Even after every recruit signed, after players were drafted, and after (nearly) every coaching change was made, college basketball news impacting the 2012-13 season continued to break through the late summer and early fall.

It's shaping up to be a big year of basketball in Kentuckiana: Indiana, Kentucky and Louisville will be in the top national three of the Athlon Sports 2012-13 College Basketball annual when it hits newsstands in late September.

None of these teams is without its flaws, whether it's youth, experience or a deficiency somewhere on the court. We asked our members of our editorial staff for their thoughts on what might hold these teams back from achieving their goals.

College football season hasn’t begun, but here at Athlon we’re already hard at work in thinking about the 2012-13 basketball season. Believe us, the season will be here before you know it.

Kentucky Wildcats basketball fans are known as the “Big Blue Nation.” But what if the Big Blue Nation were an actual sovereign nation eligible to compete in the 2012 London Olympics? How would an Olympic team comprised solely of Kentucky alums fare against the medal favorites like the USA, Spain and Argentina?

Here’s a hypothetical rundown of what UK in the UK would look like.

When SEC basketball coaches get together for media days or other offseason events, they may need name tags.

As always, the NBA Draft started at breakneck speed. Commissioner David Stern came out from behind his almighty Oz curtain and was greeted as he has been for years — with aggressive booing from the Prudential Center crowd.

“Thank you for the warm reception,” Stern said, in a tone normally reserved for Jim Rome.

From there, the parade of bad suits, embarrassing family and awkward TV could not be stopped.

Athlon Sports’ 2012 NBA Mock Draft (updated June 27, 4:45 p.m. ET) breaks down all 30 picks in the first round, highlighting each “tier” of talent and exploring several trade rumors in the opening round of the June 28 draft.

TIER 1
Potential 2012 Olympian, one-man band headed to the Big Easy.

John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats play Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals in the Final Four on Saturday in a game that will determine the best team in the Commonwealth this season. But even if UK crushes the U of L, as expected, will Pitino still have bragging rights over Calipari?