National college basketball writer at The Athletic. 2023 NC Sportswriter of the Year. Airplane-jumper-outer. Reigning fantasy football loser.https://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3m2jooafngk25NEW @theathletic.com: College basketball season is right around the corner, so it's time for my #ACC conference preview. Why I believe *at least* five, if not six, NCAA Tournament berths are in store: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6692152/2025/10/06/acc-basketball-preview-rankings-duke-louisville/06 Oct 2025 13:09 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2jooafngk25https://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lyxfx7wiyc24NEW @theathletic.com: Where does Hubert Davis' reworked UNC roster stand entering this season? 11 thoughts on the Tar Heels' expected 11 rotation players: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6621441/2025/09/16/hubert-davis-unc-roster-thoughts/16 Sep 2025 13:20 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyxfx7wiyc24https://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lyftiz7ee225NEW @theathletic.com: How will Duke basketball replace Cooper Flagg? 10 thoughts on the Blue Devils’ 10 rotation players: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6602882/2025/09/09/duke-rotation-cooper-flagg-cameron-boozer/?source=emp_shared_article09 Sep 2025 13:34 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyftiz7ee225https://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lxhfvg5ctc2tNEW @theathletic.com: Can Bill Belichick change the Carolina Way when it comes to UNC football? “In a lot of ways,” says chancellor Lee Roberts, “it’s already been tremendously successful.” Story w/ @ralphdrussoath.bsky.social: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6579384/2025/08/28/bill-belichick-unc-football-basketball-north-carolina/?source=emp_shared_article28 Aug 2025 11:11 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxhfvg5ctc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3luq62gmsf22uNEW @theathletic.com: After surveying 35 coaches, it's clear that college basketball budgets have never been higher. But is it possible we've maybe, finally, reached a peak in spending? "This year is the money-dump year ... We will never see these numbers again." https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6511747/2025/07/24/college-basketball-revenue-sharing-budgets-house-settlement/?source=emp_shared_article24 Jul 2025 18:29 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3luq62gmsf22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3luq62gmsf22uNEW @theathletic.com: After surveying 35 coaches, it's clear that college basketball budgets have never been higher. But is it possible we've maybe, finally, reached a peak in spending? "This year is the money-dump year ... We will never see these numbers again." https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6511747/2025/07/24/college-basketball-revenue-sharing-budgets-house-settlement/?source=emp_shared_article24 Jul 2025 18:29 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3luq62gmsf22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lu3hxjg3ls2aNEW @theathletic.com: Next up in our college basketball look back series? The 25 best teams of the last 25 seasons. Not an easy assignment to rank them: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6496143/2025/07/16/mens-college-basketball-best-25-teams-rankings-2000s/?source=emp_shared_article16 Jul 2025 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lu3hxjg3ls2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3ltmghsvcxs2zEnjoyed this column from Bluesky-less Joe Rexrode, laying out in full transparency what a bad idea NCAA Tournament expansion is: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6484620/2025/07/10/ncaa-tournament-expansion-2/10 Jul 2025 13:24 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltmghsvcxs2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3ltjrrbpvnc2eNEW @theathletic.bsky.social: What’s next for Duke basketball with Cooper Flagg gone? Jon Scheyer hit on that topic, and several others, in his first press conference since the Blue Devils’ Final Four loss: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6481825/2025/07/09/duke-basketball-cooper-flagg-jon-scheyer-next/?source=emp_shared_article09 Jul 2025 12:08 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltjrrbpvnc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lsj5bkdxs222NEW @theathletic.bsky.social: “He’s our guy”: Inside New Balance’s all-in push to land Cooper Flagg, long before he went No. 1 https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6451599/2025/06/26/cooper-flagg-nba-draft-shoe-apparel/?source=emp_shared_article26 Jun 2025 12:36 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsj5bkdxs222https://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lr6fzi4y6c2tNEW @theathletic.bsky.social: Finding Jordon Hudson: What a New England road trip reveals about Bill Belichick’s girlfriend https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6409242/2025/06/09/bill-belichick-jordon-hudson-relationship-unc-football/?source=emp_shared_article09 Jun 2025 12:48 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lr6fzi4y6c2thttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lp7ng4oejs25NEW @theathletic.bsky.social: College basketball has never had more of an international flavor — but why now? Deep dive w/ @cjmoorehoops.bsky.social on the latest trend in the sport, and how NIL (plus newfound eligibility) is fueling a new frontier in recruiting: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6355989/2025/05/15/college-basketball-recruiting-european-nil-international-players/?source=emp_shared_article15 May 2025 13:43 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lp7ng4oejs25https://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3loz3wbaclc2aOne last pre-NBA Draft lottery note: Everyone knows how great Cooper Flagg is... but after covering him for over a year, EASILY the thing that impresses me most about him is his competitiveness and will to win. The most culture-setting college player (and teenager) I've covered.12 May 2025 23:13 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3loz3wbaclc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3loo7m7ebqs2fNEW @theathletic.bsky.social: The trend of this college basketball transfer cycle? Players entering the portal... despite seemingly being out of eligibility. So why are they entering? And what are they hoping to achieve? Deep dive alongside @cjmoorehoops.bsky.social: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6338236/2025/05/08/mens-college-basketball-eligibility-transfer-portal/08 May 2025 15:20 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3loo7m7ebqs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lni5wnkde22sNow that the window to enter the transfer portal has (finally) passed, a look at five of my favorite portal fits so far this offseason. Story for @theathletic.bsky.social: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6290286/2025/04/21/college-basketball-transfer-portal-best-fits/23 Apr 2025 12:09 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lni5wnkde22shttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanmarks.bsky.social/post/3lm6mxggrrk2tInside an all-time NCAA Tournament collapse, the end of Cooper Flagg's storied freshman season, and a loss that will haunt Duke forever. Story @theathletic.bsky.social: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6258611/2025/04/06/duke-cooper-flagg-houston-final-four-collapse/06 Apr 2025 23:46 +0000at://did:plc:bla5qvslff7ich32t2a5s2xt/app.bsky.feed.post/3lm6mxggrrk2t