Dick Vitale's dazzling dozen for the 2024-25 season - ESPN

Oh, you better believe it, hoops season is on the horizon, and my excitement meter is off the charts.

Preseason practices are rolling, exhibition games are around the corner, and I'm telling you, this season is going to be electric!

We've got everything from UConn chasing that legendary three-peat to loaded conferences, portal wildness, new-look powerhouses and diaper dandies ready to make some noise. There's so much going on, even I'm trying to keep track of all the drama.

But hey, I'm like a bear coming out of hibernation, and it's going to be nonstop hoops heaven for the next six months! Let's dive into 12 things I'm fired up about for the 2024-25 season, baby!

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Diaper dandy alert | Can't-miss games
Mid-majors to watch | Legendary coaches

Can UConn do it? The three-peat, baby! The Huskies have dominated with six titles since 1999. They're the team of this generation, no doubt. They steamrolled the tournament last season winning by an average of 23.3 points, but can they keep that mojo going under head coach Danny Hurley? Only UCLA under the legendary John Wooden has ever done it — seven straight, baby! Buckle up, this is going to be a wild ride.

We're talking big-time stars like RJ Davis staying at North Carolina, and Hunter Dickinson anchoring Kansas. These guys can shift the balance of power like a wrecking ball!

Cooper Flagg at Duke — the freshman phenom everyone's buzzing about — can he live up to the hype?

And don't sleep on Purdue's Braden Smith or Rutgers' two projected NBA lottery picks, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, from the Big Ten.

The SEC is a monster league, and Alabama's Mark Sears returns from the Crimson Tide's first Final Four appearance.

Forget about getting anything by three-time Big East