Duke has bare cut down the nets on their championship victory in Indianapolis, and already some basketball fans are fiending for more college basketball.
The wait until next November is going to be a lengthy one for fans afflicted by sports-ADHD. To tide you over, we've prepare an entirely hypothetical and entirely way-too-early look at some teams that may compete for the 2016 national title in Houston next year.
UNC
The team was peaking by season's end after a mid-season swoon, and they gave Wisconsin a real challenge in the Sweet 16. They will return all five starters and be prohibitive favorites to win the ACC. The only thing that could derail the Tar Heels is the impending ruling from a years-long investigation into various academic violations. The hammer the NCAA brought down on Syracuse last month should serve as a preview of what Carolina should expect soon.
Maryland
The Terps return their best player in Melo Trimble and they'll be pairing him with both Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter and a five-star recruit in center Diamond Stone.
Kentucky
Kentucky will lose all of its freshman stars to the NBA draft, yes. And they will almost lose upperclassman like Willie Caulie Stein and the Harrison twins as well. No matter. As long as John Calipari is on the sidelines and as long as the one-and-done rule remains in effect in the NCAA, common sense dictates that the Wildcats will reload and be competing for their third straight Final Four in no time.
Iowa State
Fred Hoiberg's squad was upset in the round of 64 this season after winning the Big 12 Tournament just days before. Like UNC, they'll be returning all of their core contributors, and they'll have a chip on their shoulder as they look to prove that loss to UAB was an aberration, nothing more.
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