Jesse Siegel

The landscape of college basketball has shifted, as the era of monster conferences and impact transfers is fully upon us. Certainly, this year's freshman class is still stacked with the likes of Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper

Could this be the beginning of the end for the two-time reigning champs? The UConn Huskies dropped two-straight games in the Maui Invitational, snapping a 17-game winning streak dating back to last season. The retooled and reloaded Huskies lost narrowly to Memphis and then Colorado in their first real tests of the new campaign. Connecticut allowed both the Tigers as well as the Buffaloes to shoot over 50-percent from three-point land; indeed, coach Danny Hurley lamented the team's poor defensive efforts in the postgame press conference following the defeat to Colorado. The season is only in its infancy, and teams can look completely different in March as compared to how they looked in November. That being said, a three-peat would be an incredible feat, and may end up proving too difficult even for this juggernaut of a program.

Over half of the top-25 was in action Wednesday night, and four contests featured matchups between two ranked squads. In one of these clashes, freshman phenom Cooper Flagg led No. 9 Duke to an impressive win over Johni Broome

While it is way too early to try and make sense over the standings or rankings, there have certainly been some surprises to begin the 2024-2025 campaign, perhaps none greater than Oklahoma. The Sooners were predicted by most outlets to finish 15th of 16 schools in their first basketball season in the SEC. While conference play has not begun just yet, those pundits might end up mistaken. Oklahoma is one of only three undefeated SEC squads left. While the Sooners do have their fair share of wins over patsies, Oklahoma has also beaten Arizona, Louisville, Georgia Tech and Providence en route to a 9-0 start. The Sooners are led by freshman sensation Jeremiah Fears, who originally committed to Illinois for 2025 but reclassified and instead enrolled at Oklahoma to begin the 2024 school year. The leading scorer for the Sooners is actually forward Jalon Moore, though, who is in his second season at Oklahoma. The season is still young, and SEC play is likely to be an unforgiving gauntlet. That being said, whether due to the reclassification of Fears or simply undervaluing the remainder of Oklahoma's roster, the Sooners could be far better than anticipated when all is said and done.

One of the most significant injuries of the season to watch thus far could belong to Johni Broome of the Auburn Tigers. Broome has been playing at an elite level, averaging a double-double as one of the top players in the nation for a squad currently ranked No. 2 in the country. However, Broome left Tuesday's cupcake matchup over Georgia State in the first half due to a shoulder injury, and did not return. Broome was seen wearing a sling on the bench during the second half of the contest. A serious injury for Broome could severely dampen Auburn's chances in the SEC and beyond. The conference currently has five of the top seven programs in the rankings. Stay tuned for additional information on Broome's status in the coming days.

There can be little doubt as to the best conference in college basketball this season, at least through the first two months. The SEC has officially shed the label of only being a football conference, as the three remaining undefeated programs all reside in the Southeastern Conference. No. 1 Tennessee is 11-0, while the Florida Gators are 12-0, and the surprising Oklahoma Sooners, a new addition to the conference are 12-0 as well. Meanwhile, Auburn and Alabama both reside in the top 5 despite having losses, and Kentucky is sitting at No. 10 in the country under the direction of new head coach Mark Pope. All told, the SEC has a staggering 10 schools in the rankings at this time. Certainly, a lot can change until March Madness, but for now, the SEC is a cut above.

Happy New Year! With the calendar changing to 2025, that means a few things in terms of the college basketball landscape. The first is that conference play has begun in earnest. It will be interesting to see how the new "super conferences" shake out. The Big Ten, SEC and ACC have a staggering 18 schools apiece, while the Big 12 is not far behind with 16 programs. Even the A-10 is now stacked with 15 squads. There could be several teams in the big dance with losing records in their respective conferences based upon the new realignment. Speaking of the NCAA Tournament, a new year also means just a couple of months until March Madness. Now we should begin the process of separating the contenders from the pretenders.

No Johni Broome? No problem for Auburn. Even without the services of the frontrunner for National Player of the Year, the Tigers are off to a 4-0 start in the SEC and currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Tigers toppled a Mississippi State squad Tuesday that had started the season 14-1. In fact, Auburn dominated the contest even without Broome, dismantling the Bulldogs by 22 points.

Remember how Kansas used to own the Big 12? Those days may have already come to an end. And the replacement for the Jayhawks may come as a surprise. Last year, the Houston Cougars took control of the Big 12 in their first year in the conference. Through six conference clashes this year, the Cougars once again sit atop the standings. Though certainly Iowa State, Arizona and perhaps even aforementioned Kansas may have something to say about that, it is clear that the Cougars' program could remain fortified and strong even with the conference realignment. Houston is 14-3 overall this season; two losses came to top-5 opponents in the form of Auburn and Alabama. Houston is currently riding a 10-game winning streak. A visit to Kansas lurks on the horizon this weekend. It is far too early to anoint the Cougars, but there may be more parity in the Big 12, and Houston will certainly have something to say over the next few years.

Michigan State has been simply scorching of late. The Spartans are riding a 13-game winning streak for the first time in six years. Depth has been the strong suit for MSU. Jaden Akins