Officially a week into the college hoops season, the storylines are already rolling in. As usual, there weren’t many ranked matchups, but the ones we did have offered good insight into the year ahead. Let’s take a look at three early storylines.
Best first-year class in NCAA history?
The thing everyone is talking about — and reasonably so — is the performance we’ve witnessed from what feels like every top-50 prospect. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer, the three most-hyped players from last offseason, all showed exactly why they were the biggest names. What stood out even more, though, was what happened outside that group. Koa Peat, the No. 11 nationally ranked first-year, had arguably the most impressive individual game of the week on opening night, dropping 30–7–5 against No. 3 Florida — and coming away with the win. Not to mention, he followed that up with 18 points for the now-No. 5 Arizona Wildcats. Beyond that, there were countless other standout performances from first-years like Caleb Wilson, Kiyan Anthony, Mikel Brown Jr. and more. There hasn’t been a class this strong in what feels like forever — especially with the transfer portal dominating the past few seasons. We’re in for a year that could be defined by first-year talent.
A strong start for the Atlantic Coast Conference
Coming into the year, I was not very confident in the ACC. The 2024–25 campaign followed yet another lackluster year for the conference, and their top dog, in my opinion, didn’t look as strong as last year’s. As of now, though, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Starting at the top, No. 4 Duke confidently beat Texas in its opener — expected, but still notable. One of the most surprising results came when No. 25 University of North Carolina defeated No. 19 Kansas on Saturday night, with Wilson outplaying Peterson in a great freshmen showdown. Meanwhile, No. 12 Louisville took care of business in its first two matchups. Overall, the ACC has just one loss to this point. If the top of the conference can keep up this play, it might finally shed its reputation as the laughingstock of the Power 5.
St. John’s University, a work in progress
Rick Pitino and the St. John’s Red Storm didn’t look as expected in their first game at Madison Square Garden. In one of the weekend’s most anticipated matchups, No. 15 Alabama pulled out a win over the No. 5 Johnnies. Crimson Tide guards Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway dominated, combining for 46 points and helping their team put up over 100 points in regulation. St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor did his job, finishing with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but it’s clear that this squad desperately needs a true point guard. Their headline transfer from the offseason, Ian Jackson, came off the bench and appears more of a combo guard. Point guard Dylan Darling, another transfer, was sidelined with a calf injury, so it will be interesting to see if he can be the answer once healthy. For now, St. John’s will need time to find its rhythm — and a reliable distributor.
