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The 2022-23 season will conclude on April 3 with the national championship from NRG Stadium in Houston. Of course, nothing compares to a college gameday. However, as the season is underway, many questions remain unanswered. Like, will defending national champion Kansas be able to go back-to-back without its key players from last season? Will preseason No. 1 North Carolina be able to finish the job it fell just short of last season? How far can Jon Scheyer take Duke in his first year as head coach after Mike Krzyzewski announced his retirement in April? Let us preview some of the runners of riders hoping to be involved come April 3.
In case you missed it, Mike Krzyzewski’s final season as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils ended last season. He reached another Final Four with the help of another No. 1 overall NBA draft pick (Paolo Banchero) before tragically falling to rival North Carolina. While superstars such as John Wooden, Dean Smith, and Adolph Rupp have previously departed, Coach K’s thorough planning of his retirement could serve as a template for other renowned coaches to follow. The rarity of Krzyzewski’s retirement tour contributed to its polarization. Jon Scheyer takes over at Duke, and everything has stayed the same. Duke brings in another group of highly regarded freshmen intending to form a cohesive unit before March.
Duke has started the season well, given they are in a transition period and find themselves in the third spot in the Atlantic Coast standings. However, after inflicting Miami’s first defeat of the season, they suffered a crushing loss last time against Virginia Tech, and they will be looking to bounce back against N. C. State next time. They will be confident of achieving that feat as they have won the previous three head-to-head matchups between the two.
Virginia struggled to find points at the start of last season, which led to the team missing the NCAA Tournament, which was the first time in nine years. However, the team began to gel down the stretch and finished the season with two NIT victories before falling to St. Bonaventure. The top six players from that squad return and the alternatives for completing a more complete rotation include the highest-ranked high school recruiting class in Tony Bennett’s tenure and an established, highly regarded transfer.
The Cavaliers have started the season brilliantly, winning ten of their first 12 fixtures. Despite back-to-back defeats recently, they have got back on track by picking up victories in their last two games. However, we must also remember those defeats came against Houston and Miami, who have only lost once all season long. Additionally, the loss to Miami was by a mere two points. Next up for Virginia is Pittsburgh, a team they have beaten on the previous eight occasions.
Indiana was a popular pick to win the Big Ten heading into the 2022-23 season, as a classic example of a club that brought practically everyone back from the previous season and was expected to make a leap. Trayce Jackson-Davis, the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, was expected to be a threat down low for opponents. The concern for Indiana was whether or not this group of players would progress. Can the same squad that needed a Big Ten Tournament run to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and then lost by 29 points to Saint Mary’s in the Round of 64 make a leap this year?
The answer is yes. They have improved after winning ten of their opening 13 games. However, toppling unbeaten Purdue might be a step beyond them. They will need to be more consistent to bridge the gap, having lost three of their last six games. Next up for Indiana is Iowa, and if recent form is anything to go by, Indiana will be hoping to make it three wins in a row, as Iowa have lost their previous three matches. However, the recent head-to-head history between these two isn’t in Indiana’s favor, as Iowa has won the last two encounters.
