As college basketball starts this year, many new faces exist at different programs nationwide. From the top 100 recruits to coaches trying to make a name for themselves, the sport has changed a lot over the offseason.
This year, new Arkansas coach John Calipari is looking to rebuild a struggling Razorbacks program that is coming off a 16-17 season. Calipari is not new to NCAA basketball; he coached the Kentucky Wildcats for 15 seasons. His expectation for the Razorbacks is that “from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, we get better.”
The Wildcats also have a new coach this year: Mark Pope. Kentucky is coming off of a 23-10 season, which ended in heartbreak when the Oakland Golden Grizzlies upset them in the first round of March Madness. Pope was a part of the Wildcats team from 1994-1996. He said in his introductory press conference that “this was the welcome home.”
The transfer portal is now a tremendous part of the college basketball world. Top transfers include Coleman Hawkins, Tucker DeVries and Oumar Ballo.
Hawkins spent his first four seasons at Illinois, averaging 7.7 points per game and 2.1 assists. Hawkins is now looking to upgrade Kansas State’s front court. DeVries was at Drake for his first four years. There, he averaged 18 points a game. Now, he is at West Virginia, upgrading their backcourt at the guard position. Ballo is not new to the transfer portal; three years ago, he transferred from Gonzaga to Arizona. Now, he is in Indiana. The seven-foot giant averages nine points per game, and 1.1 blocks per game. This is a good pickup for Indiana, which needs help in the frontcourt.
New star recruits are now in NCAA basketball. These recruits can play a tremendous part in a team looking to make that next big step into becoming a national championship contender.
Cooper Flagg is the top recruit this year, playing for Duke for his ‘24-’25 campaign. Flagg is a 17-year-old freshman forward in the starting lineup for the Blue Devils. He is expected to be the No. 1 NBA draft pick next summer.
Another recruit is Liam McNeeley. McNeeley is a forward for UConn. McNeeley had already made a name for himself averaging 18 points per game.
Cam Duddy, Staff Writer