Notre Dame and Temple kick off their 2013 seasons on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish look for a repeat trip to the BCS National Championship Game, this time looking to win it all. Notre Dame was trounced, 42-14 by Alabama in that game, and it was a rocky offseason that included Brian Kelly's flirtation with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Manti Te'o girlfriend hoax and quarterback Everett Golson's suspension. Temple, meanwhile, will be playing its ...

In all likelihood, Julius Randle will only wear a Kentucky jersey for one year. But, much like those who came before him in the one-and-done era, Randle can cement his legacy in Kentucky's history and win over the hearts of those in Big Blue Nation.  Randle is the highest-rated recruit John Calipari was able to land in his ridiculously loaded class of 2013. While expectations might be unfair for both Randle and his teammates, they enter the season ...

When snatching up three top-15 recruits for 2014 (ESPN 100) isn't a best-case scenario, you know Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels are primed for a historical recruiting season. Joel Berry, Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson are ready to fill the gaps and add depth to an already-talented squad in Chapel Hill. But there is still a void at UNC that must be filled by next May. Coach Williams is on the trail looking for ...

When the book is written on the 2013-14 Florida basketball season, it could be about a magical run that happened with Chris Walker as more of a bystander than a star. Walker is the McDonald's All-American big man who it has long been expected would not start the season with the Gators. That expectation became a reality on Tuesday when Walker was still not enrolled on the final day Florida students are allowed to add classes. ...

Dear college coaches, I'm here to help you with your travel.  Ever wonder which states produce the best college basketball players? Some are obvious. The largest states (Texas, California and Florida) are bound to be on the list, but where else?  To find out, I went through ESPN.com's Top 100 lists from 2010 through 2014 and found the 10 states which produce the most Top 100 players. It would not be a huge leap to assume that ...

Jabari Parker was one of the most highly-touted recruits in the history of Duke Basketball. He’s received national attention since his freshman year of high school and was one of the most decorated players in the history of Illinois high school basketball. To say he’s arriving at Duke with a great deal of pressure would be an understatement. Although expectations may be unfair and Parker himself has said he’s “overrated,” it doesn’t change the fact that expectations will ...

By college basketball recruiting standards national signing day is still incredibly far away, but there are some teams that have gotten a head start on the competition. Getting an early commitment or two from a superstar recruit can get the momentum ball rolling on what becomes an impressive class. Player-to-player recruiting certainly happens, so the following schools are in good position for the time being. If you are wondering where your team is, this is not a ...

The summer came and went for Indiana basketball, and much to the dismay of Hoosier fans, a recruiting class has yet to take form. Tom Crean and his staff have a number of solid prospects they have offered scholarships to and are now just waiting for the pieces to fall into place.  According to one source, the size of Indiana's next recruiting class should be three or four. Assuming this is the case, out of the ...

Some of the best college basketball players of all time have unforgettable nicknames. They range from creative plays on words that rhyme with the player’s name to innovative descriptions of their skills and uniqueness. In some cases, we have essentially replaced their actual names with their well-established nicknames. Here is a ranking of the 10 best nicknames in college basketball history. If you think that someone is missing from this list, write your comment and make your case. Here ...

Expectations for Mitch McGary and the Michigan basketball program are reaching new heights. The Wolverines will be one of the top contenders to win the Big Ten Conference title and make a run at a second straight Final Four. In order for either goal to be realized, McGary will have to live up to the hype that has followed him during the offseason. After going relatively unnoticed for much of the 2012-13 campaign, McGary finally got ...