10 Burning Questions for the 2014-15 College Basketball Conference Season

It's the most wonderful time of year. No, no, I'm not talking about winter break or New Year's. Forget about the NFL playoffs, your favorite TV shows coming back from hiatus and the Golden Globes. It's time for the conference season.

That's right. After eight weeks of watching the best college basketball teams in the world rummage aimlessly in their nonconference schedules, it's time to bring the bands back together, renew some rivalries and see what these guys are really made of.

If you've been a bit distracted by the holidays and aren't caught up on the ins and outs of this college basketball season, this is the place for you. We're about to take what we've learned from the first two months of the season and ask what it all means going forward.

November and December have been fun—we saw NJIT shock the world, Wofford and N.C. State have one of the craziest ends to a game ever and Kentucky continues to Wildcat—but that was just an appetizer. Conference season is the main course.

Here are the biggest questions heading into conference play.

Will Anyone in the SEC Upset Kentucky?

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I know, I know—you're already sick of hearing about how good Kentucky is. Well, I have some bad news for you: The talk is not going away. In fact, with conference play finally here, it's only going to get louder.

The Wildcats are 13-0 on the season, surviving a tough nonconference schedule that included wins over Kansas, North Carolina and, most recently, Louisville. Now the No. 1-ranked team in the country has to focus in on the SEC. Considering that none of the other SEC teams are even ranked in the AP Top 25, that's not expected to be a problem.

Kentucky is trying not to get ahead of itself, though, according to Kyle Tucker of The Courier Journal: 

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'We can't fall into all what we're hearing, all the outside stuff. We just need to focus on what's at hand, and that's win every time we go out on the floor,' freshman shooting guard Devin Booker said. 'Play against ourselves. We can't really worry about our opponents. I feel like if we play good, nobody can beat us. Or if we're at our best, no one can beat us. So it's really up to us.'

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Despite its lackluster start to the season, Florida is the SEC team with the best chance of shocking the world and upsetting Kentucky during conference play. Arkansas and LSU have talent as well. However, it's looking more and more likely that Kentucky is going to be heading into the NCAA tournament with an unblemished record.

Can Last Season's Top Teams Catch Fire?

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In case you've already forgotten about last season, Florida dominated the regular season and the SEC tournament, capturing the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Gators then took a 30-game winning streak into the Final Four, where they ultimately fell to Connecticut. The Connecticut Huskies, a No. 7 seed, went on to win the national title game.

Unfortunately, the start to this season hasn't necessarily gone to plan for both of these teams, and it will be interesting to see whether great coaches Billy Donovan and Kevin Ollie can get their squads back on track in the beginning of 2015.

The Florida Gators got off to a terrible start, going 3-3 to start the season. They're currently sitting at 7-5 and coming off an embarrassing loss to Florida State that involved tipping in the game-winning shot for the Seminoles. Donovan has repeatedly said that this team has "no identity," according to Terry Lane of Hail Florida Hail. 

UConn, meanwhile, is 6-4 on the season and trying to get leaders to step up after the departure of Shabazz Napier. They're improving bit by bit after a slow start: Ryan Boatright is finding his range, and Ollie has said, "I’m confident in the direction we’re going," as reported by Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant.

With their talented players and stellar coaches, Florida and UConn could certainly do some damage in March. But first, both of these currently unranked teams need to find some form in conference play so they can make it there.

Who Is the No. 2 Team in the Big Ten?

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There aren't many safe bets in college basketball, but if you want to go ahead and pencil in Wisconsin as the Big Ten champions, nobody will laugh. I promise. The Badgers are clearly the class of the division, with Frank Kaminsky playing some of his best basketball and the team currently sitting at No. 4 in the AP Top 25.

But the fun discussion is who will be the second-best team in the Big Ten. Surprisingly enough, right now that title looks to belong to Maryland.

In its first year in the Big Ten, Maryland is turning back the clock and playing some of its best basketball in years. The Terrapins are out to a 13-1 start and beat Michigan State in double OT in their first conference game. Currently, they're ranked No. 12 in the Top 25.

Other Big Ten teams will be dangerous in conference play, too, particularly the surprisingly good Penn State Nittany Lions, a gritty Michigan State squad, Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio State. Michigan still has plenty of time to recover from its embarrassing early form, too—although we'll never let it forget.

It will be fun to see which of these teams steps up in conference play, and if anyone has what it takes to actually make Wisconsin worry.

Which Teams Will Prove to Be Elite?

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Okay, if the NFL has ruined the word "elite" for you forever, another way to phrase this question would be: Which teams will be candidates for No. 1 seeds by the time March rolls around?

While Kentucky is clearly the front-runner for the national championship and any other accolades or prizes you want to throw its way, unlike last year, there are a bunch of top-notch teams this season. Now they just have to prove their worth.

Duke is clearly an elite team, and it's nearly impossible to see the Blue Devils not having a quarter of a bracket to themselves come tournament time, even if they do somehow lose the ACC. That's because if Louisville or Virginia prove to be good enough to take out Duke in the conference, they'll likely just be sharing top billing at the dance—both teams have "elite" potential, too.

Wisconsin should be a top seed as well, barring a loss of composure in conference play. Arizona is another team that's certainly in the mix, too. The Wildcats should be able to bounce back quickly from their loss to UNLV now that their offense has started clicking.

It's too soon to rule out Texas, Kansas, Gonzaga or even Villanova from this conversation as well—we have a lot left to learn about all of these teams. Time to study up during conference play.

Will Duke Be Able to Win the ACC?

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Right now, the Duke Blue Devils are sitting firmly at No. 2 in the country, trailing only Kentucky, and are undisputedly the most impressive team in the ACC. But ACC conference play is always filled with notable upsets, so it's time to look at whether any team can knock the Devils from their pedestal. 

Louisville is the most likely team to threaten Duke's supremacy. The Cardinals are currently ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25, with their only loss coming in a slugfest to Kentucky. However, while the Cardinals are averaging 75 points per game, their field-goal percentage is still under 50 percent, and that's going to have to improve. 

Of course, Virginia is a viable candidate for the upset, too—the Cavaliers are also undefeated this season so far and ranked No. 3 in the nation. (Yes, that's three ACC teams currently in the Top Five, a pretty impressive feat.)

While it will likely be a battle between these three schools for a division title, Notre Dame and UNC might be able to throw their hats into the ring as well. Notre Dame is off to a great start to the season behind star Jerian Grant—the Irish currently sit at No. 14.

The Tar Heels, meanwhile, can never be counted out, even though they have shown a worrisome lack of consistency early in the season (reminiscent of last year's team), and Marcus Paige has not been the on-court leader that Roy Williams was hoping he would be. Still, UNC is ranked in the Top 20, and with a few big-time ACC wins that could drastically improve. 

The Blue Devils have to keep their pedal on the gas if they want to take this year's ACC crown.

Which Mid-Major Team Will Crash the Party?

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Every year, there are mid-major schools that steal headlines from the power conferences during January and February and become big-time March storylines, and it's time to see if we can predict who those teams will be this year.

Right now, Gonzaga is the most impressive mid-major team. The Bulldogs are 13-1, with their only loss coming in OT to Arizona. Currently, they're in the No. 7 spot in the AP Top 25, and their high-powered offense is 14th in the nation in points per game and fifth in the nation in assists. As previously mentioned, the Zags certainly have an outside shot at grabbing a No. 1 seed if they continue to play this well.

Wichita State, last year's mid-major darling, isn't looking at any undefeated seasons or top seeds this year, but it hasn't fallen that far—the Shockers are 10-2 and ranked No. 16.

Northern Iowa is the only other mid-major currently ranked, and it sits at No. 23 after an 11-1 start. However, VCU, George Washington, Davidson, Army and Old Dominion have all impressed during nonconference play as well.

Gonzaga and Wichita State are the biggest mid-majors to look out for, but that's not a surprise to anyone. What will be interesting to watch is if any of these other mid-major teams can establish themselves as a real threat to the big boys in March.

Can St. John's Be a Threat to Villanova in the Big East?

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Villanova is definitely the cream of the Big East crop—the Wildcats are up to No. 6 in the AP Top 25 and have already notched nice wins over VCU and Michigan. The team isn't just thinking about winning the Big East right now—the players are already talking about the national championship.

Not so fast, though. Villanova's biggest competitor in the conference will be St. John's, a team that has climbed to No. 15 in the Top 25 after a blazing 11-1 start that has taken many by surprise. The Red Storm aren't looking quite as far ahead as Villanova is, though—according to coach Steve Lavin, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, they just want to make the NCAA tournament first.

Despite Lavin's modesty, the Red Storm seem to be on their way to a special season and could give Villanova some trouble along the way. After all, with a player like power forward Dom Pointer, who can make a huge impact on both sides of the court, St. John's will give plenty of teams trouble this season.

The Big East is a better conference this year than most expected, with teams such as Georgetown, Butler and Xavier playing well, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the conference ended up with five bids to the NCAA tournament this year. But if St. John's can continue its run of great form and its veterans can push them through a tough conference schedule, Villanova might not run away with the Big East like most are expecting.

Who Will Be the Player of the Year?

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As always, it's fun to keep an eye on the Player of the Year race, particularly as the conference schedule begins to heat up.

The first player you need to watch is Duke's Jahlil Okafor. The 6'11", 270-pound freshman is proving to be every bit as good as his hype, scoring 18.3 points per game and nabbing 8.8 rebounds. He can completely take over a game when Coach K needs him to, which will be handy in ACC play.

But while Okafor's the front-runner, it's not a one-man race. There are a plethora of talented players who could get hot in January and February and take the title.

Frank Kaminsky from Wisconsin is a perfect example. The senior forward is averaging 16.5 points and over seven rebounds per game and has the ability to absolutely take over games with his inside presence.

Willie Cauley-Stein is a stand-out player on a Kentucky team where everyone shines, and Notre Dame's Jerain Grant has been stellar again this year, although it remains to be seen if he can maintain his dominating form in a tough ACC schedule. Georges Niang from Iowa State, Ryan Boatright from UConn, Montrezl Harrell from Louisville and Ron Baker from Wichita State are other players to keep an eye on.

Some of these players will see their star fade as conference play begins and the season wears on, while others will prove just how special they really are and lift their team to new heights. It will be a treat to watch and see who turns into a superstar before our very eyes.

Will Kansas Get Its MoJo Back?

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At the start of the season, Kansas was thought to be one of the elite teams in the league and was a slight favorite to win a very crowded Big 12. Unfortunately, the nonconference part of the season didn't go as planned for the Jayhawks. 

On the surface, things aren't so bad: Kansas is 10-2 with one of its losses coming to Kentucky. However, the loss to Kentucky was a we're-completely-out-of-our-league destruction, and the other loss was an inexcusable performance against Temple.

As Ryan Lee of isportsweb points out, even in their wins, the Jayhawks have shown worrying inconsistencies: 

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This season’s Jayhawks have been very inconsistent with their play, despite having only lost two games so far this season. This team definitely has the potential and talent to win it all however, they are still coming together as a team and have yet to really find an offensive identity so far this season. This observation doesn’t just relate to KU as a team, but to individual players as well, particularly Perry Ellis. 

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There's plenty of time for this Kansas team—which has fallen to No. 12 in the AP Top 25 after beginning the year at No. 5—to turn back into a powerhouse. But in the Big 12, there's not much margin for error in conference play.

It's worth keeping an eye on whether Bill Self's team lives up to its potential or continues to fall back in the pack in 2015.

What's the Best Conference?

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It's a battle every year to see which conference is the toughest, and it typically boils down to which one receives the most bids to the NCAA tournament. In sports, everything is a competition.

This year, that question looks to be coming down to what you mean by "best." Currently, the ACC is the most top-heavy division, with Duke, Virginia and Louisville all in the Top Five. However, the ACC currently trails three other conferences in RPI: Big 12, Big East and SEC.

Now, despite the fact that it has the best team in the nation, nobody in their right mind would argue that the SEC is the best conference country—outside of Kentucky, there's not much there. And while the Big East is certainly stronger than many expected this season, it's not quite in this conversation.

The Big 12, however, is a beast this year. Just look at the championships its teams have already captured: the Orlando Classic, the 2K Sports Classic, the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, the MGM Grand Main Event and the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic. The Big 12 has six teams currently in the Top 25—and that doesn't even include TCU, a team that is currently 13-0!

As it always does, conference play will determine a lot—it remains to be seen if teams like TCU, Baylor and West Virginia can keep up their competitive play, and there might be plenty of mid-range teams in other divisions that get hot. 

Keep an eye on this battle for conference supremacy, though. It should be fun to watch—plenty of bragging rights are on the line.