College hoops 2017-18 conference favorites

Vermont was a perfect 16-0 in the America East last season, with top scorer Anthony Lamb was only a freshman. The Catamounts are heavily favored to repeat this year, and they'll get a good litmus test at the beginning of their out-of-conference schedule with a game vs. Kentucky.

The Shockers move from the Missouri Valley to the American Athletic Conference and are already favored. Gregg Marshall's squad returns most of its talent from a team that went 31-5 last season.

Rhode Island finished third in the A-10 last season, but leaders Dayton and VCU have new head coaches. The Rams have some momentum under head coach Dan Hurley.

Also the favorites to win the title, the Blue Devils have an incredible recruiting class joining senior Grayson Allen. The ACC could also be thin at the top after major losses from Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia.

Florida Gulf Coast claimed the Atlantic Sun last season at 12-2, and star guard Brandon Goodwin is set to return for his senior season. He averaged more than 18 points per game last season, shooting 51 percent from the field.

Can the Jayhawks win their 14th straight Big 12 title? They've lost their top two scorers from last year's team, but Kansas still has high expectations with another excellent recruiting class under Bill Self. West Virginia will likely be the biggest challenger.

Nova lost significant talent from its 32-win team of 2016-17, but the Big East doesn't look especially top-heavy this year. Jay Wright's team has won four straight conference regular-season titles.

The Big Sky looks like a toss-up this season, with Montana, Idaho, Montana State and Eastern Washington all vying for the title with Weber State. The Wildcats have a strong roster returning but lost last year's top scorer, Jeremy Senglin.

Asheville finished tied with Winthrop for the regular-season title last season. The Bulldogs return top scorers Ahmad Thomas and Macio Teague this season.

Tom Izzo's team has very high hopes this season, ranked No. 2 in the polls to open the year. Star guard Miles Bridges leads the team, who will get some competition from Purdue, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Irvine claimed the conference regular-season title at 12-4 last season. The team lost its top three scorers, but guard Eyassu Worku has high hopes after averaging 7.2 points per game in only 20 minutes per game on the floor.

Charleston finished second in the Colonial last season behind UNC-Wilmington. It has reason to be optimistic with the return of senior Joe Chealey, who averaged 17.8 points per game last season.

Middle Tennessee dominated Conference USA last season, but Louisiana Tech has a chance to jump the Blue Raiders this year. The Bulldogs lost top scorer Erik McCree but do return Jacobi Boykins and Jalen Harris, among others.

Oakland and Valpo tied atop the Horizon League last season. With Valparaiso heading to the Missouri Valley Conference, Oakland's chances are certainly helped. The return of last year's top scorer, Martez Walker, is also helpful.

It should be a three-horse race again in the Ivy League between defending champ Princeton, Harvard and Yale. The Tigers were a perfect 14-0 in conference last year but lost last year's top scorer, Steven Cook. Devin Cannady and Myles Stephens will be expected to take steps forward.

Iona finished third in the MAAC at 12-8 last season. The Gaels lost their three top contributors from last season, so Rickey McGill will be expected to step up.

Ohio finished its MAC regular season 11-7 last year and lost its two leading scorers from last year. Jordan Dartis should play a key role on this year's team.

The Eagles claimed the regular-season conference title last season, and top scorer Patrick Cole returns as a fifth-year senior. Hampton is likely to be the team's biggest competition.

The Missouri Valley winner is up in the air with the departure of Wichita State. Loyola-Chicago was only 8-10 in the conference last season but is in the conversation to win the conference this season with a veteran squad led by Aundre Jackson, Donte Ingram and Clayton Custer.

San Diego State hopes to rebound in what should be another very competitive year in the Mountain West. Head coach Steve Fisher has the help of Cal graduate transfer Kameron Rooks as the team battles the likes of Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada.

Mount St. Mary's got the edge in the Northeast Conference at 14-4 last season. Top scorer Elijah Long has transferred to Texas, but Junior Robinson will lead the team in his senior season.

Belmont has its fair share of tournament experience under head coach Rick Byrd and finished 15-1 in the Ohio Valley last season. Despite losing star Evan Bradds, Byrd does have a solid team returning.

Head coach Sean Miller has Final Four goals this season, but the team's first goal will be to win another Pac-12 title. The Wildcats tied with Oregon at 16-2 last season and return star Allonzo Trier.

Bucknell won the Patriot League by three games last season, and this could be an even more dominant year with the return of almost the entire squad from 2016-17, led by Zach Thomas. The Bison could turn into a Cinderella team during March.

The SEC is the deepest it's been in years, though the top is likely a three-horse race between Florida, Kentucky and Alabama. The Gators are set to return top scorer KeVaughn Allen from last year's squad.

There was a three-way tie atop the Southern regular-season standings last year, and this season is also expected to be competitive. East Tennessee State lost top scorer T.J. Cromer, but Desonta Bradford returns after averaging 10.4 points during his junior season.

Stephen F. Austin showed slight regression last season, finishing tied in the Southland standings at 12-6, but the team has a promising roster returning this year, led by top scorer T.J. Holyfield.

Texas Southern won the SWAC by three games last season. The out-of-conference schedule is a murderers' row but should prepare the Tigers for the SWAC slate. Last year's second-leading scorer Demontrae Jefferson leads the team this year.

The Jackrabbits finished just 8-8 in conference last season but have reason to be optimistic with the return of 6-9 junior Mike Daum. He averaged 25.1 points per game last season, shooting 42 percent from three.

The Ragin' Cajuns were in the middle of the pack at 10-8 last season. They'll be counting on Baylor transfer Frank Bartley IV, who averaged 15.3 points per game in his first season with Louisiana.

As usual, the WCC is expected to be a two-team competition between Gonzaga and St. Mary's. Head coach Mark Few has lost several great players from last year's team and will now be led by senior forward Johnathan Williams.

New Mexico State finished one game behind CSU Bakersfield in the regular season last year. New head coach Chris Jans inherits a roster with a lot of turnover, but junior forward Eli Chuha returns after averaging 12.4 points per game.