The 2024-25 college basketball season has not tipped off yet, but some teams are already looking like candidates to become the next national champion.
The South Carolina Gamecocks have only lost three games in three years, but they will have some strong competition this season as they try to win their second consecutive national title. While Dawn Staley is trying to build a dynasty, Geno Auriemma knows a thing or two about it with UConn. The Huskies have the talent to win the 12th title in program history, but it will be a matter of getting, and staying, healthy.
On the other side of the country, USC has been on the rise with coach Lindsay Gottlieb and rising star JuJu Watkins. Meanwhile, Texas is going to make some noise with how much depth the Longhorns have at the guard position.
Here's a case for why each of those four teams could win the 2025 national championship:
South Carolina
A third title in four years? That's very possible. Except for Kamilla Cardoso, the Gamecocks return every key player from their 38-0 season that resulted in the 2024 national title. Cardoso's size will be missed, but the team still has a lot of depth thanks to returners that gained valuable experience last season.
As a freshman, MiLaysia Fulwiley was the second-leading scorer behind Cardoso, but was not one of the regular starters. Fulwiley showed why Dawn Staley calls her a "walking highlight reel" with her athleticism, and this offseason she has been working on adding other elements to her game and not forcing things as much.
Joining Fulwiley in the backcourt are 3-point markswoman Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson, who led the team in steals last season. Meanwhile, Staley has highlighted Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin as two players who took a big jump over the summer. However, one of the most exciting pieces for the Gamecocks right now is freshman Joyce Edwards, the No. 3 freshman in the country. She is already adjusting quite nicely as she recorded double-doubles in exhibition games against Memphis and Clayton State.
One big question for the Gamecocks is Ashlyn Watkins, who was charged with assault and battery and kidnapping this summer. Her court date was originally scheduled for Oct. 25, but it has been rescheduled and she is still suspended from team activities. Last season, the 6-foot-3 forward was second in rebounds behind Cardoso and led the team in blocks.
UConn
The Huskies are fresh off making the Final Four with just a seven-player rotation, and this year they could have a few more healthy bodies. Paige Bueckers made a comeback last season and proved to be physically stronger and a better defender. This might be her last NCAA season, which should be even more motivation to continue leveling up. UConn lost Nika Muhl and Aaliyah Edwards to the WNBA, but notable additions include Sarah Strong, the No.1 freshman from the class of 2024.
The key to the Huskies' success will be getting their injured players healthy and back onto the court. Azzi Fudd (torn ACL), Caroline Ducharme (head/neck) and Aubrey Griffin (torn ACL) are three key players that will be staring the 2024-25 campaign on the sideline. They can all be very impactful, so their return will give an instant boost to the team. When Bueckers was sidelined due to a torn ACL during the 2022-23 season, Fudd was starting to take over as the leader of the team, until she also got injured.
USC
USC will be playing its first season in the Big Ten, and Lindsay Gottlieb's team is the preseason favorite for a few reasons. Last season, JuJu Watkins led the Trojans to their first Elite Eight since 1994 while breaking the women's basketball freshman scoring record. She averaged averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists on her way to the Freshman of the Year award and First-Team All-American honors.
Watkins is back, along with Rayah Marshall -- the team's leader in rebounds and blocks. The team did lose some experience with the departure grad students McKenzie Forbes, Kaitlyn Davis and Kayla Padilla, but the Trojans will be just fine. They added even more talent with Oregon State's Talia von Oelhoffen and Stanford's Kiki Iriafen, who is fresh off a breakout season and won Pac-12 Most Improved Player. Gottlieb also added the top freshman class in the nation, headlined by Kennedy Smith.
Texas
The Longhorns turned a negative into a positive last season after their star point guard Rori Harmon suffered a torn ACL in December. During Harmon's absence, Madison Booker had to take over her point guard duties despite being a freshman who played as a wing in high school. Booker rose to the occasion and led Texas to 33 wins and an Elite Eight appearance. Now, Texas is not getting Harmon back along with plenty of depth at the guard position.
Texas coach Vic Schaefer mentioned freshmen Bryanna Preston and Jordan Lee, as well as seniors Laila Phelia and Shay Holle, as some of the the other guards fans should be keeping an eye on. The guards are so versatile that Schaefer has told his team they could be playing a four-guard lineup at some point this season.
Texas has made three of the last four Elite Eights, but this is the first time in a while the team has had this much depth. Harmon is excited about it, and she said now it's just about building chemistry.