2018-19 College Basketball Season Begins

The 2017-18 college basketball season had everything a fan could want. Standout performances, a No. 1 seed finally falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and Villanova cutting down the nets for the second time in three seasons. Oh, and Sister Jean and Chicago-Loyola giving hope to underdogs everywhere by reaching the Final Four. A new season starts Tuesday, and it’s been a long seven months to wait for a sport that seems to top itself every year.

Tonight on ESPN 99.1 we tip the season with a double-header. The Champions Classic will feature Michigan State and Kansas followed by Duke and Kentucky. Game-1 begins at 6:00 PM.

Here's a quick guide to launch the season:

• Kansas. Bill Self has another strong recruiting class, a preseason All-American in Memphis transfer Dedric Lawson and a No. 1 ranking.
• Kentucky. Coach Cal has another roster full of future pros. He’s also got Reid Travis, a grad transfer from Stanford who happens to be one of the nation’s top players.
• Gonzaga. The Zags broke through to the Final Four two years ago. They could be even better this year.
• Duke. Coach K outdid himself with this year’s recruiting class with what could be three of the top five picks in the NBA draft.
• Virginia. OK, so that first-round NCAA Tournament loss to UMBC was ugly and history-making. But the Cavaliers have nearly everyone back and plenty of motivation.
• Tennessee. The Vols have never been to the Final Four. That could change this season — they’re that good.

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