Radford is the odds-on favorite after winning the Big South Tourney last year, but a deep tier lurks dangerously right behind them in the standings. Who will emerge from that group?

The top two squads (Belmont and Murray St.) both return a bona fide star, but outside of that, the league has plenty of attrition and uncertainty. They’ll still likely duel at the top, but a few newer threats are looking to emerge…

Iona remains a threat, but the usual contenders (Siena, Monmouth) have fallen off slightly - opening the door for Rider, Quinnipiac, and others to stake a claim as the MAAAAAAAAC’s best team…

The Ivy is getting deeper and deeper, as more schools pick up talented young recruits with bright futures. Tommy Amaker’s Crimson seem to be the pick of the litter at first glance, but Penn is still lurking, and other contenders are lining up for a shot as well…

Jim is bursting at the seams to finally preview the Colonial after three years of being shut out. It’s no coincidence that the league name has two “O’s” and zero “D” (yes that joke is horrendous, but it’s true)…

The A-10 promises to be an extremely deep and challenging-to-predict league, but a few programs stand out to us as the most notable contenders…

Likely the weakest of the so-called Power 6 leagues, the Pac 12 will have to deal with being a kind of “little brother” to Gonzaga and Nevada on the west coast. The league is relatively wide open (not always a compliment), but the traditional powers will probably make up the upper tiers…

Xavier ended Villanova’s reign of terror last year, but despite a plethora of pro defections, Jay Wright’s Wildcats appear to once again be the class of the league. Who else will emerge from a crowd of possible contenders?

After one of the best three-year runs in NCAA history, Villanova faces a tall task replacing four key players from its dominant national title team. Jay Wright remains, as does a very talented roster - will the Wildcats continue to be among the nation’s elite?

After an underwhelming 2017-18, Dana Altman has once again assembled an extremely talented roster boosted by one of the nation’s best freshman classes. Can he build a contender out of the intriguing pieces?

Mike Hopkins’s squad brings back every significant contributor from a year ago. With the Pac 12 as open as ever, how high can the more experienced Huskies climb in this year’s standings?

Known for the last two years as a prolific three-point shooting offense but a sieve defense, can Marquette find a little more balance this year? And is Wojo’s seat sneaky-warm?

For a coach who has made three Sweet 16s in the past five years, Steve Alford’s seat appears to be heating up. Will a roster rife with talented underclassmen be enough to earn Mr. Alford some job security?

A great deal of change is afoot in Northeast Cincinnati, as the Musketeers wave goodbye to Chris Mack and Xavier legends Trevon Bluiett and JP Macura (among others). New coach Travis Steele hopes, Quentin Goodin, a promising group of sophomores, and a few grad transfers can maintain X’s streak of 6 straight tournaments…

With Kelan Martin’s departure, Butler is now officially Kamar Baldwin’s team. Is he ready for that responsibility? And who will emerge as his key sidekicks?

Three pillars of the Providence program depart (Kyron Cartwright, Rodney Bullock, Jalen Lindsey), but the Friars still have Ed Cooley and a bevy of young talent with which to work. The biggest question: how big of an impact can Emmitt Holt have in his return from injury?

Despite dealing with a mass exodus of his entire starting 5, Sean Miller has cobbled together enough talent to maintain respectability in Tucson. Will he be able to piece it all together in time to make a run in the vulnerable Pac 12?

Sneaking in the remainder of my Big Board before Thursday night’s draft, here’s prospects 17-50…

Jim’s annual stab at an NBA Draft board kicks off with his lottery rankings. The only non-NCAA player resides atop the board, but how to rank everyone else was a massive headache…

A Top 25 simply wasn't enough - I needed to go through the entire bracket to fill the sad, dark chasm in my heart now that the college hoops offseason has overtaken us…

The heavyweight bout on the right side of the bracket presents a fascinating matchup - both teams have prolific three-point shooting offenses, and both feature a plethora of versatile weapons with which to attack the other. Who will play for the national title Monday night?

Two 9-seeds will take the court on Saturday (in separate games), a shocking turn of events that is only topped by Loyola Chicago's appearance on the day's slate. Will the left side of the bracket see more chaos? Will Sister Jean have to book tickets to San Antonio? 

Kentucky's impossibly-difficult path the Final Four (according to John Calipari, at least) has opened up completely, as the first region ever to have all 1-4 seeds fail to make the Sweet 16 appears ripe for Big Blue's picking. Kansas State, Loyola-Chicago, and Nevada hope to undermine that goal, though...

The West Region contains pre-Tournament darlings Michigan and Gonzaga, as well as two impressive Power 6 upset squads in Florida St. and Texas A&M. Will either upset train stay on the tracks, or will coaching juggernauts John Beilein and Mark Few derail them? 

Can UNC really go to three straight Final Fours? The path is there for them, as they drew the fourth-ranked #1 seed in Xavier. The Musketeers, Michigan, and Gonzaga (revenge in the Elite Eight?!) likely have other thoughts, though...

Many (including this author) thought Grand Canyon could unseat New Mexico State this year, but it was the Aggies once again who reigned supreme in the WAC. Can they bring home the tournament title in Las Vegas, as well?

With so many surprises in the SEC regular season (Auburn and Tennessee rock! Vandy stanks even without Kevin Stallings!), the SEC Tournament could also be filled with some shockers. St. Louis will host a far deeper league than in recent years, but who will make a run to the title?

Although Montana was dominant during the regular season, any of the top 5 (maybe even 6) teams can feel like they have a realistic shot to capture the Big Sky title. 

Home to the number 1 team in the country, the ACC nevertheless looks fairly open heading into Brooklyn. Plenty of teams have at-large bid implications, and the ultimate storyline - Bonzie Colson's potential return - should have neutral fans cheering hard for the Irish. 

The battle for a likely berth in Dayton starts Monday, and all of college basketball nation should cheer for Savannah State and their outrageous brand of basketball before they descend to Division II in a few years...