EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsYou want storylines? The 2026-27 men's college basketball offseason has been more like a Netflix special with five seasons and 16 episodes apiece. The whole game is a storyline!The fifth-year eligibility saga that everyone assumed would be done by now is ongoing. The NCAA is still in court fighting against the Class of 2022 athletes. The good news is that the college basketball season begins Sunday when Villanova and Notre Dame square off in Rome.We're getting closer to on-court drama and further away from in-court drama -- maybe. Either way, every conference in the country has a storyline worth considering.America East: Will the king return?Between 2017 and 2024, Vermont won five of the league's eight automatic berths for the NCAA tournament. Despite winning America East regular-season crowns in 2025 and 2026, the Catamounts failed to reach the NCAA tournament both years. With star Gus Yalden on board again, coach John Becker will attempt to regain the throne following a rare Big Dance drought for a team that has dominated this league in recent years.American: What is Hardaway's future?Penny Hardaway returned to Memphis in 2018 to revive his alma mater, but he'll enter this season on the hot seat following a disastrous 13-19 campaign. He's a Memphis basketball legend as a player, and that status has bought him more time than most throughout his rocky head coaching tenure. Another lackluster finish could spell the end.Atlantic 10: Will 'Cream Abdul-Jabbar' shake up the A-10 race?With five players who averaged at least nine points per game last season returning, Saint Louis already looked poised for another run to the NCAA tournament. Then Robbie "Cream Abdul-Jabbar" Avila, the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, secured a temporary restraining order to play a fifth season with the Billikens. If he's available in 2026-27, an NCAA tourney second-weekend rally for Saint Louis isn't unimaginable.ACC: Will Scheyer capture his first ring and leave for the NBA?Patrick Ngongba II is back for a team that adds Wisconsin star John Blackwell and five-star prospect Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, too. This is arguably the most depth Jon Scheyer has had at Duke as he enters his fifth season at the helm. He has been to a Final Four and an Elite Eight, but if he can win his first national title, the right NBA job could entice him to leave.Atlantic Sun: Which teams are in the conference?Five Atlantic Sun football schools joined the United Athletic Conference this year, leaving the seven members without football (along with West Georgia) in the mix. That means the Atlantic Sun is going from an 18-game conference schedule to 14, placing more pressure on every league contest because of its impact on conference tournament seeding.Big 12: Is this Self's last season?Bill Self announced his return this season following a series of health scares, and he said at Big 12 media day earlier this month that he plans to coach beyond this season. But his declaration won't stop the conversation around his future.Big East: Will the approach of Hurley or Pitino rule the league?The rivalry between Dan Hurley at UConn and Rick Pitino at St. John's has been a perennial headline in college basketball. Hurley, who avoided fifth-year players when assembling his roster, criticized coaches who picked up late additions through court rulings, saying they "hurt the sport." Meanwhile, Pitino's entire season is based on the eligibility of players such as former Auburn star Keyshawn Hall and European standout Quinn Ellis. Something has to give.Big Sky: Will Montana State pull off a rare feat?Montana State made three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 2022 to 2024. Jed Miller, a 6-foot-2 guard who averaged 14.9 points last season, is one of 11 returning players. That's why Montana State was picked to win the Big Sky regular-season championship. But the team has won the regular-season title and conference tournament only once (2022). The Bobcats will try to do it again in 2026-27.Big South: Is High Point the most dangerous Cinderella in the field?High Point beat Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and the Panthers were tied with Arkansas with just over three minutes to play in their second-round loss. With a larger NIL budget than the bulk of mid-majors, this team brought back Cam'Ron Fletcher (25 points against Arkansas) and added former Monmouth star Jason Rivera-Torres. The Panthers could be a dangerous underdog in March.Big Ten: When will Mirkovic return?David Mirkovic, who led Illinois to the Final Four last season, underwent offseason foot surgery. He was trending in the right direction, but Brad Underwood said Tuesday that Mirkovic was "still in a boot" as he continues to heal. The preseason first-team All-American will miss some regular-season games, according to Underwood. The timing of his return will be one of the biggest stories in college basketball.Big West: Could Cal Poly make history?Coach Mike DeGeorge continues to boost the Cal Poly program as he enters his third season. This year, Hamad Mousa (20.4 points per game last season) could be the best player on a roster that is chasing the second NCAA tournament appearance in school history. It all seems feasible in the Big West, which has had five different conference tournament champions in five years.CAA: Is it finally Towson's time?Towson hasn't been to an NCAA tournament since 1991, but it has captured two of the past five CAA regular-season titles. The next step? Villanova transfer Zion Stanford & Co. need to find a way to win the team's first conference tournament crown in more than three decades.Conference USA: Will a pair of matchups between Western Kentucky and Liberty decide the race?The last time Liberty and Western Kentucky faced off, the Hilltoppers secured a lopsided 94-73 road win in late February. This season, Western Kentucky's Teagan Moore is the league's best player, but Liberty has won the past two conference crowns. Two league games between these programs -- Jan. 16, 2027, at Liberty and Feb. 11 at Western Kentucky -- could determine whether there will be a changing of the guard in Conference USA.Horizon League: What will Gottlieb say next?Doug Gottlieb's Green Bay squad finished 18-15 last season after winning four games in 2024-25. That improvement was overshadowed by Gottlieb's insistence on using social media as a megaphone for whatever he felt strongly about that day. His posts are more popular than his program. Perhaps that will be reversed this season if Green Bay makes more progress.Ivy League: Will the rebirth of McCaffery continue?Iowa fired Fran McCaffery in 2025 after his team finished 7-13 in the Big Ten and missed the NCAA tournament. In his first year at Penn, McCaffery led the team to the Ivy League tournament crown and the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight years. With the return of TJ Power, who scored 44 points in the 2026 Ivy League championship game, McCaffery's reinvention could continue.Metro: Is the fourth time a charm for Merrimack?Since the first season Merrimack was eligible for the NCAA tournament after its transition to Division I in 2023, the Warriors have finished first, second and third, respectively, in the regular season but have not won an automatic berth to the Big Dance. Coach Joe Gallo has lost four starters, but his team will still have a chance to hear its name called on Selection Sunday for the first time.MAC: Can Miami (Ohio) top its undefeated regular season?Travis Steele's squad won its first 31 games of the year before suffering a loss in the opening round of the MAC tournament. Another run like that is unlikely, but Steele's team returns Luke Skaljac (10.3 PPG) and four of its top seven scorers from last season.MEAC: Will a new team make noise?Morgan State reloaded after losing all five of last season's starters. Coppin State and North Carolina Central will be competitive, too. But that might not be enough to shake up the hierarchy in a conference that has seen Howard or Norfolk State claim the past six tournament titles. Howard and Norfolk State also have the best players in the conference this season in Cedric Taylor III (17.2 PPG in 2025-26) and Anthony McComb III (17.1 PPG), respectively.Missouri Valley: Can a program hero carry his alma mater back to the NCAA tournament?Former Belmont coach Casey Alexander averaged 23.7 wins per year in seven seasons at the helm but did not reach the NCAA tournament during his tenure. Enter Evan Bradds, who averaged 15 points per game over four seasons played at Belmont from 2013 to 2017. The former Duke assistant will attempt to end the drought for his alma mater and lead the program to its first NCAA tournament since 2019.Mountain West: Is Grand Canyon a sleeping giant?The only for-profit school in Division I athletics, Grand Canyon generated $2 billion in revenue last year, and more than $33 million went toward athletics. That matters because GCU doesn't have football, which has allowed it to invest millions into NIL deals for basketball. Fifth-year transfer Tre Holloman is one of multiple players in eligibility limbo on a squad that could become the king of the reimagined Mountain West.Northeastern: Will an NCAA rule disrupt the league race again?By the time Long Island University had reached last season's NEC tournament title game, it had already been guaranteed the league's automatic berth. Its championship game opponent, Mercyhurst, isn't NCAA tournament-eligible until the 2027-28 season because of division reclassification. Although the NCAA recently changed its reclassification timeline from four to three years, the NEC could face the same scenario again this season.Ohio Valley: How long can Tennessee State keep Nolan Smith?In his first season as a head coach, former Duke star Nolan Smith led Tennessee State to the NCAA tournament for the first time in more than 30 years last season. He has added top transfers Aaron Bradshaw (Memphis) and Arterio Morris (Bethune-Cookman) to his roster for this season. The lineup sets up Tennessee State for more success -- and a higher likelihood that high-major suitors will pursue Smith after the season.Patriot League: Is this the blueprint for non-Power 4 leagues?American, which represented the Patriot League in the 2025 NCAA tournament, returns four starters and multiple key contributors from the 2025-26 team, making it the favorite in this league. But the Eagles are not alone. The bulk of teams in this conference return multiple starters. In the realignment era, this conference's level of retention is rare.Pac-12: Will the new Pac-12 make a splash?Four members of the new Pac-12 -- Utah State, San Diego State, Boise State and Colorado State -- have each reached the NCAA tournament multiple times over the past five years. But Gonzaga, led by All-America candidate Braden Huff, and its streak of 27 straight tourney appearances is the most dominant force in this new-look conference. In its re-debut season, the Pac-12 could make a splash in March.SEC: What's next for Pope?This league is packed with storylines, from Florida's push for another national title to the return of Alabama star Aden Holloway. But the future of Kentucky coach Mark Pope, a year after a 19-point loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament, will remain a headline if the Wildcats miss the mark again. That's especially true with the arrival of Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, who was reportedly paid $6 million to sign.Southern: Can Bradley launch a turnaround at VMI?Last season, VMI star Rickey Bradley Jr. (16.3 PPG at Georgia State in 2024-25) hoped to lead his team into the Southern Conference title picture. Instead, Bradley was lost for the season because of injury and VMI finished 1-17 in league play. The Keydets were projected to finish ninth in this year's preseason poll, even though Bradley was named preseason conference player of the year. Bradley has something to prove after missing last season.Southland: Can McNeese go undefeated until Selection Sunday?Last year, coach Bill Armstrong led McNeese to a 28-win season and the program's third consecutive NCAA tournament berth. Larry Johnson (17.4 PPG) could end the year as one of the top scorers in America, so there is a chance McNeese could flirt with an undefeated regular season, akin to what Miami (Ohio) pulled off last year.SWAC: Will Ruffin lead the nation in scoring?Daeshun Ruffin, a 5-10 guard who was fifth nationally in scoring last season at 23.3 PPG, is from the Class of 2021, a year older than the embattled Class of 2022 prospects. Ruffin gained clearance to play through the NCAA after missing a full year during the 2023-24 campaign. He has a chance to be the top scorer in the country this time around.Summit League: Will St. Thomas pull off the unthinkable?St. Thomas finished second in the Summit League standings in 2025-26 but lost in the second round of the conference tournament, missing its shot at the automatic berth to the Big Dance in its first season of eligibility. St. Thomas is the first school in NCAA history to reclassify from Division III straight to Division I. An automatic berth this year would be another unprecedented step for a real college basketball pioneer.Sun Belt: Can Howard sustain Troy's level of success?Adam Howard, the first-year coach at Troy, is following Scott Cross, who left for Georgia Tech after back-to-back NCAA tournament runs. Cross won 125 games combined in seven seasons and led the school to half of its total NCAA tournament appearances. But Howard will have to build from scratch because all five starters from last season's team are gone.United Athletic Conference: What on earth is the UAC?Well, the WAC has rebranded as the UAC after taking on the Atlantic Sun football schools. It's an interesting mix of teams geographically. Eastern Kentucky will have to fly 1,000 miles to face Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas, in mid-November, for instance. But beyond logistics, this piecemeal league is full of solid programs. Central Arkansas could win the inaugural UAC tournament and earn its first NCAA tournament berth in school history.West Coast: What is this conference without Gonzaga?Though quality programs such as Santa Clara, San Francisco and Saint Mary's remain, the West Coast Conference has gained national recognition over the past 25 years because of Gonzaga's success. Mark Few's program was the WCC's beacon to the entire world, but with the Bulldogs in the new Pac-12 -- and former longtime Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett at Arizona State -- the WCC will spend the 2026-27 season searching for a new identity.
