Storylines to watch in all 31 men's basketball conferences

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Myron MedcalfOct 30, 2025, 09:00 AM ET
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We're just days away from the start of the 2025-26 men's college basketball season. Most leagues have announced their preseason picks and player of the year candidates, but the landscape is more complicated than that. The most intriguing storylines for each conference also matter.

There are teams chasing national titles. There is major injury news. There are programs hoping to end NCAA tournament droughts, coaching changes and players seeking redemption throughout the field.

Here is our list of the most compelling storylines in each Division I conference this season.

America East Conference

Is this the end of Vermont's reign?

Last season, Vermont lost three games to conference foes (including in the conference tournament) by 15 or more points, and failed to win the America East title for the first time in nearly a decade. In six previous seasons, the Catamounts had suffered double-digit losses to league opponents only four times. With star TJ Hurley back and TJ Long healthy, coach John Becker's group can regain its perch -- although that journey seems more difficult than it has ever been.

American Conference

What happens to Memphis now?

Last season, coach Penny Hardaway enjoyed the best season of his tenure with a team that featured AP All-American P.J. Haggerty. His current group of talent lacks that same pizazz. It's led by a whole new cast, including Dug McDaniel, who has had rocky stretches at both Kansas State and Michigan. The Tigers aren't in a unique situation: Most teams have been forced to rebuild each offseason in the transfer portal era. But a transition from second-weekend threat to having one of the least-imposing rosters of the Hardaway era, could lead to another turbulent season for the former NBA All-Star.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Can the league bounce back from a disappointing 2024-25?

Last season, the ACC had its most lackluster Selection Sunday in a quarter century. Not since the 1999-2000 season had the conference sent only three teams to the NCAA tournament. Though Duke seems equipped to remain a perennial contender, the fall of North Carolina last season demonstrated the hurdles for every team in this new climate of college basketball. But the conference might have hit the reset button this season. Caleb Wilson, a projected lottery pick, is the new leader for a stronger Tar Heels team that might save coach Hubert Davis' job. Will Wade has brought in Darrion Williams and other top players at NC State. Louisville has second-weekend aspirations -- and maybe more. The top of the conference looks the part of the typical ACC that has been a perennial powerhouse. But the strength of the conference will be determined by the success of that next tier -- Virginia, Syracuse and others -- as it attempts to erase the memories of last season.

ASUN Conference

Can Bellarmine write a fairytale story with an NCAA tournament berth?

Last year was Bellarmine's first year of eligibility for the NCAA tournament after its transition from Division II in 2020-21. A 2-16 conference record (5-26 overall) unfortunately meant the Knights weren't even eligible for the Atlantic Sun tournament. But this season, Jack Karasinski (15.4 PPG) has the potential to lead one of the country's best turnarounds -- one that could end with an historic moment on Selection Sunday.

Atlantic 10 Conference

Could this be a multibid season for the conference?

A three-bid Selection Sunday isn't a pipe dream for a conference that has six teams listed in KenPom's top-100 preseason rankings. VCU coach Phil Martelli Jr. has recruited multiple high-major transfers in his first season at Richmond. Garrett Johnson (13.4 PPG in 2023-24) is back for George Washington after sitting out last season because of an ACL tear. Saint Louis star Robbie Avila is the top returning scorer in the conference. George Mason coach Tony Skinn has led the Patriots to back-to-back 20-win seasons. Miles Rubin could be a star at Loyola Chicago. And Dayton has a fleet of scorers who averaged double figures last season. Depending on what happens in nonconference action, the A-10 could enjoy one of its strongest seasons.

Big East Conference

Is Rick Pitino vs. Dan Hurley the top coaching battle in the country?

College basketball's top coaches have always been the faces of the sport, and the rivalries between them have been a captivating element of every season. John Wooden and Pete Newell had their battles on the West Coast. Bob Knight and Gene Keady were friends but on-court foes at Indiana and Purdue, respectively. And Mike Krzyzewski had fiery interactions with both Dean Smith and Roy Williams at North Carolina. The best version of those coaching duels today might be Pitino vs. Hurley. UConn swept St. John's during the 2023-24 season, and Pitino promptly avenged those losses with a run to the Big East title and tournament championship -- and a 2-0 record against the Huskies -- the next season. Both teams will enter 2025-26 with national championship hopes as they also joust for supremacy in the conference. College basketball is more fun with these two facing off in the same conference.

Big Sky Conference

Which team's lengthy NCAA tournament drought will finally end?

The past seven NCAA tournament berths from the Big Sky have been claimed by Montana, Montana State and Eastern Washington. This season, the conference might have to make room for a trio of teams looking to snap some long NCAA tournament droughts: Portland State (last in 2009), Northern Colorado (2011) and Idaho (1990).

Big South Conference

The departure of two top coaches could be a concern

Longwood's Griff Aldrich and High Point's Alan Huss both left this past offseason to take assistant posts at Virginia and Creighton, respectively. Though they each had personal reasons for their moves, it increasingly has become clear that it's more difficult for mid-majors and low-majors to compete in the sport. If the realities of the transfer portal, revenue share and NIL contributed to the departure of two top, respected head coaches, it could be an ominous sign for non-power conferences.

Big 12 Conference

The race for Big 12 Player of the Year, the No. 1 NBA draft pick -- or both?

Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson (the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2025) is a 6-foot-6 guard who recently scored 24 points in the first half of an exhibition against Louisville. AJ Dybantsa (the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025) is a 6-9 wing who scored 30 points in BYU's exhibition win over North Carolina. The duo are projected to go first and second, respectively, in ESPN's latest mock draft. They're also two of the most talented players in recent Big 12 history. Though both will compete for Big 12 Player of the Year honors, 2024-25 All-Americans JT Toppin (Texas Tech) and P.J. Haggerty (Kansas State) might have something to say about that. Ultimately, whichever freshman edges out the other could also do the same in June, making this the country's most fascinating player-of-the-year race.

Big Ten Conference

Is this, finally, Matt Painter's year?

Over the past 20 years, Painter has made Purdue one of college basketball's most consistent programs, including taking the Boilermakers all the way to the national title game in 2023 -- and he has done so by recruiting elite talent to West Lafayette. Take this season's preseason No. 1 roster, starring Braden Smith, the widely perceived Wooden Award favorite who last season gave Painter his seventh AP All-American since 2016-17. Next to Smith will be Trey Kaufman-Renn -- an All-America contender this season -- veteran Fletcher Loyer and South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff (17.6 PPG, 12.3 RPG). Painter is 55 years old, so it would be an exaggeration to suggest this might be his last shot at a national championship. But there are no guarantees he'll have a team as stacked as this one in the future.

Big West Conference

Were Aidan Mahaney's first two seasons a fluke -- or did he just need a fresh start?

When Mahaney signed with UConn last year, after two all-ACC first team seasons at Saint Mary's, he said Dan Hurley's program would put him in a "different system that should allow my game to grow even more." Instead, Mahaney (4.5 PPG) regressed. A stint in the Big West with UC Santa Barbara could now help him get back to playing the basketball that made him a top portal target a year ago.

Coastal Athletic Association

How long can UNC Wilmington keep coach Takayo Siddle?

After winning 27 games and earning the Seahawks' first NCAA tournament berth in nearly a decade, Siddle signed a multiyear extension in March. He has won 99 games over the past four years, all while leading a team that has finished top-two in offensive efficiency in league play in three of those four years. UNCW managed to lock up Siddle, but that might not stop high-major programs from calling again if he continues his success this season.

Conference USA

Will Liberty be the most potent 3-point shooting team in the country?

Last season, Ritchie McKay's program made 39% of its 3-point attempts, a top-10 mark nationally -- and nearly half of the Flames' field goal attempts were from beyond the arc, also for one of the highest rates in the country. With Kaden Metheny (38.3% on 3s) and Colin Porter (42.9% on 3s) both back, Liberty has the potential to be the top 3-point shooting team in the country this season.

Horizon League

Will another Horizon team emerge as a dangerous Cinderella in the NCAA tournament?

Last season, No. 15-seeded Robert Morris had a 65-64 lead over a No. 2 seed Alabama with 7:10 to play in their first-round matchup before ultimately losing 90-81. Oakland upset Kentucky in the first round of the 2024 tournament and Wright State won a First Four game in 2023. Which Horizon team could carry that baton and make noise this March? Robert Morris, Youngstown State, Milwaukee (top-five offensive rebounding rate on KenPom last season) and Oakland (Tuburu Naivalurua is back after averaging 13.9 PPG and 7.1 RPG) stand out.

Ivy League

Can Cornell join Yale, Harvard and Princeton among Ivy League contenders?

Penn is the only Ivy League member other than Yale, Harvard or Princeton that has won a regular-season or conference tournament title since 2009-10, and that was in 2017-18. With Yale's Nick Townsend (All-Ivy League), Princeton's Landon Clark (four-star recruit) and Harvard's three returning starters, there might not be room for another contender -- but Cornell would be next up. Cooper Noard and Jake Fiegen return for a Big Red team that led the nation in effective field goal percentage last season.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Can Quinnipiac break its two-year streak of losing the conference tournament after winning the regular-season title?

Quinnipiac lost to Iona in last season's conference tournament -- the same Gaels team the Bobcats had swept in the regular season. They will have another shot as the MAAC's official preseason favorite, giving MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Amarri Monroe the chance to avenge those misses and lead the Bobcats to the NCAA tournament for the first time.

Mid-American Conference

Could this be John Groce's last season at Akron?

Groce was just 45 years old when he was fired by Illinois after an 8-10 Big Ten finish in 2016-17, but he has found enough success and adoration at Akron as a result of three NCAA tournament appearances in four tries to earn a one-year extension on a contract that now runs through 2034-35. He knows better than most that the grass isn't always greener at the major level, yet there are resources available there that are not accessible at mid-majors. Another strong season could yield intriguing options for Groce.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

How can the MEAC sustain its talent pool in the transfer portal era?

Every conference has been affected by the uncertainty of roster continuity created by the portal, but the MEAC has arguably incurred the most significant challenges in the country: There are only five returning starters in the conference. (No, that's not a typo.) High-major conferences get the most attention when they snatch top mid-major players, but low-major programs are also struggling to preserve their rotations. This season's depth charts across the MEAC prove as much.

Missouri Valley Conference

How will Indiana State navigate the season until head coach Matthew Graves returns?

The growth of Illinois State star Chase Walker -- who could become the third consecutive MVC standout to transfer and star for a high-major team next season -- would be the key storyline in this conference if not for the late-October announcement that Graves was on leave. Assistant Mark Slessinger will lead the team until the 50-year-old Graves' expected (but unspecified) return.

Mountain West Conference

What will Grand Canyon's arrival mean for the Mountain West?

Bryce Drew's team will try to duplicate its 26 WAC wins in a more competitive and talented Mountain West. Without Tyon Grant-Foster's 14.8 PPG (transferred to Gonzaga) and the production of three other players who averaged double figures, the Lopes could have a rocky debut in a conference that earned four NCAA tournament bids last season. But as the only for-profit Division I school in the country, Grand Canyon has resources to spend more money than any other Mountain West team in the revenue share era, which could impact the Mountain West's hierarchy in the years ahead. The Lopes also have one of the best home-court advantages in the country with crowd support few programs can match.

Northeast Conference

What could Saint Francis' forthcoming move to Division III mean for the NEC?

Former Saint Francis player turned head coach Rob Krimmel led the Red Flash to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 34 years last season. But days after that feat, the school announced it was moving to Division III in 2026 because of the "complexity" of the Division I landscape. As the resources required to compete at this level increase, more schools could follow Saint Francis' lead.

Ohio Valley Conference

How will Little Rock fare without KK Robinson?

Robinson was the OVC Preseason Player of the Year heading into 2023-24 before a knee injury sustained in a preseason practice cost him the season. With Robinson and Johnathan Lawson (15.8 PPG last year) together, Little Rock -- the OVC's official preseason favorite to win the conference crown -- seemed poised to lead the Trojans to the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade. But after suffering another season-ending injury in a preseason practice, Robinson will sit out his second straight season. The heartbreaking development puts more pressure on Lawson.

Patriot League

Will Navy's successful year in sports extend to the basketball court, too?

As of writing, Navy football is 7-0 with a chance to contend for a historic College Football Playoff berth. The men's basketball team could also enjoy a storybook season if it can win the conference tournament and capture the program's first NCAA tournament berth since 1998. Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Austin Benigni is a standout guard who could make that dream come true.

Southeastern Conference

Can the SEC make history ... again?

The SEC set an all-time mark with 14 of its 16 teams earning NCAA tournament bids -- and the two programs that missed the field, LSU and South Carolina, still managed to beat five NCAA tournament teams over the course of the season. The 2024-25 version of the SEC was arguably the strongest conference in men's college basketball history after topping the Big East's 11-bid tally in 2011. The 2025-26 version might not have a team with the same talent that Auburn (No. 1 for the bulk of last season) and Florida (national champion) boasted a season ago, but the SEC will have another chance to secure double-digit berths on Selection Sunday. A second straight national title -- Florida, Kentucky and Arkansas are each top-15 in the preseason AP poll -- is also within reach.

Southern Conference

Can Chattanooga become the next reigning NIT champion to win an NCAA tournament game?

In two of the past four seasons, NIT champions won NCAA tournament games the following season. The transfer portal decimated the rosters of the two previous winners, North Texas and Seton Hall, but 2025 champion Chattanooga will try to avoid the same fate and secure the Southern Conference's automatic bid. Without Honor Huff, though -- the star who averaged 15.2 points before transferring to West Virginia -- Dan Earl's team will have to pursue that goal without any returning starters.

Southland Conference

Will McNeese lose its mojo without Will Wade?

After his No. 12-seeded McNeese team upset 5-seed Clemson in the first round of last season's NCAA tournament, Wade ran into the stands to celebrate with some of the Cowboys' supporters and boosters ... then left for NC State. Wade's 58 wins in two seasons at McNeese is a remarkable run for any program, but reigning Southland Player of the Year Javohn Garcia should position first-year head coach Bill Armstrong to maintain the momentum in 2025-26.

Summit League

Can St. Thomas evolve into a perennial threat to its in-state Big Ten neighbor Minnesota?

In early October, St. Thomas was picked to win the Summit League for the first time. The Tommies are also eligible for the NCAA tournament following their transition from Division III to Division I. The private Catholic school will also open a new arena this season. That reality should worry Minnesota, where Niko Medved will attempt to elevate a program that has not been able to compete with its Big Ten peers. On the West Coast, Gonzaga -- a private Jesuit school -- overtook Washington as the top program in that state after a similar investment in basketball. An NCAA tournament appearance for St. Thomas could put the Tommies -- and the deep pockets that surround the program -- on a similar trajectory.

Sun Belt Conference

Will Old Dominion's Robert Davis Jr. set an NCAA record for 3-pointers?

Davis finished last season with 348 3-point attempts (he made 116 of them), good for 30th most in NCAA history. That mark was far short of the 411 3-point attempts Darius McGhee had to set the record in 2022-23, but it's not unimaginable that Davis -- who averaged 10.2 3-point attempts last season -- could inch closer to that single-season record.

Southwestern Athletic Conference

Is Jackson State's Mo Williams proof that former NBA players can find success coaching in college?

It has been tough sledding for former NBA standouts with limited head coaching experience who have secured college jobs. Juwan Howard, Patrick Ewing, Danny Manning and others have all struggled to find their footing in recent years. But Mo Williams -- a former NBA All-Star who won a title with LeBron James and the Cavaliers in 2016 -- has quietly helped Jackson State become a SWAC contender. A season after his team lost in the conference tournament finals, this season's group could win the automatic bid and end an 18-year NCAA tournament drought for the program.

Western Athletic Conference

Will the United Athletic Conference work?

The WAC won't look the same after this season. Following the departures of Cal Baptist, Utah Valley, Southern Utah and Utah Tech, the conference announced it would combine with the Atlantic Sun to create the United Athletic Conference. The combined league, which will begin competition next July, shrinks the footprint for both the ASUN and WAC as realignment shifts the landscape. The alliance could create a blueprint for other mid-major conferences in search of stability.

West Coast Conference

What does Tyon Grant-Foster's eligibility mean for Gonzaga in its final WCC season?

On Monday, Mark Few and Grant-Foster -- the 2023-24 MAC Player of the Year -- raced to Gonzaga's arena for an exhibition against Western Oregon after Grant-Foster had been granted an injunction to play this season. His basketball journey began in 2018 at a junior college, with multiple injuries and cardiac ailments complicating his career. But his successful push for an additional season of eligibility should enhance Gonzaga's chance to make a Final Four run in its final season in the WCC before a move to the Pac-12, with Graham Ike and Braden Huff anchoring its frontcourt. Considering the Bulldogs have been a beacon for the WCC for more than 20 years, the conference will have to create a new identity without its top anchor in the years ahead.

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