College hoops set for tip- off

The five months of the college basketball season tips off Tuesday and will conclude at the Final Four April 6.

Before there’s a national champion cutting down the nets in Atlanta, there’s much to be sorted out as teams fight for tops seeds and a place in the NCAA tournament.

A look at the top 10 questions for the 2019- 20 college basketball season.

Can Izzo land a second title?

Tom Izzo is nearly 20 seasons removed since his last national championship in 2000. While he has kept Michigan State as a national contender and made six Final Fours since, cutting down the net after the final game has evaded him in his grayer coaching days. Considering national player of the year front- runner Cassius Winston is back, along with most of last season’s Final Four squad, Izzo appears to have as good a chance as he’s ever had to win another title. The X factor will be Joshua Langford, who played in only 13 games last season due to injury and is sidelined at least until January.

What is next for Virginia?

Coach Tony Bennett finds himself in a predicament that’s almost the polar opposite of a year ago. Instead of pre

paring a veteran team hungry to make amends after a historic No. 16 over No. 1 upset loss, he’s preparing a restocked team burdened with the pressure of a national title encore season.

Being defending champs isn’t so bad, but Bennett believes the mind- set of his new- look group will make all the difference of making 2019- 20 the proper follow- up campaign. “Team culture comes as a result of adversity, but it also comes from prosperity,” Bennett says.

Two stars from last season’s memorable run, versatile forward Mamadi Diakite and spark plug point guard Kihei Clark, return. At worst, expect Virginia to be very good. That has become the norm with Bennett.

Will Jones make Duke contender?

Coach Mike Krzyzewski called Tre Jones the “straw that stirs the drink” last season when eventual lottery picks Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett were dominating college basketball headlines. Jones will get the opportunity to lead another young cast of elite freshmen ( Vernon Carey, Matthew Hurt specifically), but this time he’ll be the most important piece as a preseason All-American. It also means Coach K has the lightning he might need to get his team to a Final Four, something last year’s heralded team failed to do.

Have 2 blue bloods reloaded?

Kentucky and North Carolina lost their best players to the NBA draft. And they’re both expected to be top- 10 teams in spite of doing so. That’s because coaches John Calipari and Roy Williams hauled in top- tier talent in this year’s recruiting classes. Kentucky will make up for the loss of four NBA players with a top- rated class led by do- everything guard Tyrese Maxey and grad transfer Nate Sestina ( Bucknell). Meanwhile, North Carolina will feature perhaps the best freshman ( and player) in the country in point guard Cole Anthony, while graduate transfers Justin Pierce ( William & Mary) and Christian Keeling ( Charleston Southern) fill out a balanced roster.

Best freshmen- infused team?

What do Memphis, Washington and Georgia have in common? Aside from the fact that none are elite programs and all have small success rates in the last decade, they all feature NBA- ready oneand- done freshmen who could catapult their respective teams on deep NCAA tournament runs. James Wiseman ( Memphis), Isaiah Stewart ( Washington) and Anthony Edwards ( Georgia) all figure to enhance their teams. Penny Hardaway’s Tigers will have a Fab Five flavor, with the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class ( including Wiseman, forwards Precious Achiuwa and D. J. Jeffries and guard Boogie Ellis) expected to be his starters.

Redemption for Kansas?

After 14 consecutive Big 12 regularseason titles, the Jayhawks succumbed to a third- place finish in the conference on which it historically held a stranglehold. The finish was affected by illtimed injuries and failed team cohesion. Expect coach Bill Self to reposition this year’s team back atop the Big 12 pack. He has big man Udoka Azubuike, whose season- ending wrist injury was a catalyst to KU’s eventual demise. The 7- footer pairs well with guard Devon Dotson for a solid inside- outside game.

Is Texas Tech is here to stay?

The national runner- up finish was no flash in the pan. Despite coach Chris Beard losing the nucleus of his team to the NBA or graduation, he’ll have the Red Raiders in the national equation.

He’s reloaded for 2019- 20. Grad transfers Chris Clarke ( Virginia Tech), TJ Holyfield ( Stephen F. Austin), a top- 20 freshman class and key role players ( namely sharpshooter Davide Moretti) should help the team keep up its defensive tenacity and grind- it- out offense.

Is this the year Villanova falls off?

Villanova has won five of six regularseason conference titles since the Big East recast itself in 2013. The season it didn’t win the league ( 2017- 18), both the Wildcats and Xavier notched NCAA tournament No. 1 seeds. Can Jay Wright’s team be fully knocked off its perch?

There are a handful of NCAA tournament- caliber league teams ( Seton Hall, Xavier, Georgetown, Marquette, Creighton) all capable of winning the league.

A Florida return to the Final Four?

Coach Mike White hasn’t exactly filled predecessor Billy Donovan’s shoes in four seasons in Gainesville. But that was never the plan, and five NCAA tournament wins over the past three seasons aren’t bad. This season’s outlook figures to position White to get the Gators into Final Four contention.

That optimism comes as a result of an ample mix of returnees – Andrew Nembhard, Noah Locke, Keyontae Johnson – and newcomers – five- star freshmen Scottie Lewis and Tre Mann plus Virginia Tech grad transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr.

Can the Pac- 12 bounce back?

Last season was one of the worst regular seasons a power conference has ever had, with Oregon’s unexpected Sweet 16 run helping to erase some of the damage. The Ducks ( a No. 12 seed), Washington ( a No. 9 seed) and Arizona State ( a No. 11) were the only teams dancing and the league bottomed out in several statistical categories, finishing last among power leagues in the NET and going nearly .500 in non- conference.

But expect better days in 2019- 20. Arizona figures to be back to its elite status. While coach Sean Miller’s future is uncertain because of allegations surrounding his involvement in an ongoing FBI probe, his team figures to be spectacular thanks to the arrival of standout freshmen Nico Mannion and Josh Green, who could make up a tantalizing backcourt.

Oregon has point guard Payton Pritchard, New Mexico transfer Anthony Mathis and No. 1 junior college transfer Chris Duarte and figures to be a contender.

Arizona State, Colorado and Washington all have enough returning talent to be NCAA tournament teams, too.