With the NBA on hold, at least there's still plenty to look forward to from NCAA hoops

The NBA season is on hold and seems as if it will never start.

No worries hoops fans, there will be plenty to watch - the college basketball season is upon us.

It didn't seem all that long ago that Connecticut and one-man gang Kemba Walker cut down the nets in Houston after beating mid-major monster Butler in its second straight trip to the title game.

Now, there's a new season with a new set of story lines - some pretty interesting ones, too.

The Tar Heels, Ohio State, Kentucky and UConn are among the front-runners to cut down the nets in New Orleans on April 2. Super sophomores Jared Sullinger of Ohio State and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes are the likely favorites to be the player of the year.

Many college hoops fans already knew that. To get ready for a season that's actually going to start on time, here's a few other things to keep an eye on.

Story lines

Can North Carolina go undefeated? No team has done it since Indiana in 1975-76 and the odds aren't good, particularly with games against Kentucky, Texas and Michigan State on the nonconference schedule. But the Tar Heels have a lineup that could include five NBA first-round draft picks and the ACC isn't that strong this season, so you never know.

The new stars. College basketball lost some big names, with Walker, Derrick Williams and The Jimmer off to play in the NBA. Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes of North Carolina figure to be the best bets to be the ones to take their places, but there are plenty of talented players around the country, from UConn's Jeremy Lamb, Pittsburgh's Ashton Gibbs and Kentucky's Terrence Jones, among others.

Mike Krzyzewski's run at history. The Duke coach has 900 wins, leaving him two behind Bob Knight to become the winningest men's basketball coach in Division I history. Coach K can tie the record Nov. 12 at home against Presbyterian and pass Knight three nights later against Michigan State at Madison Square Garden.

Can Butler make it to a third straight title game? The Bulldogs pulled off one of the more improbable feats in college basketball history by coming a half-second shot away from beating Duke in the 2010 national title game, then making it all the way back to face UConn last season. Chances are the small school with the tough academic standards won't have much of a shot, but the Bulldogs have been the kings of proving everyone wrong, so don't count them out.

Big East blast off. This could be the final season of the Big East as we know it, with Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia all bolting. The Big East is set to invite SMU, Houston and Central Florida - along with Boise State, Navy and Air Force in football - but it won't be quite the same, so we should enjoy it while we can.

Fabulous freshmen

Every season, there are a handful of freshmen who have an immediate impact on their teams - half of those seemingly coming from Kentucky, sort of a clearinghouse for the nation's best 18 and 19-year-olds under coach John Calipari.

Well, he's got another stellar group and there are a few more fab freshmen who could play a big role for their teams this season. Here's a few:

Anthony Davis, Kentucky. Coach Cal has been hit with more than his share of one-and-done stars, but always seems to find someone to take their place. Davis is the latest freshman star in the making, an athletic, versatile big man rated the No. 1 overall prospect by many recruiting services.

Andrew Drummond, Connecticut. The Huskies lost King Kemba to the NBA. Drummond, a dominating center, gives them a realistic shot at repeating as champions.

Josiah Turner, Arizona. Cach Sean Miller has shown his chops as a recruiter, consistently bringing in some of the best classes in the country. He did it again with a 2011 group that includes Turner, a big, pass-first point guard who should help ease the loss of Derrick Williams in the desert.

Austin Rivers, Duke. The son of former NBA player and current Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, Austin is, no surprise, a heady player. He knows how to get an offense flowing and has a good range of his jumper, which should help the Blue Devils after Kyrie Irving left for the NBA.

Jabari Brown, Oregon. The Ducks are a sleeper pick in the reconfigured Pac-12 and Brown is a key reason. The shooting guard is known for hit 3-point touch, but can drive to the basket as well.

Mighty mid-majors

Butler has set the standard for mid-majors, making improbable runs to the national title games the past two seasons. Shaka and VCU made it a mid-major mash-up in Houston by making it to the Final Four with the Bulldogs.

So which mid-majors are poised to make the most noise this season? We're glad you asked.

Memphis. With the run the Tigers have had the past few years, they've reached a level above mid-major, perhaps into super-mid-major, or whatever you want to call it. Coach Josh Pastner has done a superb job in recruiting and with those young players becoming more experienced, Memphis could be ready for a deep run.

Xavier. Another are-they-really-a-mid-major. The Musketeers have made seven straight trips to the NCAA tournament and regularly go deep, despite last season's first-round exit. Xavier has a versatile lineup filled with experienced players, led by Atlantic 10 player of the year Tu Holloway.

Gonzaga. Gonzaga has had an impressive run under coach Mark Few, winning or sharing the past 11 West Coast titles. The addition of BYU to the league could put that in jeopardy, but the Zags have that been-there-done-that mindset and are loaded up front, led by Robert Sacre and Elias Harris.

Butler. OK, we couldn't stay away. Whether it was the Bulldogs' don't-count-us-out run the past two years or wanting to get our paws on fan favorite Blue 2 again in New Orleans, we had to include them on the list.

Associated Press