It’s not too early to start talking about next year’s college basketball season, right? Right?
Granted, the transfer portal is still active and teams aren’t close to finalizing their rosters, but we now know enough to make an educated guess of how things will play out… either that, or I’m looking for any excuse to keep talking about college ball. Here’s a 100% accurate list of who will make next season’s Final Four:
South Region - Duke Blue Devils
The last time the Duke Blue Devils made the Final Four was in 2022, when Coach K lost to arch-rival North Carolina in his final game. Fans of most programs would still be celebrating a trip to the Final Four as recent as two or three years ago, but the clock is already ticking for blue-blooded Duke and Coach K’s replacement, Jon Scheyer. Despite winning the ACC Tournament in his debut season and advancing to the Elite Eight in year two, Scheyer will need to win national titles to appease his school’s fanbase.
The Blue Devils are losing their two leading scorers (Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain) to the NBA Draft, and their third and fourth leading scorers, Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell, are committed to new schools (Baylor and Missouri, respectively) after entering the transfer portal.
However, Duke’s incoming freshman class features an absurd five top-20 recruits, including the No. 1 ranked freshman in the country: Cooper Flagg. The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft won’t turn 18 until December, but his 6-9 frame paired with his guard-like shooting and handles firmly place him in the mix to be one of the most impactful players in the country next season. In Paolo Banchero’s lone season with Duke, he was named All-ACC, took Duke to the Final Four and went No. 1 in the NBA Draft. Flagg, who will be joined by 7-1 freshman center Khaman Maluach, will be the next one-and-done freshman to lead Duke to great success.
Midwest Region - Houston Cougars
Unlike Duke, the Houston Cougars would theoretically reach the Final Four based on roster continuity. The Cougars will likely lose Big 12 Player of the Year, Jamal Shead, to the NBA Draft. However, Coach Kelvin Sampson retained eight major contributors from last year’s squad and secured a commitment from junior guard Milos Uzan from Oklahoma.
More importantly, Sampson’s Houston teams are consistently the best on the defensive side of the ball. In their first year in the Big 12, the Cougars won an outright regular season title and dominated a difficult schedule.
Starting guard LJ Cryer averaged 15.5 points per game last season. If he doesn’t have to share the backcourt scoring load with Shead, look for Cryer’s scoring output to increase while he maintains his absurd defensive impact. Cryer won the national title with Baylor in his freshman year. Can he cut down the nets with Houston as a senior?
West Region - Connecticut Huskies
Can Connecticut reach three Final Fours in a row? The Huskies made history this season by becoming the first team to win back-to-back NCAA Tournament titles since Florida in 2006 and 2007. If they advance to the Final Four in 2025, they would be the first team to play in three consecutive national semifinals since Michigan State from 1999-2001.
Coach Dan Hurley is bringing back Alex Karaban, who averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season. Karaban’s experience in the last two championship runs makes him an invaluable returner and the Huskies will be bolstered by some new faces, too. Namely, Tarris Reed, a transfer from Michigan. Reed only averaged nine points per contest in his sophomore campaign, but he is one of the best defensive forwards in the country. He has the speed and length to fit perfectly into Connecticut’s high energy style of play.
The Huskies have looked so dominant in the past two years that another Final Four seems more likely than not.
East Region - North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina’s exit from the 2024 NCAA Tournament was as heartbreaking as they come. In the Sweet Sixteen against Alabama, the Tar Heels’ ACC Player of the Year, RJ Davis, had the coldest shooting night of his career, going 0-for-9 from beyond the arc. Still, North Carolina only lost by two points behind late-game heroics by Alabama’s Grant Nelson.
Legendary Tar Heel Armando Bacot is out of college eligibility, but Davis will return to try and avenge his critical off-night. In addition, Coach Hubert Davis is bringing in one of the best recruiting classes in the country. Ian Jackson and Drake Powell are both McDonald’s All-Americans and their presence on the roster will give North Carolina a lethal blend of young talent and experienced leadership.
Had they avoided just one of their mistakes against the Crimson Tide, it’s likely that the Tar Heels would have won their region in 2024. Next season, they have a great shot at returning to the Final Four for the first time since 2022.