With college football out of the picture, all eyes are on the final two months of the college basketball season.
The 2021-22 campaign has been anything but conventional and has far more parity than years past.
Here are five crucial storylines to follow as college hoops makes its push into the national spotlight.
Can Duke capture 1st ACC regular-season title since 2010?
Not only has it been 12 years since Duke took home the ACC's regular-season crown, but the school hasn't won the outright title since 2006. With North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida State among the many typical challengers, the Blue Devils haven't had it easy.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski's last season at the helm provides a strong opportunity to break the streak, with many of the league's traditional powers putting up below-average campaigns. As a result, Duke sits just half a game back of leaders Miami at 7-2 in conference play. The biggest issue is that one of the Blue Devils' two losses came against the Hurricanes - and the schools don't meet again this season.
In the grand scheme of it all, a regular-season ACC title shouldn't mean too much to a squad primed for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. But with Coach K's farewell tour in full effect, Duke will strive to achieve every accolade it can manage, especially one that's evaded the program for so long.
Will Shaedon Sharpe suit up?
Kentucky has bounced back from an embarrassing 2020-21 campaign. John Calipari reloaded through the transfer portal in the offseason, landing rebound machine Oscar Tshiebwe, sharpshooter Kellan Grady, and floor general Sahvir Wheeler. Freshman Tyty Washington also made an immediate impact, averaging 13.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals over 20 appearances. The Wildcats have the pieces to make a deep NCAA Tournament run, including the ultimate wild card.
Shaedon Sharpe, the top-ranked prospect on the ESPN 100 for 2022, is eligible to play after enrolling in January. He initially had no plans to suit up this season and there's a chance he could leave for the NBA without making a single appearance for Kentucky. The Canadian is reportedly eligible for the 2022 draft and is a projected top-10 selection if he were to declare.
Sharpe is a game-changing talent who could put the Wildcats over the top. If the 6-foot-6 guard, an explosive athlete with the ability to score from all three levels, plays and performs well, it's hard to see him returning next fall. On the other hand, electing to leave him on the sidelines could come back to haunt Kentucky in March and beyond.
Can Michigan, Memphis turn around their seasons?
Michigan and Memphis haven't lived up to their preseason expectations. Both schools were popular choices to win their respective conferences, but they'd likely be watching the NCAA Tournament from home if the Big Dance began today.
Michigan's hovering around .500 after entering the 2021-22 campaign as the No. 6 team in the AP Poll. The Wolverines have just a single Quad 1 victory and were blown out by a UNC squad that's also on the bubble. While five-star recruits Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate have had their moments, the team's had trouble replacing last season's production from numerous key rotational players.
Memphis is in tough as well, with no major resume-building opportunities left on its regular-season schedule outside of two matchups against Houston. The Tigers finished the previous two seasons in KenPom's top five for adjusted defensive efficiency, but have dropped to 48th in 2021-22, with injuries contributing to their ups and downs. Additionally, Memphis' returnees and star-studded freshmen simply haven't meshed on and off the court.
"We've got so much negativity in our locker room with veterans being jealous," Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway told The Athletic's Seth Davis in December. "Everybody's trying to get to the NBA off the (preseason) ranking we had, but nobody is willing to sacrifice minutes, touches, anything. It's been miserable. You can imagine what a 17-year-old is thinking as he's trying to figure it out."
Will Villanova's stronghold on Big East end?
Villanova's been the class of the Big East for nearly a decade. The Wildcats won seven regular-season conference titles in eight years, four Big East Tournament crowns, and a pair of national championships. They're once again near the top of the conference standings but face numerous challengers this season.
Providence is off to a sizzling 18-2 start and has the veteran talent needed to win in March. Meanwhile, UConn's roster features plenty of shot-blockers and rebounders, including Big East Player of the Year candidate Adama Sanogo. The Huskies are the only school to have beaten No. 1 Auburn this season.
Shaka Smart turned around a sub-.500 Marquette team during his first year in charge, guiding a young Golden Eagles squad to five top-25 victories. Xavier is also in the mix thanks to Iowa transfer Jack Nunge and senior guard Paul Scruggs.
The race for college basketball's No. 1 overall seed
Unlike the 2020-21 season, in which Gonzaga held the AP Poll's No. 1 spot from start to finish, this campaign has seen constant changes at the top. The Bulldogs held the top spot for the first three weeks, then Duke, Purdue, and Baylor all took turns before Auburn established control following an 8-0 start in SEC play.
Gonzaga has been equally dominant in a slightly less competitive WCC, beating conference opponents by an astounding 29 points per game over its first six contests. Despite having to play four more games against potential tournament teams, it seems unlikely the Bulldogs will lose again this season.
That reality puts the pressure on Auburn, a program just coming off being named the country's top-ranked team for the very first time. Most of the Tigers' SEC regular-season challenges are behind them, but the prospect of an undefeated run through the league is awfully difficult to pull off.
College basketball's top seed heading into March Madness is likely to be the preseason favorite Gonzaga or the season's biggest surprise Auburn. But with how the 2021-22 campaign has gone, the sport's best team may still have yet to emerge.
