College basketball is just 40 days away, and already the chaos is bubbling up across Division I. Official practices kicked off this Monday, September 22, 2026, but with nearly 60 seniors still angling for another year on a high-major roster, a ton of teams are wrestling with major lineup questions and a wide range of potential outcomes before the season even tips off.
Battles Brewing Everywhere You Look
You wanna talk about uncertainty? Look no further than some of the early position battles shaping up. Over at Boston College, the big question is whether Merrimack transfer Ernest Shelton can snag a starting spot. The guy drains 35% from beyond the arc on 8.4 attempts, so he’s clearly a movement shooter who fits Luke Murray’s offense. But can he defend and make smart enough decisions to crack that lineup with Money Williams, Armoni Zeigler, Jacob Furphy, Brandon Benjamin, and Luke Hunger projected to start? That’s a huge piece for them.
Then there’s California, where the coaching staff has to decide if Semetri (TT) Carr and Jordan Ross can play together. Both point guards aren’t exactly known for their plus 3-point shooting, which leaves the door wide open for Pitt transfer Nojus Indrusaitis, a true sharpshooter, to step in and grab a starting gig alongside Michael Cooper, Jake Wilkins, and Lee Dort. These are the kinds of calls that set the tone for the entire season, you know?
Injury Worries and Complete Unknowns
Clemson is facing a different kind of headache, with two starting-caliber players on the mend. Zac Foster tore his ACL last December, and Carter Welling did the same in March. Their floor and ceiling for the season completely flip when those guys are back to 100%. The million-dollar question for the Tigers is timing, because if they get to full strength by February, they become a completely different club. Imagine starting the season with Ace Buckner or Dillon Hunter, Cole Certa, Liutauras Lelevicius, David Fuchs, and Dylan Faulkner, then getting two impact players back mid-season. That’s a serious wildcard!
And then there’s Duke. Seriously, their biggest preseason battle is “everything.” The source flat-out says “No role is truly secure” for the Blue Devils. Caleb Foster, John Blackwell, Dame Sarr, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, and Patrick Ngongba are projected to start, but if every single spot is up for grabs, that’s wild. It means fierce competition in practice, and it means we have no idea what that team is going to look like when the season starts.
The road to Detroit and the Final Four starts right now with these practices. With so much still up in the air, the next 40 days until the season officially begins are going to be absolutely critical for these teams to sort out their rosters and figure out who’s ready to roll.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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