Men's college basketball's November and December slates were entertaining, intriguing and, in some cases, surprising. North Carolina went from preseason No. 1 to unranked in a few weeks. Kentucky, Duke and Gonzaga -- also perennial powers -- have wrestled with significant flaws. Purdue star Zach Edey aims to challenge Oscar Tshiebwe for national player of the year. And Kansas seems to possess the talent to defend its national title.
But there were also off-the-court developments that affected the sport, at Texas and New Mexico State.