The best men's and women's college basketball storylines for 2023-24

Reigning national champion Connecticut might have the talent to make another deep postseason run, the preseason No. 1 team from The Associated Press can be found in Lawrence, Kansas. The presence of 7-foot-2 Hunter Dickinson, the prized transfer this offseason, is a major reason why the Jayhawks could be headed to their second national championship in two years. Following three standout seasons at Michigan, where he averaged more than 18 points and 8.5 rebounds the past two, Dickinson joins a Jayhawks squad with fellow studs KJ Adams Jr., Dajuan Harris, Kevin McCullar, and another elite freshman class. 

Kansas was one of many perennial college basketball power to improve an already strong lineup. On the women's side, reigning national champion LSU proved the rich can get richer. Not only do the Tigers return dynamic star Angel Reese (23 ppg, 15.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.6 bpg) and a solid supporting cast, but they welcomed two of the game's best via the transfer portal in Hailey Van Lith (Louisville) and Aneesah Morrow (DePaul). Fresh off the program's first national title, LSU looks to become the first women's team other than Connecticut to repeat as champion since Tennessee in 2007 and '08).

Kansas' addition of Hunter Dickinson is obviously huge, but so too is the return of 7-foot-4 Zach Edey for the Purdue Boilermakers. Edey was the consensus national player of the year in 2022-23, when he averaged career highs of 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists for the Boilermakers, who won both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, but became the second No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. With Edey in the mix this season, the Boilermakers are again favored to win the conference and perhaps some retribution at the Big Dance.

Zach Edey seems the smart choice to repeat as the national player year in the men's game. And, yes, Reese is truly something special, but the superstar of women's college basketball remains Iowa's Caitlin Clark. She's the reigning Naismith Player of the Year, an NIL darling, and the second player in Big Ten history with over 2,000 points, 550 assists, 520 rebounds, 110 steals, and 40 blocks. However, Clark's main focus is trying to lead the Hawkeyes back to the national championship game — and a possible rematch with Reese and LSU.

In 2021, UConn women's phenom Paige Bueckers became the first freshman named Naismith Player of the Year, averaging 20.0 points and shooting 52.4 percent that season. However, her sophomore season lasted just 17 games due to a lateral meniscus tear and tibial plateau fracture. Bueckers then sat out all of 2022-23 after tearing the ACL in her left knee. Now, Bueckers is back at 22 years old. She's healthy, focused, and determined to once again dominate for the Huskies, who might be ready to regain their dominance amid the women's game.

With Bueckers back in the mix, UConn would seem to have a good chance of returning to the Final Four after its run of 14 consecutive appearances ended last season. That's when Ohio State pulled off the 73-61 upset of the No. 2 Huskies in the Sweet 16 before losing to Virginia Tech in the regional final. Enter Bueckers, joining fellow stars Azzi Fudd and Aaliyah Edwards, and Geno Auriemma's Huskies, ranked second behind LSU by The Associated Press to open the season, would seem set to begin a new Final Four streak — and then some in 2024. 

We touched on a few of the notable stars of the women's game, but two of the sport's more underappreciated stars are looking to return from injury and help their respective teams succeed. Notre Dame's Olivia Miles missed the 2023 postseason because of a knee injury. It's uncertain when Miles returns to the court this season. She is the heart and soul of the Irish, coming off a career 2022-23 season where she averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.1 steals. Meanwhile, Kansas State's Ayoka Lee plans to play after missing all of the 2022-23 campaign with knee issues. Among the school records that Lee holds are the highest career scoring average (19.1 ppg), career rebound average (10.2), single-season average rebounds (11.4), single-season average blocks (3.1), and an NCAA-record 61 points in a game. 

Has there been a more inconsistent national power in men's basketball of late than North Carolina? The Tar Heels played for a national championship twice in the last five NCAA Tournaments. They won in 2017 and lost to Kansas in '22. However, they were also eliminated in the first and second rounds during that stretch. Then last season, after being hailed a preseason No. 1, North Carolina went 20-13 and failed to receive an invite to the Big Dance — for the first time since 2010. That's why plenty of eyes will be on UNC this season to see how well Hubert Davis' group, led by preseason All-American Armando Bacot, can bounce back. If at all.

North Carolina is not the only blue blood looking to improve. Considering all the talent that has come and gone from Lexington, the Wildcats last played for a national title in 2014. They haven't won it all since 2012. Making matters more frustrating for the Kentucky faithful is that the program has been far from seriously competitive in the NCAA Tournament of late. After the 2020-21 team went 9-16, Kentucky returned to the tournament in 2022, only to be stunned by No. 15 Saint Peter's in the first round. Last season, as a No. 6 seed, the Wildcats lost in the second round. Another stellar freshman class is in tow this season, hoping for better tournament success — if it can get there. Is John Calipari's time about up in Lexington?

While one can certainly raise questions about John Calipari's status as a coach on the hot seat, Saint John's apparently believes another coaching legend is the latest solution to the program's inconsistency in recent years. Rick Pitino is back in the Big East, guiding the Red Storm after returning from his coaching exile to win 64 games and make two NCAAs at Iona the past three seasons. Overall, Pitino has won 834 games, reached seven Final Fours, and claimed two national championships, but is he good enough to take Saint John's to just their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance this century?

The Maui Invitational remains one of the most anticipated movements of every college basketball season. However, it's looked slightly different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and certainly this season during Thanksgiving week. The 2023 event will be played on the island of O'ahu in Honolulu, while Maui's Lahaina Civic Center remains part of the recovery effort from this year's devastating wildfires. However, while preseason top 15 teams Kansas, Purdue, Marquette, Tennessee, and Gonzaga make up a star-studded field in Honolulu, thoughts will remain with the tournament's true home on Maui.

We noted Gonzaga as one of the elite teams in the Maui Invitational field. However, the Zags won't be favored in the event and opened the season ranked 11th by the AP. Without star Drew Timme, Gonzaga still has talent, but only a few college basketball analysts consider Mark Few's squad a serious national title contender. There might be reason to believe that these Zags are vulnerable enough that their 11-year run of winning the West Coast Conference regular-season championship is in jeopardy. Mostly because rival Saint Mary's is also ranked in the preseason AP Poll and the league's preseason favorite, and the Zags, as of yet, don't boast a true star to rely upon.

Speaking of Gonzaga, rumors continue to swirl that it could be part of the new-look Big 12 next season. First things first, Houston (ranked seventh to open the season), BYU, and UCF will join the rest of the current Big 12 lineup this season. The Cougars join Kansas, Texas, and Baylor as ranked league teams to open the season. Meanwhile, this is the end of the Big 12 road for those Longhorns and Oklahoma, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah will be added to what's left of the league for the 2023-24 campaign.

Sadly, the 2022-23 season will mark the end of the Pac-12 as a sports conference. That said, there is some talent on the men's hardcourt, with Arizona ranked 12th and a potentially exciting USC squad opening the season at No. 21 in the AP Poll. Meanwhile, if UCLA can overcome some early uncertainty, the Bruins also could be in the mix for a league title. It will be a bittersweet finale of the league that obviously has built quite the college basketball legacy through the decades — regardless of its name.

Perhaps the most intriguing question within the Pac-12 is whether prized freshman Bronny James will play a game for USC this season. Perhaps no other freshman in the country will be followed more than the son of LeBron James. Though Bronny continues to rehab from a cardiac arrest incident and surgery in relation to a congenital heart defect, it remains uncertain what to expect from him in 2023-24. No timetable for him to see game action remains to be seen. When healthy, James is an electrifying guard who brings a strong sense of game intelligence, along with the obvious elite talent he possesses. 

The final Pac-12 season in women's basketball has the potential to be quite memorable. The conference last produced a national champion in 2021 (in Stanford), but this season, six teams — UCLA, Utah, Stanford, Colorado, USC, and Washington State — are ranked in the preseason Top 25 by The Associated Press. Meanwhile, Washington, Arizona, and Oregon were among the others receiving votes. The Bruins and Utes sit Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, so there are certainly some lofty expectations for the conference to produce several teams capable of making deep postseason runs in 2023-24.

Ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic's improbable run to the Final Four, then coming a buzzer-beating shot away from making the national final, was perhaps the story of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Well, what do the Owls have in store for 2024? Well, to begin, all five starters, highlighted by stars Johnell Davis and Alijah Davis, return from that 35-4 squad. Now, FAU is part of the American Athletic Conference this season but is ranked 10th in the preseason AP poll. There will be no sneaking up on much of anybody in 2023-24 for these Owls.

Florida Atlantic is no longer an unknown commodity on the college basketball scene, so who is the next underdog or Cinderella to make an unexpected deep NCAA Tournament run in 2024? How about Drake? Out of the Missouri Valley, the Bulldogs have posted five straight 20-win seasons, went 27-8 in 2022-23, and return stars Tucker DeVries (18.6 ppg) and Darnell Brodie. If we're talking about a potential longshot, how about Grand Canyon? Coached by Valparaiso legend Bryce Drew, the Antelopes return preseason WAC Player of the Year Jovan Blacksher Jr. and Rayshon Harrison (18 ppg), plus additional transfers from Louisville and Arizona State.