UConn, Purdue, UNC lead our midseason college basketball national title picks

It’s rare in life that you get a do-over. But when it comes to picking who will the national title in this unpredictable college basketball season, we should all be given multiple chances.

In the preseason, we asked our experts to forecast the 2024 NCAA Tournament champion. The top two vote-getters were Duke and Michigan State. Who then proceeded to play a very ugly game in the Champions Classic, with the Blue Devils prevailing. Either or both could still make some March magic, but neither would be among the betting favorites today.

So, with almost three months of games in the books, we gave our panel another shot at making a title pick. And since no clear, dominant team has emerged yet this season, we wished them good luck. Here’s how it turned out:

Now let’s hear the reasoning behind these selections …

I picked Duke back in the preseason, but I don’t have quite as much confidence in the Blue Devils now to win six straight games in March. Jon Scheyer’s team has finally rounded into form after a rough first month of the season, but Duke’s lack of size, its dependence on shooting well, and a few injury concerns have given me pause. Kyle Filipowski and Jeremy Roach have been sensational this season, but if Duke runs up against a longer, athletic team in the tournament — like it did against Tennessee last season — then this roster could have some trouble.

So I’m pivoting. Instead, at the midway point of the season, give me … UConn, and our first repeat national champion since Florida almost two decades ago. (We are old.) The Huskies have been near unbeatable this season, and that’s with a pretty wild lack of roster continuity. First Stephon Castle was injured and out, then Donovan Clingan — whose Cling Kong nickname we collectively need to use more — and even Cam Spencer was dealing with a toe injury. And yet, Dan Hurley’s team has pretty much kept it rolling. I truly don’t know how you defend a full-strength UConn, which can beat you in any number of ways. The Huskies’ defense isn’t perfect, but with an offense like this — not to mention valuable experience and good length — there’s a lot to write home about. Tristen Newton has cooled off some from his nuclear-hot start to the season, and Clingan is still getting back to full strength, but UConn’s ability to win despite not looking its best has me convinced the Huskies could realistically go back-to-back. — Brendan Marks

If not a full-blown wart, I can find a legitimate worry with every other title contender. Other than staying healthy (not a small thing!), I have none with the Huskies. Full-strength UConn is the most complete team in the country. There’s just so many ways to hurt you, inside and outside. Not only is the offense lethal, with shooters all over the floor, but no team in the country has such an elite combo-ability to score and deny scoring around the rim. Hurley is the hottest architect…