The budget needed to field a competitive college basketball roster seems to be the only thing in the world trending up right now, and the beautiful consequence is that most of the best players with eligibility remaining are returning to school. It is in that uncertain world, in the wake of Florida’s national championship win…
A season that was supposed to be defined by parity instead ended with the two most iconic brands in women’s basketball meeting in the national title game and UConn adding a historic record 12th title. Those programs once again top the field in this way-too-early look at 2025-26. As is tradition in these power rankings,…
(Editor’s note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s & women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.) Drake’s in, so we can dispense with the arguments about whether Ben McCollum’s Bulldogs would have made the field of 68 without winning the Missouri Valley…
The Athletic’s debate series features two writers breaking down a topic. In this edition, Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman debate which teams are capable of winning the national championship. Ben Pickman: We’re less than two weeks away from Selection Sunday and the whole world caring about seed lines, bracket draws and Cinderellas. Before March Madness…
This article is part of our Rankings & Tiers series, an evaluation across sport about the key players, front offices, teams, franchises and much more. What better way to commemorate the 40-year anniversary of the NCAA Tournament’s expansion to 64 teams than to create a flawless, universally beloved ranking of every men’s basketball champion in that…
(Correction: An earlier version of this article included an incorrect order on our All-America teams. Paige Bueckers is a member of The Athletic’s All-America first team, and Ta’Niya Latson is a second-team All-America selection.) With the regular season in the rearview, The Athletic’s team of dedicated writers and contributors got together to take stock of…
The Athletic’s debate series features two writers breaking down a specific topic. In this edition, Chantel Jennings and Ben Pickman debate which women’s college basketball player should win Player of the Year. Chantel Jennings: As we head into the final week of the season, there seems to be one overriding theme in women’s college…
Even SEC football is jealous of what SEC basketball is doing right now. The league went 14-1 this weekend and has been so dominant that you’re going to hear a lot of “The SEC is the first league to (fill in the blank)” for the next few months. My Top 25 ballot this week includes…
One of the most anticipated showdowns of the season is on the docket this week, as UConn and USC face off in a rematch of the 2024 Elite Eight in Hartford, Conn. Both teams boast top-10 offenses and defenses, per Her Hoop Stats, which generally indicates a national title contender. During the preseason, this game…
The WNBA Draft lottery is in the books, setting the order for April’s 2025 draft. Similar to the past two years, there shouldn’t be much drama at the top, considering the only way Paige Bueckers doesn’t get drafted first is if she elects to stay at UConn for an additional season. For the most part,…