Six months after Stanford and Baylor cut down the nets, the 2021–22 college basketball season is just four weeks away. Opening night is Nov. 9, and a slew of exhibitions will be held even sooner, which means teams across the country are well underway with preparations.
After the bizarre season that was last year’s COVID-19-impacted men’s and women’s campaigns, things are looking more familiar heading into this winter. Here at Sports Illustrated, we’re celebrating the near-return of college hoops with a list of 64 reasons to be excited for the season, starting with the departure of a legend and ending with a long overdue change.