North Carolina:

The Tar Heels are the consensus No. 1, but how will Roy Williams manage the minutes of the deepest team he’s had since his last national championship nearly three years ago? How comfortable with Kendall Marshall be as the defacto leader of this team from day one? And what impact will the freshmen have from the outset?

Kentucky:

The Wildcats are the likely No. 2 preseason team. But they are still extremely inexperienced at key positions, including a new point guard for the third-straight season. How will Marquis Teague handle that role? Will Terrence Jones be more consistent? What will be the televised debut of the expected top five pick Anthony Davis in the middle?

Syracuse:

The Orange should be a top three Big East team. But how much will the Orange miss Rick Jackson’s double-double play inside? Will the Orange show its potential on the perimeter with Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph? How much will you get to see the Syracuse zone in a Midnight Madness event? Well, probably not a lot in this environment against themselves.

Duke:

How much will Duke become the Austin Rivers show? Will Seth Curry continue to be a sharp shooter for the Blue Devils? How will the Blue Devils rotate all three Plumlees and Ryan Kelly? How much will Duke look like a February team after playing nationally televised games in China in August?

Connecticut:

How will the Huskies balance Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi next to each other in the post? Will Ryan Boatwright be able to push Shabazz Napier at the point? Will DeAndre Daniels add depth or could he be a replacement for Roscoe Smith? Will it be obvious that Jeremy Lamb is the clear go-to player?

Louisville:

The Cardinals’ Peyton Siva must prove he’s a star early and often for the Cardinals. Will Louisville be able to put on display its ability to run and press from the outset of the first practice? Will Louisville match Kentucky’s Midnight Madness enthusiasm?

Baylor:

Who else besides Perry Jones III should/could star for the Bears since Jones has to miss the first five games? Will the Bears be a tease again this season or prove that they have the staying power to be a Big 12 threat and Final Four contender?

Kansas:

The Jayhawks aren’t picked to win the Big 12, but will that look like a mistake after watching Kansas scrimmage? Will Thomas Robinson emerge as the go-to guy in the first glimpse of the Jayhawks? Will a few of the no-name reserves emerge as household names?

Texas A&M (women):

What are the chances the Aggies can prove that last season was no fluke and that they are here to stay as a permanent pest to Connecticut as a national title contender? How much will the country get a sense that the forthcoming Aggie-Tennessee rivalry in the SEC could be one of the best once Texas A&M moves to the SEC?

 Creighton:

How much will Doug McDermott shine as a 3-point threat for the Bluejays? Will Greg Echenique be as much of a rebounding power player for the Bluejays as he was for Venezuela this summer? Will the country get a sense of just how good the Bluejays could be in March?

Michigan State:

How will the Spartans react to a depleted frontcourt with the decision by Delvon Roe to retire to due to knee pain? How much will we see Draymond Green on display as a leader for the Spartans? Will Brandon Wood put on a shooting display in his debut for the Spartans after coming over from Valparaiso?