Rivals Roundtable: Primed programs, key games, five-star breakouts

There are fewer than 90 days until the college basketball season tips off, and this week’s roundtable provides a peek ahead at what the year may hold. Today, Rivals analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan discuss three topics related to the upcoming season from programs primed to help themselves on the recruiting trail to which game they have circled in red ink on the schedule.

More: Reading the tea leaves on five high-profile prospects

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Cassidy: I’ve talked about this as an absolutely pivotal season for Mike Woodson before and I’ll say it again here. What happens in Bloomington this year is likely to define the Woodson era at Indiana for better or worse. Another missed NCAA tournament would make two in a row and warm Woodson’s seat to the point of muffling his recruiting power. Living up to preseason expectations and competing for a Big Ten crown, however, would have his Indiana resume looking much different.

The Hoosiers have not qualified for three NCAA tournaments in four years for nearly a decade, and doing so under Woodson, who is armed with NIL cash and a growing reputation for putting players in the NBA Draft, would help the Hoosiers take the next step in winning additional major national recruiting battles.

Jordan: I’d definitely say Pitt. Jeff Capel is a name I hear frequently among players and parents as a guy they all love and relate to and he’s putting together NCAA tournament-worthy resumes. Most agree that Pitt should’ve danced last season, but Capel and Co. have moved on with a solid class of players that fill specific needs. If he’s able to get over the hump this season, it could be just the boost he needs to elevate to the top tier four-star and even five-star talent.

Cassidy: If there are two things I love in sports, they’re a homecoming and an angry fan base. And while we don’t l have a date for Arkansas-at-Kentucky just yet, the game will provide both. A couple things are guaranteed here. First is that the atmosphere inside Rupp will obviously be absolutely electric for John Calipari’s homecoming. Second is the fact that I will spend nearly an hour reading reactions on the message board on whichever team loses that game. Both fan bases are so sure they are better off because of their offseason coaching change for now, but that judgment may be the inflection point that sees doubt begin to take hold on one side of the new rivalry.

I cannot wait to witness the pageantry, the storyline and the schadenfreude. Shoot it into my veins.

Jordan: Well the best part about my pick is that I won’t have to wait because Duke and Kentucky set off the season on Nov. 12 at the Champions Classic. Now I’ll readily admit that it’s lost a bit of its intrigue with Calipari bolting to Arkansas, but it’s added curiosity about how Mark Pope handles the moment. Everyone will want to get the first national look at Jon Scheyer’s talented group of young guns headlined by Cooper Flagg and elite transfers Sion James take on a totally revamped and transfer-heavy Wildcats squad. The rivalry is the rivalry and I feel like a lot of questions will be answered after this one.

Cassidy: I feel like Tyrell Ward has been showing flashes for some time and his improvement between his freshman and sophomore years was notable. Now it feels as though he could be ready to be the man for an LSU team that has put some intriguing talent around him. Ward is most remembered for his buzzer-beating tip-in that defeated Kentucky late last season, but the fact that he scored in double digits in seven of the Tigers’ final nine regular-season games is a nice indicator. The fact that he shot 49 percent from the floor during that stretch is also encouraging. The 6-foot-6 wing possesses elite tools and it seems like he is on the verge of gaining the polish and confidence necessary to become a major national name.

Jordan: I’m looking for a breakout season out of Sean Stewart. Last season he got lost in the shuffle at Duke with all the talent in the frontcourt, but still managed to show flashes of why he was once upon a time a McDonald’s All-American, playing above the rim, doing all the dirty work on both ends and bringing elite energy at 6-foot-8, 220 pounds. I view Stewart as a “necessary” type of guy that you need to win and, be clear, Jake Diebler will need the full array of his skill set often. Perfect scenario for a breakout.