Candid Coaches: Who will be college basketball's best team in 2024-25? | The Boneyard

Candid Coaches: Who will be college basketball's best team in 2024-25?

HooperScooper

HooperScooper

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CBSSports.com does this series every year. First question in the series. I can't copy and paste all the stuff about UConn because it's a good portion of the article but UConn got less votes last year. Huskies got the 5th most votes this year.

Question: What do you make of UConn only getting 7.7% of the vote?

That equates to fifth in our poll, which actually lines up with where I have the Huskies in the Top 25 And 1. So I'm in no position to argue with the voters. But it should be noted that the reigning back-to-back champions are technically the favorite to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament at +900 (followed by Kansas and Duke at +1000). Rest assured, Hurley either already has noticed, or will soon notice, the discrepancy and brilliantly use it to motivate his mostly new but undeniably capable team.

Will the Huskies three-peat?

www.cbssports.com

Candid Coaches: Who will be college basketball's best team in 2024-25?

Our annual Candid Coaches series begins by asking more than 100 coaches who they think this season's top team will be
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com
 
i love how bracketology already has us as #1 in the west and duke #2 in the east. classic!
 
Last edited:
gsmooth said:
I really hope UConn is #1 or #2 in the East. One of the sites for 2025 for the first two round is Providence and East's Sweet 16 and Elite 8 site is Newark, NJ, Seton Hall's home court.
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Oh, Hurley is aware.

“Literally, once we got on that team bus, I turned around and said, ‘Where is the East Regional next year?’” he said on the Pat McAfee show.

“Alright, first two rounds are in Providence and then the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight are in New Jersey, where I lived and worked for nine years. And then the Final Four is in San Antonio.

“We’re going to enjoy this for a couple days, but it’s going to fade quickly and then you’re going to get back to work and then you’re going to put a roster together than can hopefully compete for a dynasty.”
 
RuffRuff said:
Last thing you want it to go in the favorite. If I recall last season the top two teams were Kansas and Duke, and how did that turn out?

More ammo to stoke the fire. Love it.

Separately I just sense chemistry issues coming with Kansas. Too many mercenaries.
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That very well could be an issue with Kansas. And I know AJ Storr is a good player, but I can't get rid of the images of his horrendous first round game in Brooklyn vs James Madison while James Madison's start player was lighting it up.
 
RuffRuff said:
Last thing you want it to go in the favorite.
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Not always:

university-of-connecticut-diana-taurasi-and-emeka-okafor-november-24-2003-sports-illustrated-c...jpg
 
I would like to say that all I care about is the last poll of the season, but honestly, I do care, a little. I think the fans, coaches and players want respect.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes UConn to crack the number one ranking in the 2024-2025 season. Very curious to track how the team moves in the polls throughout the year.
 
HooperScooper said:
CBSSports.com does this series every year. First question in the series. I can't copy and paste all the stuff about UConn because it's a good portion of the article but UConn got less votes last year. Huskies got the 5th most votes this year.

Question: What do you make of UConn only getting 7.7% of the vote?

That equates to fifth in our poll, which actually lines up with where I have the Huskies in the Top 25 And 1. So I'm in no position to argue with the voters. But it should be noted that the reigning back-to-back champions are technically the favorite to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament at +900 (followed by Kansas and Duke at +1000). Rest assured, Hurley either already has noticed, or will soon notice, the discrepancy and brilliantly use it to motivate his mostly new but undeniably capable team.

Will the Huskies three-peat?

www.cbssports.com

Candid Coaches: Who will be college basketball's best team in 2024-25?

Our annual Candid Coaches series begins by asking more than 100 coaches who they think this season's top team will be
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com
Expand ...
fewer
 
Nice quote from the article

On UConn​

  • "Until somebody knocks UConn off the throne, I'm going with them. I know the team will be different and there will be unreal expectations, but they were playing at a different level than everybody else last year in the tournament. I know a lot of it had to do with their personnel, but it also had a lot to do with Dan Hurley and his coaching staff."
 
Kolumbo said:
Nice quote from the article

On UConn​

  • "Until somebody knocks UConn off the throne, I'm going with them. I know the team will be different and there will be unreal expectations, but they were playing at a different level than everybody else last year in the tournament. I know a lot of it had to do with their personnel, but it also had a lot to do with Dan Hurley and his coaching staff."
Expand ...

This guy is smart.
 
RuffRuff said:
Last thing you want it to go in the favorite. If I recall last season the top two teams were Kansas and Duke, and how did that turn out?

More ammo to stoke the fire. Love it.

Separately I just sense chemistry issues coming with Kansas. Too many mercenaries.
Expand ...
Kansas had obvious depth problems and outside shooting problems. I mentioned them this time last year. No way they should have been pre-season #1. As the article says, Self has fixed that and then some. They probably actually deserve to be the favorite this year. Specifically, Self is paying attention to what Hurley just did.

Duke is always going to have talent. Will they have a team that plays like a team? Is Schuyer capable? Big questions. Last year I thought they might put it together and they didn't.

What's interesting about the 5 on the list is the coaches. Self and Hurley have won championships recently. Sampson and Oates have shown an ability to put together strong teams year after year. So it's not a stretch to think they'll finally win one. Schuyer has mostly underperformed his talent.
 
Ok so Kansas has nothing bc they got Wisconsin guy that is meaningless and Dickinson straight up sucks. Duke got second best player on his own HS team. Unc is poorly put together with terrible coach. Houston seems to reload but lost best player they have ever had since Hakeem. Gonzaga we always beat just on principle. We are loaded, with best coaching. There is nothing a team can do to us that we don’t have 5 options to answer. There is no threat. There is nothing a team can do but we will lose games bc refs hate us.
 

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