Who Will Win the 2025 National Championship?
- Thread starter dukedevilz
- Start date
Gotta beat the champ to be the champ? I have no clue. I'll go with Uconn until somebody knocks them off.
DePaul is spelled D-E-P-A-U-L, not O-T-H-E-R
Alabama, Kansas, and Houston seem like the three most likely possibilities. Obviously a lot can change, and likely will change, between now and March. But, you got to love teams that have roster continuity - and also return talent.
I do wonder how UConn will respond after losing 4 starters. Yes, they lost quite a bit after the 2023 season. But, they also returned their 3rd, 4th, and 5th leading-scorers in Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban, and Donovan Clingan. And, they brought in a sharp-shooting 13-3-3 guy from Rutgers and top-10 recruit in Stephon Castle. That was a very elite starting five. This year, only Karaban returns. You could argue Mahaney is the equivalent of Cam Spencer and Liam McNeely can be a dynamic, impactful freshman wing, much like Castle was. So, then that leaves the holes of Tristen Newton and Donovan Clingan... I think Hassan Diarra will be good. I just wouldn't expect an All-American season. Perhaps Karaban will elevate his game to that level. But, I certainly don't think Tarris Reed/Samson Johnson will get anywhere close to the production of Clingan. All in all, still a talented team. And I'd have them in my top 10, but probably closer to #10. JMO.
Several have picked "other" as their preseason favorite. Curious, did you have anyone specific in mind, or are you simply taking the field? @boilerzz @VulvHa @AWilli6995 @WeAreDePaul
I do wonder how UConn will respond after losing 4 starters. Yes, they lost quite a bit after the 2023 season. But, they also returned their 3rd, 4th, and 5th leading-scorers in Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban, and Donovan Clingan. And, they brought in a sharp-shooting 13-3-3 guy from Rutgers and top-10 recruit in Stephon Castle. That was a very elite starting five. This year, only Karaban returns. You could argue Mahaney is the equivalent of Cam Spencer and Liam McNeely can be a dynamic, impactful freshman wing, much like Castle was. So, then that leaves the holes of Tristen Newton and Donovan Clingan... I think Hassan Diarra will be good. I just wouldn't expect an All-American season. Perhaps Karaban will elevate his game to that level. But, I certainly don't think Tarris Reed/Samson Johnson will get anywhere close to the production of Clingan. All in all, still a talented team. And I'd have them in my top 10, but probably closer to #10. JMO.
Several have picked "other" as their preseason favorite. Curious, did you have anyone specific in mind, or are you simply taking the field? @boilerzz @VulvHa @AWilli6995 @WeAreDePaul
If I had to choose it'll be KU followed by Houston. Self has a tendency to slip up but all the great coaches past and present have had that happen.
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I was really just being contrarian. The winner probably comes out of that group. But there are a handful of teams not listed that I think could make a run.
in all seriousness, I don't have a prediction until I get a chance to see the teams play. But just for wishful thinking I'll go with UCONN and the 3 peat.
Blows my mind that field of 68 ranked UConn's backcourt 17th. At this point, I feel like Dan Hurley can win a title with Bert and Della as his starting guards.
What Hurley has done at UConn the past two years is remarkable. He deserves all of the credit. But, it's not as though he had ho-hum players. Look at the last two drafts. They had more guys drafted than all of the bluest of blue bloods.
# of players drafted in 2023 & 2024:
UConn- 6
Kentucky- 5
Duke- 4
Kansas- 4
UCLA- 4
UNC- 1
it's a bit of a chicken/egg argument though. Did he have all those players drafted because he had the best recruits or did he hvae all those players drafted because he did a great job developing them into draft picks.
Looking at UConn's team last couple years, other than Castle were any of those draft picks 5 star recruits coming out of high school?
Clingan, Hawkins, and Andre Jackson were top 50 recruits. Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton were mid-major superstars. All 5 of those guys were expected to be major contributors.
Only fans of teams that have played in a final four are allowed to post in this thread. Sorry. Kindly leave.So has Tennessee. Just sayin...
1 McD AA, a couple top 50 guys and a couple mid major transfers in a 2 year period doesn’t really scream blue blood, does it?
Then why are you on the CFB board? Y'all have no titles, play off appearances, or BCS. Y'all haven't ever won anything.
This thread, dumbass. Not the whole board. You’re a massive idiot.Then why are you on the CFB board? Y'all have no titles, play off appearances, or BCS. Y'all haven't ever won anything.
Does your daddy know you're over here talking shit to the fan of a team that has multiple championships little fellow?
You don't set the rules for posts or threads you little pervert.
Now run home so your daddy can beat some sense into you.
SMD
Does your daddy know you're over here talking shit to the fan of a team that has multiple championships little fellow?
You don't set the rules for posts or threads you little pervert.
Now run home so your daddy can beat some sense into you.
Speaking of swallowing……
You do that like you have done it many times before. Have you perv?
How many of those drafted players were highly rated 5 star kids that were already on draft boards? I haven't looked, but I heard on a radio broadcast that he only had two 5 star kids. If that's true, shouldn't he be credited for player development that was so good, it got kids drafted that wouldn't have been drafted without his development?
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Wish I would have scrolled down to read your post before I responded, you said it better than I did.
Right, but being contributors and getting drafted, are two completely different things.
My original point stands I believe, DH can win with lower rated kids and does a good enough job to develop them into NBA draft picks.
He deserves all the credit in the world. Hurley has been remarkable these past two seasons. My my main point is, he had talent the past two years. Any top 50 HS recruit is going to be widely regarded enough where pro scouts already have them on their radar. I'm sure he played a critical role in the development of those players. It just seems that some exaggerate his greatness - as though he could turn 3-star pedestrian players into title contenders and future draft picks.
His current roster is good. I'm just a little surprised that they have as many votes as any other school in this poll so far. If Hassan Diarra and Alex Karaban have breakout yeas, which is possible, then UConn could be in that discussion as a title favorite. I just don't think I'd currently have them in my top 5.
They'll likely be the Big Ten favorites again. But, let's hear why you think they'll win it all.
Not to mention his assistants likely deserve a lot of the credit.
So he just developed this superpower two years ago? Hasn't he been a head coach since 2011?
I think the last 2 years, he has done more with less. Those two teams were dominant at times and it seemed to me it was never about individualism, they won games by being the best team, or unit. The stuff they ran on offense was unstoppable at times.
I'm very impressed with the job Hurley has done the last two years.
Biased, of course, but I don’t see a better combo of talent/continuity/experience/coaching than KU. On paper. Obviously that opinion might change when games are played, but I think this has potential to be one of Self’s top 2-3 teams.
Duke might have the most talented roster, but I don't think they’ll have quite enough continuity/experience, and I don’t think they can match the coaching of other top teams. They might go deep but I doubt they win it all.
I think Hurley falls back to Earth a little. I see this roster as a pretty big step down from the last two.
Gonzaga shouldn’t be a sleeper but no one’s really talking about them. Could be a sneakily great team.
Houston, UNC, Baylor and Iowa St should all be very good. I don’t expect Houston to be quite as dominant against this year’s field though. Shead was massively important.
My darkhorse is Arkansas. Lot of talent there, and possibly a motivated coach, but Calipari will probably screw it up in the end.
Duke might have the most talented roster, but I don't think they’ll have quite enough continuity/experience, and I don’t think they can match the coaching of other top teams. They might go deep but I doubt they win it all.
I think Hurley falls back to Earth a little. I see this roster as a pretty big step down from the last two.
Gonzaga shouldn’t be a sleeper but no one’s really talking about them. Could be a sneakily great team.
Houston, UNC, Baylor and Iowa St should all be very good. I don’t expect Houston to be quite as dominant against this year’s field though. Shead was massively important.
My darkhorse is Arkansas. Lot of talent there, and possibly a motivated coach, but Calipari will probably screw it up in the end.
If Duke doesn't win the title Scheyer should be fired because they will never have a team close to this talented again.
AFAIK they haven't lost any of their coaches either which helps the continuity even more. I don't think they are favorites, but it will be interesting to see how they change without Clingan in the middle destroying everything/everyone.
AFAIK they haven't lost any of their coaches either which helps the continuity even more. I don't think they are favorites, but it will be interesting to see how they change without Clingan in the middle destroying everything/everyone.
