Missouri: With a recruiting class for the ages, including the phenom duo of brothers Michael and Jontay Porter who committed to Mizzou recently after decommitting to Washington, Missouri is primed for a bounce-back season to get back on the college hoops map. They have the all-around tools to play with the best teams in the country, and will have the opportunity to do so against the powerhouse basketball schools within the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The undeniable talent of Michael Porter is ready to take over the team and lead them to the NCAA Tournament once again.

Alabama: Alabama? The football school? Nah. Alabama basketball is legit. Avery Johnson brings in stud freshmen Collin Sexton and John Petty, who will most definitely make an immediate impact. Sexton is ranked as one of the top 10 freshmen in the country according to ESPN, and Petty is not far behind him in the rankings at 21. The flashiness of the two will definitely intrigue college basketball fans, especially as the Crimson Tide intend to make a tournament run this season.
Southern California: After Andy Enfield and 15th-seed Florida Gulf Coast knocked off Georgetown in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, we all knew he was a special coach. Only a few years after signing with USC, he’s already taken them to an NCAA Tournament and pulled off an upset in the first round once again. The team returns many core players from last year’s tournament team, and freshman Charles O’Bannon Jr. is the last piece to the puzzle. Look for USC to make a run at the Pac-12 title and maybe even a Final Four run deep into March.
​Miami: Miami basketball hasn’t been the same since Shane Larkin and Kenny Kadji left back in 2012. In that season, Miami earned a number two seed in the NCAA Tournament, definitely their peak of the last decade. However, with a star-studded recruiting class featuring Lonnie Walker and many key players returning from last year’s impressive team, look out for Miami to make an impact on the college basketball world this season.