College Basketball

College basketball 2021-22: 36 takeaways heading into a new (normal) season

Updated Oct. 26, 2021 9:21 p.m. ET

By Andy Katz
FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst

Five of the top six conferences in men's college basketball held in-person media days in October.

I got to attend all of them — the Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12, Big East and Big 12. The SEC was the only Power 6 conference to opt for a virtual media session due to COVID-19 health and safety precautions.

Getting back on the road was welcomed. Seeing coaches and players in person — finally — brought a sense of normalcy, even with a mask.

So as we get ready for the start of the season on Nov. 9, here are some observations after three weeks of travel.

1. Coaches are going to go casual. I didn't find anyone who wanted to go back to wearing suits and ties.

2. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is incredibly relaxed. He showed no signs of stress about his final season. He has embraced this team and clearly wants to give his all in his final season at Duke. The offseason couldn’t have gone any better, with a number of high-profile commitments for the class of 2022 for coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer. That has put Coach K at ease about the potential for a smooth transition.

3. Jim Boeheim has never hidden his excitement about a team when he believes he has a legit squad. He is oozing with confidence, saying that this Syracuse squad could be one of his best shooting teams with Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim and Joseph Girard.

4. This is the least experienced team Tony Bennett has had in quite some time. I got the sense that he is anticipating this Virginia team will be much better later in the season than earlier.

5. Louisville coach Chris Mack will sit the first six games by a school-directed suspension. However, he was filled with boundless energy about the Cardinals and the anticipation that this team will be back in the NCAA Tournament.

6. Hubert Davis remains one of the most upbeat coaches/people I’ve worked with and/or covered in the game. North Carolina’s program is in good hands. Caleb Love is ready to bust out and be the next elite Tar Heels lead guard.

7. Keve Aluma might be the least publicized ACC Player of the Year candidate. Yet he is the preseason favorite and could lead Virginia Tech to another NCAA Tournament berth.

8. No players embrace defense the way Florida State’s do every time you talk to them. And Leonard Hamilton continues to be ageless. We should all look as young as he does at 73.

9. A few coaches are struggling to convince their remaining unvaccinated holdouts to get vaccinated. Unvaccinated players are subject to testing — sometimes multiple times per week — as well as masking. The question will be what happens if there are mandates for certain arenas and counties that those players travel to during the course of the season? There could be instances in which unvaccinated players can't play in a specific arena, like we have seen in the NBA. Stay tuned.

10. I wasn’t sure Chris Beard would be able to take his approach of player empowerment, free expression and overall independence to Texas. Well, Beard has completely taken his philosophy to running a program to Austin, and it’s clearly his program. The jovial atmosphere is in place, and the Longhorns will be all-in with him. Beard was also very complimentary of the players recruited by and contributions made by previous coach Shaka Smart.

11. There couldn’t be more of a 180 in terms of personality from Beard to Mark Adams at Texas Tech. Adams was instrumental in the rise of the Red Raiders. But while Beard is an extrovert, Adams is much more reserved. Both styles can work well. The Red Raiders will be Big 12 contenders. Adams was able to re-recruit key personnel, and the addition of Kevin Obanor showed that Adams can attract national talent.

12. I was surprised Remy Martin was named Big 12 preseason player of the year. That’s a ton of pressure put on a transfer. Bill Self didn’t hold back in saying that Martin still has to adjust to playing at Kansas. The Jayhawks will be as old as they’ve been in years. Martin is a key piece, but he might not be the most productive player on the Jayhawks this season.

13. Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton has built a program, not just a "team with Cade Cunningham" like the Cowboys had last season. His recruiting in the transfer portal was a good example. But I don't understand why the Cowboys' NCAA situation still isn’t closed. They were allowed to play in the NCAA Tournament last season. I can’t imagine a scenario that would justify a ban at this point.

14. James Akinjo is on his third school after going from Georgetown to Arizona to Baylor, but his teammates were already saying how hard he was working during practice. That’s a good sign. The Bears need Akinjo to pick up where Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell left off last season.

15. You can tell when a coach just fits in his new location. Porter Moser does at Oklahoma. Going from Lon Kruger to Moser is about as seamless a transition as the Sooners could envision.

16. Expect West Virginia to be a high-level shooting team but not the physical, rebounding crew we've come to expect under Bob Huggins.

17. The Villanova players act like pros. Everything about the Wildcats seems professional. Oh, and a healthy Collin Gillespie means the Wildcats will be in the thick of the title chase.

18. Xavier coach Travis Steele had the boldest statement when telling me he firmly believes the Musketeers can win the Big East.

19. Providence big Nate Watson isn’t getting the national love he deserves. His knee is healthy, and he could be a double-double machine for the Friars.

20. The Big East has done a tremendous job of adding diversity to its coaching ranks. Six of the 11 coaches are people of color. The league doesn’t get enough credit for its socially conscious activity. Val Ackerman, a Hall of Fame inductee, has helped lead the league through its most challenging time after expansion.

21. The Big East never got to fully appreciate the return of UConn with packed home games and Husky fans dominating Madison Square Garden. That’s coming this season.

22. Purdue could have the most intimidating front court in the country. Coach Matt Painter will experiment with Zach Edey and Trevion Williams playing together. Also, Painter has become one of the most influential coaches in the country as it relates to NCAA legislation. When he speaks, the membership listens.

23. The sleeper among the Power 6 could be Nebraska. Fred Hoiberg’s crew is well-respected among his peers. I fully expect the Huskers to be in the NCAA Tournament mix.

24. Tom Izzo seems less stressed. Yes, this group has him reenergized. The expectations outside of East Lansing aren’t as high, and that will be even more motivational.

25. Was there any doubt about Juwan Howard’s ability to take over for John Beilein? Wow. He has kept the Wolverines at an elite level. There is buy-in from everyone in the program.

26. Maryland might have the two most important transfers in Fatts Russell and Qudus Wahab. The Terps needed another elite guard and a rim-protecting big. They got both from Rhode Island and Georgetown, respectively.

27. Geo Baker was the most influential player in advocating for name, image and likeness. But he absolutely loves Rutgers and is proof that you can want change and compensation and still have incredible loyalty to your school. He’s a great ambassador for the program.

28. Andre Curbelo could be the most entertaining, high-energy player in the Big Ten. He’s always on the move and has embraced his leadership role with the Illini. He will step right into the 1-2 punch with Kofi Cockburn, replacing Ayo Dosunmu in that relationship.

29. Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell looks lean. He might not be a banger, but he’ll be a tough matchup.

30. Iowa will have a completely different look without Luka Garza. This team will have to jack it up more, and it has one of the best shooters around in Jordan Bohannon.

31. UCLA is a throwback to a time in the mid-2000s (see Florida) when a team is essentially all back and familiar to mainstream fans. Mick Cronin has a squad that should be in the top five all season.

32. The UCLA-USC rivalry is real again, and full crowds at Pauley and the Galen Center should make it appointment television this season. Andy Enfield has put together a consistent winner, which hasn’t been easy to do at USC.

33. The two surprise major conference tournament winners last season were Georgetown in the Big East and Oregon State in the Pac-12. But the Hoyas couldn’t stay intact, while the Beavers did to some extent. Expect Oregon State to be a tournament-type team this season. The Hoyas will have to pull off another late run to do so.

34. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd is coaching a team that isn’t picked to win his conference for the first time in his career. Of course, he has internal pressure, but this is the first time he isn’t expected to win a league. He is clearly ready for this challenge.

35. Evan Battey might be one of my favorite players. He’s so appreciative of being a college basketball player and playing at Colorado, and overall, he seems incredibly grateful.

36. Oregon coach Dana Altman has been able to take transfers and mold the Ducks into contenders. The expectation is that this will occur again this year.

Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.