National Champion Duke Blue Devils – Head Coach: Mike Krzyzewski (Atlantic Coast Conference)

Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski, the winningest coach in college basketball history with 1,018 wins, led the Blue Devils to their fifth National Championship and a 35-4 record last season…the roster boasts four returning rotation players in Grayson Allen, Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones, and Marshall Plumlee…the Blue Devils bring in the top recruiting class in the country, highlighted by three McDonald’s All-Americans (Brandon Ingram, Luke Kennard, and Chase Jeter) and standout point guard Derryck Thornton…Duke will be making its third appearance in the 2K Classic (1999 and 2008), winning the 2008 title. Official Site

[lt id=”1″]

THE BEAT GOES ON: The 2015-16 season marks Duke’s 111th season of basketball. The Blue Devils have compiled a 2,062-853 record to rank fourth all-time in victories. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has 1,018 of those wins during his 36 seasons in Durham. Duke is scheduled to play its 1,000th game at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 8 when it hosts Louisville.

THEY’RE BACK: Duke returns six letterwinners from last year’s National Championship team, including one starter in senior Amile Jefferson. Graduate student Marshall Plumlee and juniors Matt Jones and Nick Pagliuca give the Blue Devils four upperclassmen on the 13-man roster.

CAN’T TOP THIS: For the second year in a row, Duke’s recruiting class was ranked No. 1 by ESPN RecruitingNation, as Brandon Ingram, Chase Jeter, Luke Kennard, Derryck Thornton, and Antonio Vrankovic headline a seven-man class of newcomers. Ingram, Jeter, and Kennard were all McDonald’s All-Americans in 2015, while Vrankovic was a nominee for the game and Thornton was considered a frontrunner to make the game in 2016 before reclassifying. ESPN ranked Ingram the No. 3 overall recruit and No. 1 small forward in the class, while Jeter checked in at No. 11 overall (No. 4 center). Thornton was ranked No. 17 overall (No. 3 point guard) and Kennard was tabbed No. 24 overall (No. 6 shooting guard).

National Runner-Up Wisconsin Badgers – Head Coach: Bo Ryan (Big Ten Conference)

Head coach Bo Ryan is Wisconsin’s all-time leader in wins, amassing 357 victories in just 14 seasons…last season the Badgers claimed the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles with a 16-2 league mark to go along with a 36-4 overall record in advancing to the Final Four for the second straight year and the Championship Game for the first time since 1941…11 players, including two starters, return in 2015-16, led by junior forward Nigel Hayes (12.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and junior guard Bronson Koenig (8.7 ppg, 98 assists)…Wisconsin will be making its first 2K Classic appearance. Official Site

[lt id=”2″]

BO KNOWS WINNING: The winningest coach in Wisconsin history (357-125, .741), Bo Ryan ranks ninth in Big Ten history with 172 career conference wins. With a career record of 172-68 (.717), Ryan owns the highest Big Ten winning percentage in conference history.

YOUNG ‘UNS: The 2015-16 season marks the first year under Bo Ryan in which the Badgers do not have a scholarship senior. Wisconsin has had at least one senior starter in each of Ryan’s first 14 seasons in Madison. In fact, the Badgers have started at least two seniors in 10 of those 14 seasons. The Badgers return just 38.1 percent of their minutes played from last season. That’s the lowest total since Ryan inherited a 2001-02 team that returned 30.0 percent of its minutes.

REPEAT: The defending Big Ten champions, Wisconsin is seeking back-to-back conference titles for the first time since 2002-03. In Ryan’s 14 seasons, the Badgers have won four Big Ten regular season championships and three Big Ten tournaments.

MARCH MADNESS: Playing in its 17th-consecutive NCAA Tournament a year ago, Wisconsin returned to the Final Four for the second-straight season and the fourth time in school history. UW is just the ninth Big Ten team in history to reach back-to-back national semifinals.

Georgetown Hoyas – Head Coach: John Thompson III (Big East Conference)

The Hoyas went 22-11 a season ago under the direction of head coach John Thompson III, who, in 11 seasons at Georgetown, has won 249 games…the Hoyas feature a roster with 10 players back from last year, including a trio of starters…senior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera led Georgetown with a 16.3 ppg average as well as with 101 assists in earning first-team All-Big East honors…sophomore forward Isaac Copeland averaged 6.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg…this will be Georgetown’s first 2K Classic appearance since 1998. Official Site

[lt id=”4″]

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Georgetown was picked to finish in second place in the Big East preseason poll. The Hoyas are coming off a season that saw the team go 22-11 and reach the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

ATOP ON THE HILLTOP: Now in his 12th season, John Thompson III has won 249 games and has led the Hoyas to the postseason every year, including eight NCAA Tournament berths and the 2007 Final Four.

ONE MORE YEAR: After flirting with the NBA Draft, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera decided to return for his senior season. A Big East first-team selection last year who led the team in scoring at 16.3 ppg, Smith Rivera is a big reason why the Hoyas were picked second in the year’s league poll.

ACCOLADES: Smith-Rivera is not the only player back who received Big East honors a year ago. Isaac Copeland and L.J. Peak both earned Rookie team selections last season. Copeland, who averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, was also named an All-Big East Honorable Mention.

VCU Rams – Head Coach: Will Wade (Atlantic 10 Conference)

VCU is under the direction of new head coach Will Wade in 2015-16, who returns to VCU after two successful seasons at Chattanooga…the Rams, 26-10 a season ago, boast a roster featuring 10 returning players, including three starters…among those returning are senior guard Melvin Johnson (12.4 ppg, 60 assists) and junior forward Mo Alie-Cox (7.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg)…this is the Rams’ first ever 2K Classic appearance. Official Site

[lt id=”5″]

A NEW DAY: VCU enters a new era as Will Wade takes over as the 11^th head coach in the program history. Wade is in his second go-round at VCU after serving four years as an assistant under previous head coach Shaka Smart. Prior to taking over the reins of the Rams, Wade was the head coach at Chattanooga, piling up 40 wins in just two seasons. In his first stop in Richmond, he assisted in the best four-year span in program history with 113 wins and a trip to the 2011 Final Four.

INSIDE-OUTSIDE: The Rams will be led by senior Melvin Johnson and junior Mo Alie-Cox, both of whom earned preseason All-Atlantic 10 accolades. Johnson, a sharpshooter from the Bronx, is on pace to break the school’s all-time three-point record, while Alie-Cox is a force down low, ranking in the top three in the conference with 68 blocks last season.

IN SEARCH OF: The Rams will be looking for a program record sixth straight NCAA Tournament bid after earning an automatic berth last year, thanks to the program’s first-ever Atlantic 10 Championship. VCU will look to accomplish that feat with a mixture of new faces as the Rams have six new players, the most since 2007-08.

Bryant Bulldogs – Head Coach: Tim O’Shea (Northeast Conference)

In 2015-16, the Bulldogs posted a 16-15 record in advancing to the semifinals of the Northeast Conference tournament…head coach Tim O’Shea is in his eighth season at Bryant, having taken over when the school made the jump to Division I…three starters return, led by second-team All-Northeast Conference pick junior Dan Garvin, who was second on the Bulldogs in scoring (10.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (7.9 rpg)…senior guard Shane McLaughlin led Bryant with a 4.8 assist per game average while netting 7.5 ppg.  Official Site

[lt id=”6″]

ENCORE: Bryant is in its eighth year at the Division I level and has been eligible for the Northeast Conference Tournament the last three seasons. The Bulldogs have qualified for the NEC playoffs all three years and won the program’s first NEC Tournament game in 2014-15. Bryant also garnered its first postseason tournament bid when it participated in the College Basketball Invitational in 2013.

THE CORE: Returning second-team All-NEC selection Dan Garvin leads the way on offense after finishing his sophomore season ranked first at Bryant in rebounds (7.9 rpg) and blocks (48) and second in scoring (10.9 ppg). The Bulldogs also return starting point guard Shane McLaughlin (7.5 ppg), sharpshooter Hunter Ware (5.6 ppg), and dynamic scorer Bosko Kostur (7.9 ppg). They will have to pick up the void left by the graduations of all-conference selections Dyami Starks and Joe O’Shea.

O’SHEA CAN YOU SEE: Tim O’Shea returned to Rhode Island eight years ago to start the Division I process at Bryant. After serving as an assistant to Al Skinner at Rhode Island and Boston College, O’Shea left BC to take over at Ohio. In his seven seasons there, he was the architect of a Bobcat program that rose to prominence. In his last four seasons alone, the Bobcats compiled 79 wins and captured a MAC title. He was 120-95 during his tenure at Ohio.

Prairie View A&M Panthers – Head Coach: Byron Rimm II (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Head coach Byron Rimm II is in rebuilding mode at Prairie View where he looks to replace four starters from a squad that posted a 15-18 mark a year ago and reached the semifinals of the SWAC tournament…senior guard Jacoby Green played in all 33 games last season, starting 10, and posting an average of 3.7 ppg…junior guard Jayrn Johnson also played in all 33 games and netted 4.4 ppg…the Panthers last appeared in the 2K Classic in 2008.
Official Site

[lt id=”7″]

STARTING OVER: With the loss of four senior starters, head coach Byron Rimm II has a major task ahead of him in his 10th season at Prairie View. Last year’s senior class left on a high note, making a memorable second half run in conference play which saw them vault into the upper half of the SWAC standings. The year before, the class also participated in the SWAC tournament championship.

THE CORNERSTONE: With a roster full of newcomers, Rimm will turn to two-year letterwinner Karim York to lead the way. The 6-9 Austin, Texas, native averaged a career-high 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds while also shooting 46 percent from the field. In addition to York, senior guards Jacoby Green and Jayrn Johnson will take on larger roles this season as both were the first two options off the bench last season.

HELP ON THE WAY: Among the group of newcomers, junior college transfer Dominique Shaw comes in with solid credentials. The 6-4 guard averaged 18 points per game last season at Tyler Junior College. Fellow newcomer Admassau Williams will help solidify the paint as he averaged 10.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

Radford Highlanders – Head Coach: Mike Jones (Big South Conference)

The Highlanders recorded a 22-12 ledger in advancing to the quarterfinals of the CBI for the second straight season last year…the 22 wins also marked the second-straight 20-win season for Radford, which won 20 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1998…head coach Mike Jones is in his fifth season at Radford and has turned around the Highlanders, winning 19 games in his first two seasons and 44 in his last two…two senior starters return: guard YaYa Anderson (9.3 ppg, 50 assists) and center Brandon Holcomb (6.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg).  Official Site

[lt id=”8″]

RAD: As it begins its 42nd season, Radford is coming off consecutive 22-win campaigns that each featured a postseason victory. The 44 combined victories are the most over any two-year span since 1990-91 and 1991-92, while the consecutive 20-win campaigns are the first since 1997-98 and 1998-99.

LEADERS OF THE PACK: The Highlanders return four of their top six scorers from last season, led by senior guards YaYa Anderson and Rashun Davis. Anderson is the team’s leading returning scorer, having averaged 9.3 points per game last season. Anderson starts the season eighth on the program’s three-point list with 188, including 59 last season. Davis has led Radford in assists each of the last two seasons (116.5 per year) and ranks eighth on the school’s career list.

NO, NO, NO: Brandon Holcomb ranks fifth in Radford history with 114 blocks. A year ago, he was second in the Big South Conference with 49 rejections. He also hauled down 4.5 rebounds per game, good for second on the team.

KEEPING UP WITH JONES: Highlanders head coach Mike Jones is in his fifth season. After his inaugural six-win campaign, Jones has led Radford to a 57-44 record over the last three years, 44 of those wins coming over the last two seasons.

Siena Saints – Head Coach: Jimmy Patsos (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)

Siena returns three starters from a year ago, one of which appeared in only six games…junior forward Brett Bisping, the MVP of the 2014 CBI, had surgery on his toe in December and missed the reminder of the season…junior point guard Marquis Wright (12.5 ppg) is the Saints’ leading returning scorer while junior swingman Lavon Long posted 10.4 ppg and a team-high 4.9 rpg…head coach Jimmy Patsos is in his third year at Siena. Official Site

[lt id=”9″]

HEALTHY AGAIN: Siena welcomes back big men Brett Bisping and Imoh Silas who combined to play just six games last season due to injury. Both figure to make a major impact. Bisping averaged 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2013-14 and was MVP of the CBI. Silas has started 53 of the 68 games he’s played at Siena and is one of the top shot-blockers in the MAAC.

THE WRIGHT STUFF: Starting point guard Marquis Wright has had more assists than any player in the MAAC the last two years, and is poised for a breakthrough junior season. Classmate Lavon Long has started 60 of the 65 games he’s played at Siena, averaging 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.

STANDING PAT: Jimmy Patsos returns for his third year as head coach at Siena, having the second most victories of any coach in MAAC history (92 at Loyola (Md.) and Siena). Patsos guided the Saints to a 12-win turnaround that tied for the second greatest in all of Division I in 2013-14 and the championship of the College Basketball Invitational.

COULD IT BE?: Siena hasn’t won the MAAC Championship since 2010 when it captured its last of three straight conference titles at Albany’s Times Union Center. Last year, the MAAC moved its tournament back to Albany for another three years. Could lightning strike again?

• 2014 – #10 Texas 71, California 55
• 2013 – #18 Connecticut 59, #22 Indiana 58
• 2012 – Alabama 77, Villanova 55
• 2011 – Mississippi State 67, #16 Arizona 57
• 2010 – #4 Pittsburgh 68, #22 Texas 66
• 2009 – #24 Syracuse 87, #4 North Carolina 71
• 2008 – #5 Duke 71, Michigan 56
• 2007 – #3 Memphis 81, Connecticut 70
• 2006 – Maryland 62, Michigan St. 60
• 2005 – Florida 75, #16 Syracuse 70
• 2004 – #6 Syracuse 77, #23 Memphis 62
• *2003 – #22 Pittsburgh 71, Alabama 62
• *2003 – #18 St. Joseph’s 73, #12 Gonzaga 66
• *2003 – #21 Wake Forest 85, Memphis 76
• *2003 – #23 Marquette 52, St. John’s 45
• *2002 – #18 Marquette 73, Villanova 61
• *2002 – #4 Texas 77, #16 Georgia 71
• *2002 – Memphis 70, Syracuse 63
• *2002 – Alabama 68, #3 Oklahoma 62
• 2001 – Arizona 75, #6 Florida 71
• 2000 – #7 Kansas 82, St. John’s 74
• 1999 – #13 Stanford 72, Iowa 58
• 1998 – #7 Temple 59, Wake Forest 48
• 1997 – Princeton 38, N.C. State 36
• *1996 – Temple 76, Georgia Tech 58
• *1996 – Saint Joseph’s 67, #21 Tulsa 64
• *1995 – Penn State 88, Penn 61
• *1995 – La Salle 68, Marquette 65

*Showcase format used these years

Single Game

POINTS

43 – David Holston (Chicago St.), vs. St. Bonaventure; Nov. 9, 2006

FIELD GOALS

14 – Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis), vs. Connecticut; Nov. 16, 2007

FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS

29 – Andrew Goudelock (Charleston), vs. Rhode Island; Nov. 19, 2010

3-POINT FIELD GOALS

9 – Pete Lisicky (Penn St.), vs. Penn; Dec. 9, 1995

3-POINT FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS

16 – Omar Cook (St. John’s), vs. Kansas; Nov. 10, 2000

FREE THROWS

20 – Evan Bruinsma (Detroit), vs. Stony Brook; Nov. 23, 2013

FREE THROW ATTEMPTS

22 – Evan Bruinsma (Detroit), vs. Stony Brook; Nov. 23, 2013

TOTAL REBOUNDS

21 – Jameel Warney (Stony Brook), vs. Detroit; Nov. 23, 2013

OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS

11 – Jameel Warney (Stony Brook), vs. Detroit; Nov. 23, 2013

DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS

14 – Jameel Warney (Stony Brook), vs. FAU; Nov. 23, 2013

14 – Evan Turner (Ohio St.),  vs. James Madison; Nov. 12, 2009

ASSISTS

14 – Aaron Fitzgerald (UC Irvine), vs. Miss. Valley St; Nov. 11, 2005

TURNOVERS

10 – Evan Turner (Ohio St.), vs. North Carolina; Nov. 19, 2009

10 – Chris Lowe (Massachusetts), vs. Southern Illinois; Nov. 12, 2008

10 – Justin Gray (Wake Forest), vs. George Mason; Nov. 11, 2005

BLOCKS

9 – Mamadou Ndiaye (UC Irvine), vs. Washington, Nov. 14, 2013

9 – Mickell Gladness (Alabama A&M), vs. Central Arkansas; Nov. 7, 2007

STEALS

7 – Garrett Lever (Seattle), vs. Maryland; Nov. 8, 2010

7 – Andy Rautins (Syracuse), vs. North Carolina; Nov. 20, 2009

Single Game

POINTS
105 – Maryland, vs. Seattle; Nov. 8, 2010

FIELD GOALS
43 – Syracuse, vs. N. Colorado; Nov. 11, 2004

FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS
85 – Duke, vs. Stanford; Nov. 11, 1999

3-POINT FIELD GOALS
16 – Niagara, vs. Oregon St.; Nov. 9, 2012

3-POINT FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS
44 – Hampton, vs. Maryland; Nov. 7, 2006

FREE THROWS
40 – Hofstra vs. Marshall, Nov. 18, 2012
40 – Duke, vs. Southern Illinois; Nov. 21, 2008

FREE THROW ATTEMPTS
57 – Hofstra vs. Marshall, Nov. 18, 2012

TOTAL REBOUNDS
66 – Wake Forest, vs. Texas Tech; Nov. 18, 2005

OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
31 – Villanova, vs. Marquette; Nov. 15, 2002

DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS
46 – Wake Forest, vs. Texas Tech; Nov. 18, 2005

ASSISTS
29 – North Carolina, vs. N.C. Central; Nov. 11, 2009
29 – Ohio State, vs. Alcorn St.; Nov. 9, 2009

TURNOVERS
32 – Albany, vs. Syracuse; Nov. 9, 2009

BLOCKS
15 – Connecticut, vs. Buffalo; Nov. 8, 2007

STEALS
21 – Syracuse, vs. Albany; Nov. 9, 2009