the best backcourts with Richmond and Deivon Smith.

– Returns: RJ Luis Jr., Simeon Wilcher, Brady Dunlap, Zuby Ejiofor, Sadiku Ibine Ayo
– Transfer additions: All-Big East first-team selection Richmond (Seton Hall), Smith (Utah), Vincent Iwuchukwu (USC) and Aaron Scott (North Texas)
– Freshmen: Jaiden Glover (No. 72 in ESPN 100), Khaman Maker, Lefteris Liotopoulos, Rúben Prey (CB Prat)