College. Basketball. Is. Back.

Tonight, a new season tips off in college hoops, and quests for the Final Four officially begin. The Champions Classic is obviously the headliner, as Kansas, Michigan State, Duke, and Kentucky meet up for their annual season tip-off event. All of these teams have big aspirations heading into this year, but they aren’t alone. A number of teams, both traditional powerhouses and new faces, expect to be in the thick of the race this year.

Today, we’re taking a look at the 15 names that will shape this year’s season in college basketball. From players to coaches, these are the guys who will likely dictate media headlines and on-court events. There’s quite a few familiar faces, and some newbies as well. No matter the situation, each of these names promises to provide some excitement to one of my favorite sports to follow and cover.

15. Oscar Tshiebwe (C- Kentucky)

Tshiebwe is one of a number of new faces for Kentucky this season. He’s also probably the most imposing, standing at 6’9, 255 lbs. We’ve seen what he’s capable of providing on both ends of the floor at West Virginia, and he could blossom under John Calipari. As Kentucky attempts to bounce back to their normal contender status, Tshiebwe’s impact will go a long way towards restoring the Wildcats as the team to beat in the SEC.

14. Trayce Jackson-Davis (PF- Indiana)

Jackson-Davis is one of many dominant big men that have come through the Big 10 in recent memory. He’s got an arsenal of moves that make him very tough to defend at his frame, and he’ll be the focal point of a new look Indiana crew coached by Mike Woodson. Woodson plans to surround Jackson-Davis with shooters in a 4-out 1-in look that should allow him to dominate the low post. Trayce is the exact type of player that can dominate the collegiate level, and I expect a monster season for the junior.

13. Marcus Carr/12. Chris Beard- (Texas)

Two new faces in Austin could shift Texas from worthy opponent to legitimate Final Four contender this season. Carr is one of the best scorers in the entire country, and was arguably the top transfer on the market this past offseason. He adds another dimension to an already loaded Longhorn backcourt, and should create nightmares for opposing defenders.

Beard has established himself as one of the sport’s top coaches. We’ve seen him achieve success at every level he’s been at, and he faces his highest expectations yet this season. Jumping ship from Texas Tech to Texas won’t make him many friends, but it’s a bet on himself. He might just have the team to do it this season. If Beard can get UT over the hump he will solidify himself among the top shelf of today’s current coaches.

11. Collin Gillespie (PG- Villanova)

Gillespie officially reaches “Super Senior” status this year. It feels like he’s been running point for Nova forever, and he’ll now tack on one more year. When he’s on the floor, Gillespie is one of the nation’s finest. He has complete control over Jay Wright’s offense and offers even more stability to a roster that only loses two players from last year’s group. If the Wildcats make noise again this year, you can bet that Gillespie will be at the center of it.

10. The Boeheim Boys (Syracuse)

Buddy Boeheim had a legendary March Madness run for Syracuse this past March. Being coached by his father, and seeing the videos of young Buddy playing with Carmelo Anthony in 2003 made it even sweeter. Now, Buddy and Jim add yet another family tie to the mix. Buddy’s older brother, Jimmy, joins the Orange as a transfer from Cornell who also loves to let it fly from deep. While the national attention will be on Buddy, Jimmy is no slouch (16.7 PPG last season). If the brothers light it up this year, and coach game-plans well throughout the season, this is a sneaky team to watch.

9. Remy Martin (PG- Kansas)

New faces in new places continue to be a theme on this list. Martin is a worthy inclusion in this category as he should move Kansas back into “Final Four or Bust” expectations. Martin is a former All Pac-12 player, and an explosive scorer. He gives the Jayhawks an additional level of offense to compliment Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack. Having been named the pre-season Big 12 POTY, Martin has the skill and experience to lead this team to great heights.

8. Jaden Ivey (SG- Purdue)

Trevion Williams is Purdue’s top scorer returning from last year, but it’s Ivey who is turning heads as the projected breakout player of the year. Ivey is drawing a ton of looks in the lottery heading into the season, and it’s largely thanks to a strong finish to his freshman season. Ivey turned in his best games of the year late in the season, and showed a great deal of growth. Pair that with his frame as a 6’4, 200 lb guard and you’re looking at a potentially bully in the Big 10. Ivey’s development could transform Purdue to a legitimate threat both in the Big 10, and the entire nation.

7. Kofi Cockburn (C- Illinois)

Cockburn’s decision to return to Illinois after a brief period in the transfer portal shook up the Big 10. His return sets Illinois up to once again contend at the top of the conference. With Ayo Dosunmu gone, this is truly Cockburn’s team, and guard Andre Curbelo steps into a much bigger role to set Cockburn up for success. As one of the most intimidating presences in all of college hoops, Cockburn has the standalone ability to keep Illinois in any game it plays this season.

6. Penny Hardaway (Memphis)

There were a lot of names I could’ve gone with on this Memphis roster, so let’s choose the man who will be drawing up the X’s and O’s. Hardaway very quickly established himself as one of the best recruiters we’ve ever seen at the college level. His #1 ranked recruiting class this season continues to prove that. He’s also starting to get a better feel for the on-court responsibilities of a D1 head coach. If it all comes together this year, Hardaway has a roster full of NBA talent, headlined by Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, that could make waves in the national media.

5. Max Abmas (PG- Oral Roberts)

In this new era of the transfer portal, player movement is inevitable. One of the biggest areas where we see this movement comes from mid-major players moving their way up to Power 5 programs. Enter Abmas. After setting the world on fire with his March Madness performance, everyone expected him to head straight for the NBA, or to move his way up to a more well-known program. You have to respect his decision to stay at ORU. Abmas’ loyalty to his school is becoming more rare these days, and while scouts won’t love his decision to play inferior competition, Abmas will be just fine, and should get plenty of opportunities to showcase his abilities. His return makes Oral Roberts a favorite to return to the tourney. I expect another year where he leads the nation in scoring, but this time don’t expect anyone to be surprised by it.

4. Johnny Juzang (SG- UCLA)

Juzang is another name that surprised some with his return to school. After a folklore type run through the NCAA tournament, Juzang is back to prove that UCLA is no fluke. Every shot this guy took in the Final Four last year felt like it was going in. The hype around the Bruins this year is at a level we haven’t seen in years, and Juzang is main event. The preseason All-American will be asked to do a lot for Mick Cronin’s group, and he’s not sneaking up on anyone this go-around.

3. Chet Holmgren/2. Drew Timme (Gonzaga)

Gonzaga always seems to have an embarrassment of riches at the big man spot. This year that might ring truer than ever. Drew Timme enters the year as the presumptive favorite to win NPOTY. He’s only joined by the top recruit in the 2021 class in Holmgren. Chet is an internet phenomenon, and a guy many believe will be going #1 overall in next year’s NBA draft. Jalen Suggs is gone, but Timme has a new running mate to drive opposing teams crazy with this season. How these two blend on the court together will tell us a lot about the Zags’ chances to get back to the National Championship.

1. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke)

No matter how you may feel about the Duke basketball program, it’s impossible to deny the legacy that Coach K has created in the game of basketball. As this season marks his last, we should expect plenty of farewell gifts, receptions, and media attention as one of the game’s greats exits stage right. Coach K also should have a pretty solid squad to work with in his final year. Paolo Banchero could be one of the best players in college basketball this year, and I think Mark Williams is primed to take a huge leap forward from his freshman year. How Duke handles the on-court talent with the off-court celebrations will be interesting to monitor, and could be the central story line of the 2021-22 season.