Men’s College Basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings: Where Teams Land As Rosters Settle

After months of nearly nonstop roster movement, the commotion of the college basketball offseason has largely come to a close. The final major remaining domino came Monday, when former Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic committed to Kentucky. A few moves at the margins could still come in the coming weeks and months, but teams across the country are getting started with summer practice and beginning the long journey to tip-off on Nov. 2.

With that in mind, Sports Illustrated reset its preseason Top 25 rankings, with notes on teams that gained and lost the most around the NBA draft decision deadline:

1. Florida

The final piece of the Gators’ frontcourt monster in double-double machine Rueben Chinyelu made his return official in late May, solidifying Florida as the nation’s best team on paper for 2026–27. The three-headed monster of Thomas Haugh (who turned down being a lottery pick to return to school), Alex Condon (a potential first-rounder himself) and Chinyelu has the chance to overwhelm teams just like the Gators did regularly in 2025–26. Florida is working to secure a waiver for Denzel Aberdeen, who was a key piece of the Gators’ 2025 national championship before transferring to Kentucky, but has capable options next to Boogie Fland in Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown if he’s not cleared. But with such an elite returning frontcourt, Florida’s floor is higher than just about anyone’s in college basketball, and if it can get good guard play it will be hard to stop the Gators.

2. Michigan

The defending national champions will look very different in 2026–27 with the vaunted frontcourt of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara all officially headed to the NBA. Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau’s return is huge though, and rising sophomore Trey McKenney seems destined for greatness in Ann Arbor. The new-look frontcourt comes with strong pedigree. Cincinnati transfer center Moustapha Thiam was terrific down the stretch to key the Bearcats’ late-season surge, while J.P. Estrella was extremely productive on a per-minute basis at Tennessee and could see a bigger role. One more piece on the wing could push the Wolverines above Florida for the No. 1 spot.

3. UConn

Fresh off a third trip to the national title game in four years, UConn retooled its roster effectively this spring and added a ton of young talent in the process. Its biggest addition, Seton Hall transfer center Najai Hines, is a two-way force around the rim who played his entire freshman season as an 18-year-old. He and Duke transfer four-man Nik Khamenia should prove to be an effective replacement for Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. up front, while returning guards Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins should shine in the backcourt.

4. Illinois

This spring was all about retention for Illinois, and the final piece of that was 100% finalized when Andrej Stojaković withdrew from the NBA draft and officially returned for a second year in Champaign. The Illini will miss Keaton Wagler immensely, but Stojaković, David Mirkovic and the Ivišić twins all seem poised to take steps forward in 2026–27. And while it’s not fair to expect Wagler-level production from either of Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks or touted freshman Quentin Coleman, both have the type of off-dribble scoring talent to help replace the likely top-five pick.

5. Texas

The Longhorns are among the offseason’s biggest winners, having kept star big man Matas Vokietaitis and added several key reinforcements around him. Colorado transfer guard Isaiah Johnson could explode in his second college season, and former TCU forward David Punch joining Vokietaitis up front gives Sean Miller one of college basketball’s best four-five duos. If touted freshman Austin Goosby lives up to the hype, this group has national title upside.

6. Duke

There’s no Cameron Boozer or Cooper Flagg on this Duke roster, but also no signs that the Blue Devils are taking any steps back talent-wise. The Blue Devils once again have a loaded high school class (PG Deron Rippey Jr. headlines things), dipped into the portal for Wisconsin star guard John Blackwell, went international for intriguing long-term talent Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, and retained key pieces like Patrick Ngongba II and Cayden Boozer. The depth here is outstanding, even if there isn’t a surefire superstar like there was the last two years.

7. St. John’s

St. John’s had been missing one more big-time wing before it coaxed former Baylor standout Tounde Yessoufou out of the NBA draft and back to college at the 11th hour. The backcourt of Yessoufou, Ian Jackson and Quinn Ellis, a starter in the EuroLeague this past season, could be the best Rick Pitino has had in Queens. And athletically, having the likes of Yessoufou and Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman flying around on both ends could cause problems in the Big East.

8. Arizona

Arizona had left the door open for star freshman Koa Peat to return, but the productive power forward is staying in the draft despite a bumpy predraft process. That caps the Wildcats’ ceiling some (especially after their last-ditch Momcilovic pursuit fell short), but Tommy Lloyd’s team is still well-positioned. The return of Motiejus Krivas ensures an elite interior defense, while Ivan Kharchenkov has breakout potential on the wing. The biggest question mark is at the point: Jaden Bradley was outstanding a year ago; he’ll be replaced by a pair of unproven sophomore transfers in Derek Dixon (North Carolina) and JJ Mandaquit (Washington).

9. Houston

The most consistently elite program of the 2020s, Houston will continue its chase for the elusive national championship under Kelvin Sampson. LSU transfer Dedan Thomas should have a significant opportunity to shine as the Cougars’ top on-ball option, and the Cougars’ frontcourt looks intriguing with elite defender Jojo Tugler back, rebounding machine Delrecco Gillespie transferring in and skilled freshman Arafan Diane giving them a post threat they lacked a year ago.

10. Michigan State

Since giving Jeremy Fears Jr. the keys at point guard, Michigan State has won 57 games in two seasons with two trips to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. Fears profiles as one of the nation’s best players in his redshirt junior campaign, and he’s flanked with more backcourt talent this year with promising freshmen Jasiah Jervis and Carlos Medlock joining the fray. The frontcourt is more unproven, but the Spartans should be Big Ten contenders again.

11. Gonzaga

Winning out in the high-stakes recruitment of Arizona State transfer center Massamba Diop was huge for Gonzaga, which has an incredible frontcourt duo of Diop and high-scoring forward Braden Huff to lead the way in 2026–27. A trio of sophomores (point guard Mario Saint-Supery and wings Isiah Harwell and Davis Fogle) also have high ceilings and give this group real upside next March.

12. Tennessee

Rick Barnes’s teams have long been known for their defense, but the Vols took a new slant this spring in the portal and went all-in on shotmaking talent. The icing on the cake: Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris, who averaged north of 20 points per game this past season and was one of the portal’s top prizes. Between Harris, Dai Dai Ames, Terrence Hill Jr. and Jalen Haralson, this group has tons of bucket-getting ability. But can they defend at the level Barnes expects of his teams?

13. Vanderbilt

The Commodores were perhaps the biggest winner of the draft deadline, getting superstar point guard Tyler Tanner back after an inauspicious combine showing stalled out his draft hopes. Tanner figures to be one of the best players in college basketball as a junior, and Vanderbilt HC Mark Byington did a nice job surrounding him with more size and physicality up and down the roster. Auburn transfer Sebastian Williams-Adams could be a major beneficiary of playing with an elite floor general like Tanner.

14. Arkansas

Arkansas got good news on Billy Richmond, but Meleek Thomas officially departing for the NBA puts a slight damper on the decision deadline for the Razorbacks. That said, the Hogs have the talent and depth in the backcourt to absorb a loss like that thanks to top transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson and a freshman class headlined by Jordan Smith Jr. Where the Hogs could still use some help is up front, with a center spot lacking depth behind Cooper Bowser.

15. Louisville

Few were more aggressive (or had deeper pockets) in the portal than Louisville, which spent big on the likes of Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa) and also landed elite freshman big Obinna Ekezie. That nucleus hopes to net Pat Kelsey better results against top-tier competition than he has experience at Louisville so far. In two seasons, Kelsey is 6–15 against top-40 KenPom competition and 45–4 against all other opponents.

16. Virginia

Virginia brings back four essential pieces from last season’s 30-win squad, headlined by potential All-American forward Thijs De Ridder. That said, the key to Virginia’s success might be point guard Chance Mallory, a diminutive playmaker who had some outstanding moments in a sixth man role a year ago. He has the talent to emerge as one of the top point guards in college basketball.

17. Alabama

Among the biggest beneficiaries of late draft decisions was Alabama, which got ultra-productive rising sophomore Amari Allen back despite interest in the late first round. Allen is expected to get significant on-ball opportunities after playing in more of a glue guy role alongside Labaron Philon Jr. as a freshman, and could have a monster statistical season if he takes to that increased usage well. Around him, Alabama has emphasized positional size and depth in the frontcourt in a way we haven’t seen from the Tide under Nate Oats.

18. Miami

Jai Lucas has Miami on an upward trajectory after a strong first season, and he capitalized on that momentum with a star-studded portal class headlined by PG Acaden Lewis (Villanova) and C Somto Cyril (Georgia). If sophomores Shelton Henderson and Dante Allen have breakout campaigns, the Canes could be real ACC contenders.

19. Kansas

Keeping Bill Self out of retirement and landing 2026 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes has made this offseason a success for the Jayhawks. Questions have lingered about Stokes’s maturity, but his talent is undeniable, a clear early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft and a potential All-American on the wing for Kansas. Pair him with fellow five-star Taylen Kinney, and Kansas may have the best freshman duo in college hoops.

20. Nebraska

Nebraska was one of the best stories of the 2025–26 season, starting the season 20–0 and collecting its first two NCAA tournament wins ever. It will miss some critical pieces like PG Sam Hoiberg and C Rienk Mast, but the elite shooting on the wing returns with Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager each re-upping in Lincoln. Belmont transfer forward Sam Orme should be a weapon offensively as well.

21. Iowa State

The Cyclones lose their “Big 3” of Momcilovic, Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson, but T.J. Otzelberger has built an incredibly consistent program in Ames. A breakout sophomore campaign could be in store for Killyan Toure, one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. And you can expect a handful of key contributors to emerge from Iowa State’s five-man portal class. Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton seems like a candidate to take a big leap.

22. USC

This is clearly Eric Musselman’s most talented USC team to date. Key holdovers Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas and Jacob Cofie all had promising moments a season ago during an injury-riddled campaign for the Trojans. They’re supplemented now by physical two-way guard KJ Lewis (Georgetown), skilled big man Eric Reibe (UConn) and a trio of McDonald’s All-Americans from the high school ranks.

23. Kentucky

For all the negativity that has surrounded the Kentucky offseason after a disappointing 2025–26 season in Lexington, the end roster product is … solid? Landing the plane late with top transfer target Momcilovic certainly helped, as did coaxing Malachi Moreno out of the NBA draft for a second college season. Much comes down to Kentucky’s two talented guard additions in the portal, each of whom comes with question marks. Zoom Diallo has elite physical gifts but hasn’t been a great shooter or distributor on losing teams at Washington, while Furman transfer Alex Wilkins has tons of talent but ran into turnover concerns at times. Kentucky will go as far as those two take the Wildcats.

24. Purdue

Purdue has largely been immune to the widespread yearly roster turnover that has gripped most of the sport. They’ve added just one transfer this cycle in Princeton’s Caden Pierce, a tough glue guy who’ll bolster the frontcourt. Freshman point guard Luke Ertel is electric with the ball, and coach Matt Painter will undoubtedly bet on big jumps from returners Omer Mayer, C.J. Cox and Daniel Jacobsen.

25. Indiana

After a late-season collapse, Indiana badly needed a roster reset and talent injection for Darian DeVries’s second season. Two high-priced frontcourt pieces in Aiden Sherrell (Alabama) and Samet Yigitoglu (SMU) give the Hoosiers the size they lacked a season ago, while Notre Dame transfer PG Markus Burton was one of the top scorers on the market this spring. How effectively (and how regularly, given depth concerns) Indiana can play Sherrell and Yigitoglu together will be intriguing to monitor.

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