We’re back, baby. The USBWA College Basketball Awards resumed its annual tradition at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Missouri.

From sweet to elite to final, the Jayhawks reigned supreme at the Midwest Regional in Chicago

Get ready for another H-Town showdown. Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M are set on a collision course for the SWAC crown, again, after the Tigers got the better of the Panthers last year.

Look out Vermont, the America East is coming. COVID constricted the Catamounts’ chemistry last season. Now, they’ll have to overcome a loaded field that stockpiled talent and experience over the summer.

Mike Jones and Pat Kelsey left for greener pastures, leaving a potential power vacuum at the top of the OVC totem pole - can anyone not named Winthrop or Radford rise to the occasion?

And then there were 10… Two less challengers won’t make it any easier for teams not named Belmont, Morehead State and Murray State, the clear cut top-3 with a 2022 OVC crown in their sights.

Get the popcorn ready, Horizon League superfans. A 5-star show is coming to a theatre near you. Wright State and Cleveland State are old, deep, and really good but can Patrick Baldwin Jr. leapfrog Milwaukee ahead of last year’s co-champions?

Rick Pitino brought his chessboard to the MAAC’s game of checkers. Can anyone stop the Gaels?

He’s baaaack… Max Abmas tugged on our heartstrings last March. To replay that magic in 2022, the Golden Eagles will have to outlast the ‘Dakota States’, who return everyone of relevance from a year ago.

The Valley is in the midst of an historical uprising, even in the wake of watching Wichita State bolt for the AAC in 2018. There’s three, maybe four, squads with legitimate at-large aspirations heading into 2022.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (depending on your vantage point). A stark divide separated the good from the bad (who were downright ugly at times) in the MWC landscape in 2021- can last year’s doormats rise out of the gutter in 2022?

Baylor’s blown the old Big-12 power structure to smithereens. Can the reigning national champs stave off another loaded field for a second straight conference title?

2021 was a down year for the ACC, a continuation of a slow but steady erosion of what used to be the gold standard of basketball conferences. Is 2022 the start of a rebirth?

Kansas is letting its vice grip on the Big-12 slowly slip away, fresh off its second whiff in three years at the conference crown. Will Bill Self and a grizzled group of veterans restore order in 2022?

A trio of 5-star blue chippers carry a heavy burden in the wake of Duke’s first tournament miss since 1995. Can the Blue Devils restore order in K’s farewell tour?

The defending national champs will carry a big target on their back in 2022, but Scott Drew’s war chest remains well supplied, even in the wake of Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell, MaCio Teague and Mark Vital’s departures.

Hubert Davis now mans the helm of the UNC Death Star. He aims to re-cement the Tar Heels as a perennial ACC title contender in the wake of two forgettable campaigns.

How ‘Sweet’ it is… The ‘Noles advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year. Can Leonard Hamilton and his forest of bigs keep that streak alive in 2022?

The sour taste from a tumultuous season lingers in Louisville but Chris Mack is ready for a reset. Stocked with stud newcomers from all over, the Cardinals should be in the thick of the ACC title hunt in 2022.

The Cavs were hosed by a brutal COVID pause on the doorstep of the NCAA Tournament. Can Tony Bennett and the boys bounce back after being bounced in Round 1?

Chris Beard went Benedict Arnold on Red Raider nation, setting the stage for his longtime pupil Mark Adams to take the helm - what does year 1 look like in Lubbock?

Those tricky Orange-men ended the Mountaineers’ quest for a deep tourney run in March. Now down two stars from a year ago, can Huggins re-tool the roster for a deep run next spring?

The Aztec empire is thriving. Steve Fisher built it. Brian Dutcher is elevating it. Can he secure a third straight conference title in 2022?

No Cade. No problem. The Cowboys are coiled in the breakout position, armed with one of the deepest rosters in the Big-12.

After being denied further advancement in the NCAA Tournament by a pesky Florida team, Mike Young has his troops ready to strike in 2022. Can he recapture the old mojo with former floor general Storm Murphy?

Close but no cigar were the Rams to crashing the NCAA Tournament party a year ago. With the gang all back, can Niko Meded and CSU RamRod(dy) their way into the 2022 dance party?

This is it. Gonzaga and Baylor have been on a collision course all season long - now, the two heavyweights will square off for all the marbles.

Stunningly, the East is the only region left with both the 1-seed and the 2-seed still alive (oh, and 4-seed Florida State), but UCLA is still here to play spoiler. Will Michigan continue to carry the banner for the maligned Big Ten?

Gonzaga reigns supreme in the West region, but several intriguing upset candidates make the first round enticing preview fodder…