Bo Ryan
Bo Ryan will coach the Badgers for one more season. (USATSI)

1. Bo Ryan's last season at Wisconsin will be a challenging one

The legendary coach announced this past week that next season will be his last and it should be challenging to say the least. Wisconsin has never finished lower than fourth in the Big Ten in the 14 years that Ryan has been the head coach in Madison and it would be foolish to think that will change next year. But for the Badgers to finish in the Big Ten’s top four in 2015-16, it would be an incredible achievement -- even by Ryan's standards. Wisconsin lost five of its top seven scorers from last year’s team that lost to Duke in the national title game, including two first-round picks in Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky. The Big Ten is going to be much better next season with Maryland, Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, and Purdue all looking like Top-25 teams. What does that mean for the Badgers? Nothing really. Ryan has always found ways to plug guys into different roles when productive players left the program and nothing will change in his final season. Prior to his first trip to the Final Four as a Division I head coach two years ago, Ryan was trying to replace three front court starters in Mike Bruesewitz, Ryan Evans, and Jared Berggren. He plugged Kaminsky -- who only averaged 4.3 points per game as a sophomore -- into one of those spots and the rest is history. Wisconsin has two anchors returning in Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes, but it will be up to guys like Zak Showalter, Vitto Brown and redshirt power Ethan Happ to take the necessary steps forward so that Ryan’s last year is a memorable one.

2. Cincinnati is always “moving the chains” in recruiting

The Bearcats don’t always target or land players who are ranked in the Top 50 of the recruiting services, but that hasn’t inhibited their ability to remain one of the most consistent programs in college basketball. Under Mick Cronin, Cincinnati has advanced to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments and one of the main reasons why is how effectively it recruits on an annual basis. Very rarely will the Bearcats waste time on a prospect because it looks sexy on social media or because he has a number next to his name on a list. This past week was a perfect example. Cincinnati landed three commitments in less than 24-hours from three players -- Nysier Brooks (2016 big man), Kyle Washington (NC State transfer), and Jarron Cumberland (2016 wing) -- who all fit the Bearcat mold. Brooks and Cumberland are two players who look like they may be more likely to a defensive end than a basketball player, while Washington is a former Top-60 recruit who will likely replace Octavius Ellis in Cincinnati’s starting lineup during the 2016-17 season. Recruiting isn’t about who you’re involved with, it’s about who you get. Not many programs understand that better than Cincinnati.

3. Georgia Tech could be a bubble team

Can a team go 12-19 one year and be in contention for an NCAA bid the next year? It’s very possible when you break down what the Yellow Jackets went through last season and what they’ve added since. Brian Gregory’s squad lost 13 ACC games last year by seven points or less including three games that were lost in overtime. Georgia Tech returns two potential All-ACC players in Marcus Georges-Hunt (13.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game in 2014-15) and Charles Mitchell (9.8 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game in 2014-15) while adding three transfers in Adam Smith (Virginia Tech), Nick Jacobs (Alabama), and James White Arkansas-Little Rock). The 6-8, 260 pound Jacobs will give this team another option to throw the ball to in the low post while Smith (13.4 points per game, 81 3-pointers last season) should take immense offensive pressure off Georges-Hunt. The wild card for this team? Sophomore guard Tadric Jackson. The 6-2 lefty is a big-time talent, but needs to develop into a consistent scorer to put this team over the top. If Jackson develops as an offensive spark off the bench, things could get real interesting for this team in the ACC.

4. Illinois State should be Wichita State’s top challenger in the MVC

Many will say that Evansville could also be in the conversation for that title due to the Aces’ terrific one-two punch of D.J. Balentine and Egidius Mockevicius, but the Redbirds’ experience, balance, and ability to exploit mismatches on offense is tough to ignore. Dan Muller’s squad suffered a bit of a blow when big man Reggie Lynch opted to transfer to Minnesota, but New Mexico transfer Nick Banyard should step right into his spot and give Illinois State the chance to play quicker and faster. With Banyard, MiKyle McIntosh, and Deontae “Teddy” Hawkins, the Redbirds have three separate players at either 6-7 or 6-8 that can space things out and score. Add Devaughn Akoon-Purcell (12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds), who is an all-league caliber shooting guard at 6-5 and this team has serious options. The X-Factor for the Redbirds? Paris Lee. Muller needs him to have a breakout season at point guard following the losses of both Daishon Knight and Bobby Hunter. Lee averaged 6.8 points in 29.8 minutes last season, but will have the ball in his hands significantly more in 15-16.

5. Schools need to stop putting harsh restrictions on transfers

People in administration make emotional decisions when they’re trying to hold a program together and it needs to stop immediately. Transfers are without question a major epidemic in college basketball, but putting ridiculous restrictions on their ability to select their next destination is something that draws attention to a school for all the wrong reasons. Louisiana Tech guard Xavian Stapleton recently aspired to find a new program following Mike White’s decision to leave the school for Florida. The Bulldogs’ administration responded with a release that prohibited Stapleton from transferring to any school in a state that bordered Louisiana. Thankfully, things were switched and now Stapleton’s release only disallows him from programs on the Bulldogs’ schedule and Florida. But the initial restriction brought an unnecessary wave of bad press for no reason. Athletic directors shouldn’t make their mark by holding kids back -- they should do the opposite. Head coaches have to pay lucrative buyouts when they take another job, but they still have the right to go. It makes sense that Louisiana Tech didn’t want to see Stapleton in a program that was on their schedule or at Florida where White was going to coach, but anything beyond that is absurd. Hopefully more programs will echo the same type of message if they’re put in a similar situation in the future.

This and That

  The most underrated thing about Villanova’s Phil Booth? How well he takes care of the ball. Booth only had 27 turnovers in 521 minutes played last season and should take on a much bigger role next year as a sophomore. The 6-3 guard averaged 5.8 points per game and shot an impressive 48.5 percent from 3-point range. He’ll likely join Ryan Arcidiacono in the Wildcats’ starting back court next season.

  The sleeper in Indiana’s recruiting class may be 6-7 wing O.G. Anunoby. The Missouri native is a freak athlete and has the ability to do things that don’t show up in the box score. Anunoby should provide Tom Crean with a quality reserve and another athletic wing that can play behind Troy Williams.

  Oregon and Boise State agreed to a three-year series this week. The Ducks will begin the series on Dec. 12 at Taco Bell Arena with the Broncos returning the game in Eugene during the following two seasons.

  Looking for a breakout player in the SEC? Try Georgia’s Yante Maten. The Bulldogs lost both of their front court starters from last year’s team -- Marcus Thornton and Nemanja Djurisic -- and now it’s up to Maten to become Georgia’s go-to guy on the interior. The 6-8, 240 pound big man averaged 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season as a freshman in 18.2 minutes per game. Expect those numbers to double -- at least.

  St. John’s transfer Chris Obekpa visited Minnesota this week, sources told CBSSports.com. The 6-10 big man averaged 5.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per gamelast season and will have one year of eligibility remaining.