The college basketball season is finally here and the sport is wasting no time getting started.

All but six teams in the Associated Press Top 25 are in action Monday night, including Duke and freshman star Cooper Flaggtop-ranked Kansas and several other Big 12 contenders and a battle between No. 6 Gonzaga and No. 8 Baylor.

While a lot can (and will) happen between now and the time of the NCAA Tournament, here are some of the biggest storylines to pay attention to as the season begins.

How far can Cooper Flagg take Duke?

Cooper Flagg hasn’t played a game yet, but he’s already one of the most anticipated college basketball players in recent history.

The 17-year-old from Maine is projected to be the No. 1 pick in next summer’s NBA draft. The preseason All-American signed a massive deal with Gatorade last week to go along with his shoe contract and other NIL sponsorship deals. When he is drafted, he will be the second youngest college player to be drafted to the NBA. Flagg averaged 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game at Montverde Academy in Florida last season, while leading them to a perfect 31-0 record.

But before that happens, Flagg will attempt to lead a new Duke team that is coming off its deepest run in the NCAA Tournament under coach Jon Scheyer. Despite losing their top four scorers from last year’s Elite Eight team, including Kyle Filipowski, to the NBA, the Blue Devils bring back Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster. Scheyer also landed transfers Mason Gillis, who helped Purdue to the national title game earlier this year, as well as Sion James and Maliq Brown.

Along with Flagg, Scheyer also secured commitments from 7-foot-1 center Khaman Maluach of South Sudan, as well as Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel. These four freshmen are Rivals.com Five-Star Recruitswhich easily gave Duke the best recruiting class.

Flagg and the Blue Devils also have several solid matchups early in the fall, including a battle against No. 23 Kentucky next week, then games against No. 10 Arizona and No. 1 Kansas before Thanksgiving.

While it might take them a second to settle in, Flagg is more than capable of leading Duke not only to an ACC title, but also to a very deep run in March. If the rest of the pieces around him fall into place, Duke should be able to win what would be its sixth championship.

Who can catch Kansas in the Big 12?

Kansas is back at the top of the preseason poll this fall for a second straight season, and it’s easy to see why. Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams are all back, and Bill Self brought in AJ Storr from Wisconsin, Rylan Griffen from Alabama and Zeke Mayo from South Dakota State. Dickinson may be the best big man in the country after averaging a double-double last season, and Storr averaged just under 17 points per game with the Badgers last season. Kansas will open the season with games against No. 9 North Carolina, Michigan State and No. 7 Duke, also in the first month.

But the biggest problem for Kansas, the one that plagued it last season, will be surviving the Big 12. The conference, which is still the toughest in the country, has plenty of other teams that could knock off the Jayhawks in March . Houston and Iowa State will start the year ranked in the top five nationally. The No. 4 Cougars have four starters from last year’s team, including J’Wan Roberts and LJ Cryer, and the No. 5 Cyclones begin the year with their highest ranking ever. Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert and Milan Momcilovic are all returning, and coach TJ Otzelberger landed key transfers in Joshua Jefferson (Saint Mary’s), Dishon Jackson (Charlotte) and Nate Heise (Northern Iowa).

Baylor starts the year at No. 8, and Arizona has Caleb Love back for one final season. Love averaged 18 points per game last year while reaching the Sweet 16.

The Big 12 is truly accessible to everyone again. But, as has always been the case over the past few decades, the road to the conference title will run through Lawrence.

Calipari’s Arkansas debut, Alabama’s run continues in SEC

Alabama is still in a great position this fall after reaching the Final Four for the first time in program history last season. Mark Sears is back after averaging 21.5 points per game last year with the Crimson Tide, and he is a preseason All-American with the team that begins the season No. 2 in the nation. Grant Nelson is also back and coach Nate Oats landed transfers Chris Youngblood, Aden Holloway and center Clifford Omoruyi.

The way Oats has built this program in recent years, Alabama could be one of the favorites to win the national title down the road. There are also eight other SEC teams ranked in the initial poll, including Bruce Pearl’s group in Auburn, Texas and Florida. Wade Taylor IV is also a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate at Texas A&M.

Fair or not, though, all eyes in the conference will be on Kentucky and Arkansas for one reason: head coach John Calipari.

Calipari stunned the college basketball world in April when he left Kentucky for Arkansas. He helped the Wildcats remain a national power during his 15 seasons with the program, but has struggled in recent years. They have been kicked out of the tournament on the first weekend in their last three appearances.

So he opted to jump to Arkansas, where he took over for Eric Musselman and largely rebuilt the roster. Former BYU coach Mark Pope was hired to replace Calipari in Lexington, where he himself played in college.

The SEC is about as good as it’s ever been in terms of basketball. But how Calipari and Pope fare during their first seasons in their new homes — and how Calipari fares during his first trip back to Kentucky with the Razorbacks on Feb. 1 — will certainly be the league’s main focus. Among the best matches currently on the schedule, this competition at Rupp Arena is sure to be extremely entertaining.

Can Dan Hurley lead UConn to a third straight title?

This is going to be an incredibly difficult task to pull off, but Dan Hurley has the first legitimate chance at a three-pointer in decades.

After winning back-to-back titles, UConn will open the season with its eyes set on a rare third this fall. The Huskies lost important members of last year’s team, including stars Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan, to the NBA draft, but Alex Karaban is back after averaging 13.3 points and 5, 1 rebound per game. Hurley also brings in Liam McNeeley, who is widely considered a projected lottery pick for next summer’s NBA draft. The 6-foot-7 forward from the Dallas area should fit nicely into Hurley’s system.

The last time we saw a team win three straight championships was between 1967 and 1973, when John Wooden’s UCLA teams won seven in a row. Although UConn is the Big East favorite, things will likely have to go perfectly for Hurley to reach the Final Four again. But if the Huskies can get past Creighton and Marquette and win the Big East, another tournament isn’t out of the question.