Рейтинги студенческого баскетбола: Хьюстон, Пердью, Кентукки, Дьюк и другие возглавляют список 100 лучших команд и 1 лучших команд сезона 2025–2026

1. Хьюстон

На первое место я ставлю программу, которая мастерски финишировала на втором месте . «Кугарс» непреднамеренно потерпели одно из самых странных и душераздирающих поражений в истории NCAA, когда Эмануэль Шарп не смог забить мяч в последнем владении в матче за титул чемпиона страны против «Флориды», обеспечив «Кугарс» второе место в турнире — и второе место по версии KenPom.com четвёртый сезон подряд. Пожалуй, ни один тренер не сможет быть более мотивированным после такого сокрушительного поражения (помните, как «Хьюстон» выбил «Дьюк» двумя днями ранее? Ирония очевидна), чем Келвин Сэмпсон.

Coogs потеряли ключевых игроков (J'Wan Roberts, LJ Cryer, Ja'Vier Francis), но этот состав мог бы иметь больше талантов. Sharp, Milos Uzan и JoJo Tugler - основные три защитника, жаждущие отомстить. К ним присоединится один из лучших новобранцев в истории программы, первокурсник 6-10, выносливый большой Крис Сенак-младший , в дополнение к 6-6 нападающему Айзее Харвеллу и четырехзвездочному разыгрывающему защитнику Кингстону Флемингсу . Это класс № 2, по 247, после Duke. У Хьюстона никогда не было такого количества хороших и выдающихся первокурсников, смешанных с таким количеством проверенных младших и старших игроков, которые являются настоящими парнями из Хьюстона. Возможно, требуется несколько недель, чтобы найти колею; прошлогодняя команда UH начала 4-3, затем проиграла две игры в следующие четыре месяца. Если 70-летний Сэмпсон собирается выиграть национальный чемпионат, это может оказаться его последним шансом сделать это.

2. Пердью

Мэтт Пейнтер набирает очки, достойные Зала славы. Он сделает это, если сможет помочь «Пердью» получить национальный титул. Этот пятилетний период, который «Бойлермейкерс» проводят в команде, является лучшим полувековым периодом в истории программы. В течение последних четырёх сезонов «Пердью» имеет статистику 116 побед при 31 поражении, несколько чемпионских титулов, первый номер посева, участие в матче национального чемпионата и двукратного признания лучшим игроком года в стране Зака ​​Эди.

А вот и ещё один потенциальный претендент на звание лучшего игрока страны. Брэйден Смит – наш предсезонный номинант в, возможно, напряженной гонке за звание лучшего игрока страны. Если Смит попадёт в ажиотаж перед началом сезона, завоюет очередной титул Big Ten, выведет Purdue на первое место в Selection Sunday и установит рекорд NCAA по количеству передач за всю историю, Purdue должен быть не уступающим другим. Мастерство Смита усиливается игрой бок о бок с классным гардом ( Флетчер Лойер , 13,8 очка за игру) и форвардом уровня All American (Трей Кауфманн-Ренн, который лидировал в Purdue с 20,1 очками за игру в сезоне 2024/25). Благодаря этому «Бойлермейкерс» впервые в истории университета заняли первое место в предсезонном рейтинге AP Top 25.

Форвард университета Южной Дакоты Оскар Клафф, перешедший в университет, не будет тратить много времени на адаптацию к жизни в Big Ten. Израильский защитник Омер Майер также может стать одним из лучших импортированных игроков в студенческом баскетболе. Да, здесь много давления, но Пейнтер и программа к нему привыкли и почти наверняка войдут в число четырёх-пяти команд, которые получат наибольшее количество освещения и комментариев с ноября по март… и, вполне возможно, даже в апреле.

3. Кентукки

Никто не оценивает Кентукки выше меня. Конечно, на Марка Поупа во втором сезоне возлагаются большие надежды. В его первый сезон «Кентукки» были практически великолепны, выиграв восемь матчей у команд из топ-15, сравнявшись с рекордом DI. «Уайлдкэтс» попали в «сладкий 16» с 3-мя номерами в главной сетке. Он работает ещё меньше полутора лет, но Поуп, похоже, идеальный кандидат на замену Джону Калипари.

В этом сезоне, я думаю, Кентукки вырвется из числа претендентов на попадание в «Финал четырёх» и станет претендентом на национальный титул. Отега Ове, игрок года второго сезона предсезонной подготовки, — причина номер один. Ове — один из лучших игроков в стране на обеих сторонах поля; если он максимально реализует свои возможности , а Кентукки войдет в пятерку лучших, он сможет побороться за звание лучшего игрока года. В составе Ове вернулись Брэндон Гаррисон , Коллин Чендлер и Трент Ноа ; все трое увидят, что их статистика значительно улучшилась по сравнению с прошлым сезоном.

Великобритания работает с тем, что считается самым большим бюджетом NIL в спорте в 2025-26 годах, и, по отчетам, сумма превышает 20 миллионов долларов. Вот кто новый: трансфер Питта Джаланд Лоу (лечит травму плеча, но мне сказали, что он будет в порядке в ближайшее время) будет начинать в качестве разыгрывающего. Он может быть самым ценным трансфером в SEC. Если не он, то мой выбор — Джейден Куинтанс , мощный форвард, который еще не освобожден от травмы передней крестообразной связки, но надеется вернуться в какой-то момент, прежде чем мы перейдем к январю. Куинтанс, когда полностью выздоровеет, может стать одним из лучших защитников в стране. Ожидайте, что трансфер Алабамы Мухамеда Диубата начнет сезон в качестве 5-го номера — и он тоже не слабак в обороне. Кентукки также приобрели Дензела Абердина из Флориды, чья защита и своевременная игра в плеймейкинге укрепляют предприятие. В Кентукки должно быть 10-этажное здание.

Я очень доволен сборной Великобритании, потому что они вернули игрока уровня All American в лице Ове, значительно усилили защиту и, по-прежнему, должны обладать бросками и игрой, чтобы войти в топ-15 нападения (в сезоне 2024/25 они были на 10-м месте по эффективности). Лучшая команда, которую можно купить за деньги? Скоро узнаем.

4. Мичиган

Скачок в 19 побед для «Росомах» в первом году под руководством Дасти Мэя заложил основу для грандиозного сезона 2025-26 в Энн-Арборе. Мне нравится, как все элементы готовы к слиянию. Начнем не с большого портала (держись!), а с костяка, который Мэй сохранил в кампусе. Родди Гейл-младший (9,8 очка за игру), Нимари Бернетт (9,4 очка за игру), Уилл Тшеттер (6,4 очка за игру) и Эл Джей Кейсон (4,3 очка за игру) не являются выдающимися баскетболистами в колледжах, но они из тех ребят, которые задают тон победам и будут играть важную роль в переходе с первого на второй год. Они подают пример, благодаря им Мичиган смог привлечь несколько громких имен. А теперь давайте поговорим об этих именах.

Яксель Лендеборг был наполнителем статистики в UAB и чуть не отправился в НБА , но вместо этого трансфер с самым высоким рейтингом — и предсезонный трансфер года по версии CBS Sports — играет один сезон в составе Maize and Blue. Лендеборг постарается сравняться со своими 26 дабл-даблами (лучший показатель в NCAA) прошлого сезона. Он также был единственным парнем, у которого было не менее 60 блок-шотов и перехватов. Хотя ему не нужно будет быть Суперменом. Центровой UCLA Адай Мара должен появиться в новой схеме, и мне интересно посмотреть, что сделает разыгрывающий Эллиот Кадо в новой обстановке после взлетов и падений в UNC. Морез Джонсон ( Иллинойс ) — еще один качественный игрок в этой схватке, добавляющий капельку драматизма в гонку за Big Ten. И есть еще один игрок, о котором стоит упомянуть: Трей Маккенни — один из лучших проспектов штата, который заключил контракт с Мичиганом за последнее время. Он получит преимущество и, я думаю, станет лучшим новичком на конференции.

5. Герцог

В прошлом сезоне команда-монстр 35-4 проиграла в Финале четырёх с удушающим свистом, но, несмотря на катастрофическое поражение от Хьюстона, Дьюк уверенно лидировал по версии KenPom и EvanMiya.com . В стартовом составе у него были 1-й, 4-й, 10-й, 33-й и 49-й номера драфта НБА. Купер Флэгг входил в пятёрку лучших новичков этого века, присоединившись к таким игрокам, как Энтони Дэвис, Кевин Дюрант, Зайон Уильямсон и Кармело Энтони. Некоторые могли бы поставить его на второе место. Но он ушёл, как и весь остальной стартовый состав. Сможет ли Дьюк снова перезарядиться и стать потенциальным кандидатом на первое место? Я говорю «да».

Приготовьтесь к большому количеству Кэмерона Бузера, гибкого форварда, чей послужной список побед за последние четыре года на уровне старшей школы может быть непревзойденным ни одним проспектом в этом столетии. Бузер - другой игрок, чем Флэгг, но его влияние на победы может приблизиться к соответствию таланту поколения Флэгга. Даже если эта команда будет всего лишь на шаг ниже статистически второй лучшей команды за последние 20 лет (не считая национального чемпионата), Дьюк все равно должен быть лучшим в ACC. Однако, чтобы гарантировать это, второкурснику Айзее Эвансу нужно будет сделать прыжок и подняться с семи очков в среднем до 12 или 13. Калеб Фостер начнет с очка, его поддержит Кейден Бузер , который не является одноразовым проспектом, как его брат.

Здесь есть и другие претенденты (Патрик Нгонгба, Ник Хамения), но одно имя вызывает интригу — итало-сенегальский нападающий Даме Сарр , 18-летний легкий форвард, который последние три года играл в системе ФК «Барселона» и к марту может стать кем угодно: от шестого по значимости игрока «Дьюка» до второго лучшего игрока.

6. Коннектикут

Громкое возвращение к среднему значению разыгралось в бурном, унизительном пятимесячном марафоне для программы Дэна Хёрли в сезоне 2024-25. Мы все вспомнили, как трудно студенческим баскетбольным командам оставаться в элите, особенно претендующим на национальный чемпионат, три года подряд. Коннектикут одержал 24 победы и 11 поражений, получил восьмой номер посева и был выбит из борьбы. (Подробнее об этом читайте в моей колонке, опубликованной ранее на этой неделе, о Хёрли и его искуплении за плохое поведение.)

Но я не вижу повторения этого выступления. EvanMiya.com оценивает UConn в четырёх «элитных» трёхочковых снайперах , что сопоставимо с Purdue, Oklahoma и Virginia по количеству трёхочковых в студенческом баскетболе. Лучшим из них должен быть Соло Болл , играющий в юниорской команде, который забил 99 из своих 239 трёхочковых в прошлом сезоне (41,4%) и имеет все шансы стать одним из лучших снайперов в стране, способных дать фору. Его наставницей станет Сайлас Демари, перешедший из Джорджии , крепкий и мощный разыгрывающий, который снимет опасения UConn по поводу задней линии, возникшие в прошлом сезоне. Эти двое будут играть с новичком Брэйлоном Маллинзом , которому не придётся играть так же хорошо, как Лиам Макнили в прошлом сезоне, но, тем не менее, он должен найти себе хорошую роль в лиге. Алекс Карабан также вернулся в команду в своём выпускном сезоне. Ни в одной команде страны нет игрока с такой же историей побед и такими взлетами и падениями, которые позволили бы ему занять важнейшую руководящую должность. Таррис Рид-младший также вернулся и может войти в десятку лучших игроков этого вида спорта. Мне бы хотелось, чтобы «Хаски» выиграли Большой Восток в третий раз за четыре года.

7. Канзас

Команда, которая два последних сезона была предсезонной командой номер один, но затем провела два худших сезона за более чем 30 лет, по понятным причинам была разгромлена большинством в преддверии ноября. Но не здесь.

В то время как вы обнаружите, что KU находится в десятке лучших в человеческих опросах и компьютерных метриках еще до того, как была сыграна игра, я собираюсь предсказать, что Билл Селф не уйдет таким образом. Прошлый год (поражение в первом раунде в качестве седьмого посева после 13 поражений) был надиром для программы с такими высокими ожиданиями, как у любой другой в этом виде спорта. В сезоне 2025-26 я прогнозирую всплеск обратно в разговор о претендентах на национальный титул благодаря, возможно, первому выбору на драфте и, возможно, лучшему игроку в Америке. Он игрок, которого Селф называет самым впечатляющим новичком, который у него когда-либо был. И он будет держать мяч в своих руках, как, возможно, никто другой в стране.

Дэррин Петерсон может быть особенным .

18-летний комбинированный гард может сделать 23-й сезон Селфа в составе «Джейхокс» практически отличным. Будучи школьником, Петерсон был элитным защитником, отличным распасовщиком, хорошим выбором броска и обладал атлетизмом уровня А, что дополняет его профиль. Он будет играть с Флори Бидунгой (сезон прорыва для большого человека, который пропустил весь 2024-25 из-за травмы. Что касается трансферов, Мелвин Каунсил-младший — стройный игрок из двух человек, который должен выйти в старте. Джейден Доусон, перешедший из «Лойолы Чикаго» , и Тре Уайт, перешедший из Иллинойса, также найдут много игровых минут в ротации. Следите за Полом Мбией , который будет бороться за игровые минуты большого человека после Бидунги. Мбия — проверенный центровой, набиравший в среднем 15 и 12 минут в высшей французской профессиональной лиге в прошлом сезоне. Все готово, предстоит огромная смена состава, но я верну Селфу и Канзасу лидирующие позиции в этом виде спорта.

8. Аризона

У меня есть три команды Big 12 в моей восьмерке лучших, все из которых должны иметь персонал, чтобы выиграть национальный чемпионат. В Тусоне группа Томми Ллойда прощается с Калебом Лавом, Кей Джей Льюисом , Анри Веэсааром , Треем Таунсендом и Картером Брайантом . Это большая потеря для команды, посеянной в первой четверке, которая выиграла 24 игры и вышла в Sweet 16. К счастью, самые важные игроки, которые возвращаются, это защитники выше среднего: Джейден Брэдли , Тобе Авака , Мотеюс Кривас и Энтони Делл'Орсо - действительно хорошее ядро, с которым можно работать. Брэдли и Авака могут войти в двадцатку лучших защитников страны, в то время как Кривас должен быть силен, как никогда после травмы в декабре прошлого года. И эти четверо также набирают 35 очков за игру, что в сочетании с двумя новичками внесет огромный вклад.

Коа Пит входит в десятку лучших игроков 25-го года, мощный форвард с отличной динамикой, хорошими оборонительными инстинктами и возможностями для одноразового использования. В некоторые матчи Пит может стать MVP Зоны. В другие — беспокойным Брэйденом Беррисом , пятизвёздным защитником, который идеально вписался бы в планы Ллойда. Но всё начинается с Брэдли, который, на мой взгляд, входит в кратчайший список лучших/самых совершенных игроков, не получивших награды All-America по итогам предсезонной подготовки.

9. Иллинойс

Сверхпрочный костяк, возвращающийся в команду, в сочетании с качественным составом новичков и несколькими высокопотенциальными игроками из других стран, делает меня большим поклонником Иллинойса как претендента на попадание в «Большую десятку» и «Финал четырёх». В ближайшие месяцы вы увидите, услышите и прочтёте немало о вливании еврокубков в Шампейн. Брэд Андервуд включает в состав игроков из Хорватии, Черногории и Сербии, а также ребят из таких интересных мест, как Сагино, штат Мичиган, и Шоуни, штат Канзас. Я думаю, что у Иллинойса огромный потенциал, и это подтверждается тем фактом, что шесть лет подряд команды Андервуда занимали менее одного места в турнирах NCAA. В двух из этих сезонов он выводил Иллинойс в двойку лучших «Большой десятки». Почему же эта группа не может туда попасть?

В состав «Иллинойса» вернулись Томислав Ивишич (13,0 очков за игру), Кайлан Босвелл (12,3 очков за игру) и Бен Хамричоус (7,6 очков за игру). В марте Ивишич может попасть в первую сборную Big Ten. К нему присоединится его брат-близнец Звонимир, который провел два последних сезона, играя за Джона Калипари. Есть надежда, что Андрей Стоякович , игрок Cal, в прошлом сезоне набиравший 18 очков за игру, укрепит свой статус. Тем не менее, есть еще один игрок «ic», который, по моему мнению, выведет «Иллинойс» в топ-10: 6-2 Михайло Петрович был выдающимся игроком KK Mega Basket в Адриатической лиге: 14,2 очка, 7,3 передачи при 49% реализации бросков. Он быстро учится, как и новичок Китон Ваглер , который, по-видимому, наделал много шума своей адаптацией этой осенью. Тай Роджерс выбыл из строя в прошлом сезоне, и если он поправится, то тоже может выйти на поле, добавив глубины и без того энергичному нападению. За этой командой обязательно стоит следить.

10. Сент-Джонс

У меня Red Storm 10-е место, но в предсезонном рейтинге AP Top 25 они на пятом месте — это самый высокий рейтинг программы в октябре за всю историю. SJU этого заслуживает. Рик Питино тренировал Johnnies до результата 31-5 в прошлом сезоне. Теперь это закончилось плохо из-за вялой игры в нападении в проигрыше со счетом 75-66 во втором раунде турнира NCAA, но если оставить в стороне этот скулеж, у St. John's был лучший сезон за 25 лет. И можно утверждать, что состав в этом году лучше. Большой Зуби Эджиофор (14,7 очка за игру) будет в борьбе за звание лучшего игрока Big East благодаря своей защите во всех лигах и тому факту, что он в среднем набирал больше подборов в нападении ( 4,4 за игру ), чем кто-либо другой в прошлом сезоне. Он единственный крупный игрок, но взгляните на класс портала: Брайс Хопкинс , Озия Селлерс , Диллон Митчелл , Иэн Джексон , Джосон Санон . В этой группе очень много различий в навыках.

Хопкинс боролся с травмами, но не забывайте, что в какой-то момент он входил в пятерку лучших игроков Большого Востока. Джексон не показал себя так, как надеялся, в UNC и теперь попытается пробиться в НБА в качестве комбо-гарда Питино. Селлерс и Санон в прошлом сезоне играли в безвестности, но оба являются двусторонними саппортами, которые хорошо впишутся в схему Питино. Митчелл давно учится в колледже, но у него есть потолок как у одного из лучших защитников под кольцом в спорте, если он сможет раскрыть свой потенциал. Главный вопрос заключается в том, кто играет на позиции питчера и как из этого выстраивается нападение. В этой команде нет настоящего 1 (перешедший из Айдахо Стейт Дилан Дарлинг получит там некоторое время, но посмотрим, справится ли он с этим прыжком в конкурентной борьбе; Селлерс сделает первую попытку в первый день), но если какой-либо тренер и может обойти это, то это Питино.

11. Флорида

Я оцениваю Флориду чуть ниже, чем большинство других, но имейте в виду, что в первой десятке будет несколько команд, которые значительно не дотягивают до этого уровня. (Взгляните на то, что произошло в студенческом футболе в этом году, как на последнее доказательство неизбежности.) Я по-прежнему ставлю Флориду на второе место в Юго-Восточной конференции (SEC), но, думаю, многие недооценили вклад Уолтера Клейтона-младшего (третьего лучшего игрока страны в прошлом году!), Уилла Ричарда (который, похоже, будет выглядеть так, будто его выбрали на 15 мест позже) и Элайджи Мартина (угрозу защиты с мячом), которые были важны для этой команды. Замена всех их игроков в задней линии и их результативности с новой командой невозможна.

Большие вернулись, хотя; у Флориды, вероятно, лучшая передняя линия в стране. Имена, которые вы знаете, все еще в Гейнсвилле: Томас Хо , Алекс Кондон , Рубен Чиниелу и Мика Хандлогтен . ГОВЯДИНА. Проблема? Хандлогтен и Чиниелу не могут играть на площадке вместе (ни один из них не бросает дальше 10 футов), и в целом мне интересно, как большие будут комбинироваться с двумя выдающимися защитниками портала: Буги Фланд (через Арканзас ) и Ксайвиан Ли (через Принстон ) должны помочь заменить почти 54 очка за игру, которые набирают Клейтон, Мартин, Ричард и Дензел Абердин. Предсезонный рейтинг AP № 3 меня совершенно не беспокоит ... Я просто склоняюсь к небольшому отходу назад по сравнению с прошлым сезоном.

12. Луисвилл

Неужели всего пару лет назад у Луисвилла была худшая программа в высшей лиге по баскетболу, и он переживал самый худший период за более чем столетнее существование? Как же быстро всё изменилось. Пэт Келси совершил самый большой переворот в сезоне 2024/25, выведя команду Луисвилла с восьми побед до 27 побед и 8 поражений, завоевав восьмой номер посева. В этом году команда должна быть ещё сильнее, несмотря на то, что Университет Луизианы потерял более 75% своей результативности.

Игрок, внушающий наибольший оптимизм, это Микель Браун-младший , стройный новичок ростом 6 футов 4 дюйма, который блестяще выступил в Кубке мира ФИБА этим летом и, по прогнозам, войдет в пятерку лучших новичков в этом виде спорта. Он будет играть вместе с трансфером Ксавье Райаном Конвеллом , настоящим огнеметом в нападении Келси. (У Конвелла в прошлом сезоне был 62,4 процента попаданий.) Ожидается, что Луисвилл станет одной из лучших команд по броскам в Америке: Келси пригласил Айзека МакНили (42,1 3-очка) из Вирджинии и Эдриана Вули (42,2 3-очка) из Университета штата Кеннесо, чтобы присоединиться к вернувшимся Дж'Вонну Хэдли и Хани Рутсу . Также есть усиление от Коби Роджерса и Али Халифы , двух парней, которые не играли в прошлом году, но будут учитываться в ротации на 10 очков. Матч против Кентукки 11 ноября не за горами. Здорово снова с нетерпением ждать баскетбола в Луисвилле.

13. Алабама

Болельщики Tide, вы понимаете, что с 2021 года 14 из 16 программ SEC сменили тренера? Ваш университет — один из двух, где не произошло смены тренеров. ( Теннесси — второй.) Нейт Оутс в четырёх из последних пяти лет создавал команды турнира NCAA с результатами в 16-й дивизион и выше, все из которых занимали места между 1-м и 6-м номерами. Дела у баскетболистов из Таскалусы обстоят как никогда хорошо. У него снова должна быть команда, близкая к вершине SEC, с хорошим номером рядом с названием в Selection Sunday. В чём главная причина? Мой коллега Кайл Бун считает заднюю линию Алабамы лучшей в стране .

Эту заднюю линию возглавляет Лабарон Филон , чье решение сняться с драфта поздно и вернуться в Баму было огромным; я бы, вероятно, поставил Tide на 12-14 мест ниже, если бы Филона не было в составе. Он молниеносно быстр и должен быть головной болью для схем. Там настоящий всеамериканский потенциал. Филон возвращается вместе со знакомыми лицами Аденом Холлоуэем и Лэтреллом Райтселлом, обеспечивая Tide уютную химию в его атаке с тремя защитниками и, да, случай с лучшим трио защитников в стране. Эйден Шеррелл , большой человек 6-10, у которого начали получаться дела в марте, также будет на борту в своем втором сезоне. Подкрепление прибыло в виде трансфера из Майами Джалила Бетеа (бывший рекрут из топ-10 старшей школы) и 7-футового Ноа Уильямсона , который был почти 18-и-8-летним парнем в Бакнелле .

14. Техасский технологический институт

После двух сезонов в Лаббоке с результатом 51-20 Грант Маккасленд начинает свой первый сезон в качестве тренера с серьёзными ожиданиями. «Тех» объективно входил в топ-15, в общем и целом, с момента его прихода и, похоже, останется в этом рейтинге на третий год. Стоит отметить, что эта команда, вероятно, должна была попасть в «Финал четырёх». «Тех» закончил сезон с результатом 28-9, получил третью сеяность и проиграл в «Элитной восьмёрке» ещё в марте, уступив в концовке будущему чемпиону, «Флориде». Теперь у TTU впервые есть предсезонный состав All-American. Джей Ти Топпин отказался от потенциального места в первом раунде НБА, чтобы получить солидный гонорар и стать одним из лидеров студенческого баскетбола.

Toppin проводит второй лучший сезон среди игроков Tech в истории: 18,2 очка, 9,4 подбора, 1,5 блок-шота, 55,4% бросков с игры. История Toppin - это также история Tech. Во всем спорте TTU считается одним из пяти университетов, тратящих больше всего денег в этом году, с бюджетом, который, как полагают, намного превышает 12 миллионов долларов только на баскетбол. И все же, состав не перегружен известными именами. Немногие учебные заведения вложили столько же, сколько TTU. Кристиан Андерсон набрал 10,6 очков в прошлом сезоне за TTU, и он вернулся, чтобы набрать еще больше; летом он отлично проявил себя в международных матчах. Защитник UNCG Донован Этвелл будет много играть на позиции атакующего защитника, трансфер из Washington State Лехуан Уоттс будет в стартовом составе на позиции 3-го защитника, а центровой VCU Люк Бэмгбойе будет иметь потрясающее присутствие в защите.

15. Университет Бригама Янга

Команда Кевина Янга будет представлять собой нечто большее, чем просто хедлайнер-первокурсник Эй Джей Дибанца, хотя один Дибанца сделает эту команду самой популярной за всю историю Университета Бригама Янга (извините, Дэнни Эйндж). Мы впервые увидели игру команды из Броктона, штат Массачусетс, в товарищеском матче против Небраски . Дибанца спокойно набрал 30 очков, хотя большую часть матча выглядел так, будто шёл на третьей передаче. Пристегните ремни, потому что его будут приглашать, и он хочет попробовать всё понемногу в Прово.

Несмотря на весь талант Дибантсы, «Кугарс» входят в мой топ-15, потому что у них бэккорт из топ-10. Начинается он с выпускника Ричи Сондерса , который в прошлом сезоне набирал по 16,5 очков за игру, и будет играть с Робом Райтом III, переведенным из Бэйлора , одним из лучших второкурсников в Америке. Это нападение будет сумасшедшим. Дибантса, Райт и Сондерс должны вместе набирать в среднем более 50 очков и сделать BYU одним из лучших трио по результативности в студенческом баскетболе. Мы можем увидеть, что эта команда набирает в среднем около 90 очков за игру, и она не будет скучной в обороне. Тяжёлый форвард/угроза защиты Кеба Кейта также вернётся, чтобы придать «Кугарс» некоторую запугивающую игру в краске. Янг вывел BYU в «сладкий 16», одержав 26 побед в первом году. Это был бесплатный подарок. Теперь наступают настоящие ожидания.

16. Университет штата Айова

В преддверии прошлого сезона я был ниже в рейтинге ISU, чем остальные СМИ, и это было ошибкой. Я больше не повторю эту ошибку, даже если будут большие потери. ISU каждый год демонстрировала хорошие результаты под руководством Ти Джея Отцельбергера, и мы увидим ещё больше, включая несколько побед в Quad 1A, которые гарантируют нам ещё один качественный посев на турнире NCAA.

К счастью, один из лучших разыгрывающих в Америке называет Эймс своим домом, поэтому я включил ISU в свой топ-20. Тамин Липси , чья двусторонняя надежность станет самым большим аспектом программы Отцельбергера в сезоне 2025-26, обладает талантом всеамериканского уровня. Он боролся с травмой, но собирается выйти на поле в первый день матча. Когда у вас есть разыгрывающий из первой пятерки и 53% минут на спине (рекорд в Big 12, уверенно опережающий №2 Хьюстон с 43,1, по словам Торвика), это рецепт для более чем 25 побед. Джошуа Джефферсон (13,0 очков за игру) и Милан Момчилович (11,5) — два других ветерана, которые составляют ядро, причем у Джефферсона есть некоторые новые навыки НБА. Я также слежу за тем, приведет ли переход Блейка Бьюкенена из Вирджинии к роли, в которой он будет первоклассным специалистом по склеиванию в Big 12.

17. Теннесси

В составе произошли серьёзные изменения, но, учитывая, что Рик Барнс тренировал команду из топ-15 KenPom в шести из последних восьми сезонов (и единственный неудачный год пришёлся на 2019-20), было бы глупо записывать «Волс» за пределы топ-20 к ноябрю. Однако лучшие игроки ещё не доказали свою атакующую ценность, поэтому я не думаю, что UT войдут в тройку лучших в SEC. Феликс Окпара (7,1 очка за игру, 6,4 подбора) не игрок, который готов выложиться по полной, и я бы сказал, что в прошлом сезоне он не оправдал ожиданий. Джей Пи Эстрелла был ограничен травмами, но его год появления был определённо 2025-26, так что ждите, пока он станет ценным игроком стартового состава.

Плеймейкер, прибывший через портал, — Джа'Коби Гиллеспи , в последний раз замеченный в многочисленных победных ситуациях в Мэриленде . Гиллеспи может (должен?) возглавить Vols по результативности, но если этого не произойдет, то это произойдет потому, что новичок Нейт Амент окажется редким молодым игроком, способным сыграть роль MVP в команде под руководством Барнса. Амент входит в пятерку лучших перспективных игроков класса 2025 года и, по прогнозам, будет выбран в топ-10 НБА в июне следующего года. Он может переключаться между игрой на позиции 3 или 4 в зависимости от уровня колледжа. Мне больше всего интересно посмотреть, как Амент вырос из шелковистого и спокойного перспективного игрока 16 месяцев назад. Если он наберет настоящую мускулатуру и будет готов играть в VolBall, UT снова войдет в четверку лучших в Юго-восточной конференции.

18. Калифорнийский университет в Лос-Анджелесе

Ого, скажу я вам, топ-20 этого сезона выглядит особенно глубоким к первой неделе. В конце концов, можно обосновать претензию «Брюинз» на место в топ-12. Стиль Мика Кронина в сочетании со скоростью и смекалкой Донована Дента может создать одну из лучших команд среди дебютантов сезона. Дент, ростом 6 футов (180 см), быстр и отлично играет в контакте (по данным CBB Analytics, в прошлом сезоне у него было 31 «И-1»). Его средние показатели в «Нью-Мексико» : 20,4 очка, 6,4 передачи, 2,3 подбора, 1,4 перехвата, 41% трёхочковых бросков.

Дент невероятно крут, и у Кронина никогда раньше не было никого подобного; он может стать самым ценным трансфером в сезоне 2025-26. Тот факт, что он присоединяется к команде с такими замечательными игроками, как Тайлер Билодо , Эрик Дэйли-младший и Скай Кларк, делает UCLA интересной тёмной лошадкой Big Ten. Глубина состава UCLA вызывает споры, но жизнеспособность стартовой пятёрки — нет. И ещё один бонус: мы не услышим никаких жалоб от Кронина на поездки в этом году: UCLA буквально не играет ни одного матча к востоку от Лос-Анджелеса в неконференции.

19. Арканзас

Сейчас я больше доверяю команде Джона Калипари, чем три месяца назад. Чем больше я смотрел на SEC, тем больше убеждался, что второй год у Калипари будет более стабильным, чем первый. Арканзас вернул много крутых игроков ( Ди Джей Вагнер , Картер Нокс , Тревон Бразил и Билли Ричмонд – объективно сильнейший квартет вернувшихся игроков в SEC), и, конечно же, в команду пришло ещё несколько талантливых игроков. «Хогс» всё равно потерпят пару обидных поражений, и нет никакой гарантии, что Вагнер сделает «Прыжок», а Бразил когда-нибудь точно достигнет потолка, который казался достижимым уже три года. Но всё уже готово.

Последним игроком, который не смог забить ни одного гола в команде Cal, стал Дариус Акафф-младший . Думаю, он войдет в шестерку или семерку лучших новичков страны и станет лучшим в SEC, опередив Амента в Теннесси. Мне нравится его игра с Вагнером. Думаю, у этой команды будет потенциал для взрывной игры в нападении, чего не наблюдалось примерно в 90% прошлого сезона. Что касается защиты, я удивлюсь, если Арканзас когда-нибудь опустится ниже B по показателям эффективности. Слишком долго, слишком атлетично, и Калипари знает, что его командам нужно быть упорными в этом деле, чтобы претендовать на место в высшей лиге SEC.

20. Мичиганский государственный университет

С четырьмя хорошими игроками ( Коэн Карр , Джереми Фирс-младший , Джексон Колер , Карсон Купер ), вернувшимися из команды прошлого сезона, которая заработала 2-е место, статус топ-10 по метрикам и честь быть одной из любимых команд Тома Иззо для тренера за последние 15 лет, я ни за что не опущусь ниже 20-го места со «Спартанцами». Фирс — который так же крут, как и любой парень в Большой Десятке — готов провести потрясающий год в качестве лидера задней линии. Карр по-прежнему почти наверняка лучший данкер в студенческой игре, Колер может сделать самый большой скачок среди всех игроков B1G. Потеря Джейса Ричардсона после всего лишь одного года — это много (я бы поставил MSU в топ-10, если бы он все еще был здесь), но «Спартанцы» всегда находят выход.

There's also freshman Cam Ward to keep an eye on. (Kaleb Glenn, an FAU transfer, had high hopes but may not return from injury this season.) This group probably can't meet the ceiling of last season's team, but Izzo and Co. will easily be in the NCAA Tournament for a 28th straight time and picking off a variety of gutty wins along the way.

21. Gonzaga

The Bulldogs' final season in the WCC (they head to the new-look Pac-12 in 2026-27) should feature the 23rd regular-season conference championship under Mark Few. The Zags bring back Graham Ike at center, a 17.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg guy who will be considered among the 20-or-so best players heading into the season. Braden Huff is also back, and finally — finally — Gonzaga should get to see Steele Venters take his shot. Venters has missed the past two years to injury, so his impact and value is TBD . Another debut after a redshirt year is coming for Braeden Smith , the former Colgate guard who was among the best mid-major points over a two-year stretch from 2021-23. He'll run the show for the Zags.

In the portal, Gonzaga brought on Adam Miller from Arizona State , Jalen Warley from FSU and Tyon Grant-Foster from Grand Canyon , who's still not been cleared for one more season of play and whose eligibility case is the latest test of the NCAA's moral compass. This probably won't be a deep team, and without Grant-Foster I wouldn't log it as a Final Four contender, but I do expect GU to thrive and put an exclamation point on its WCC era.

22. San Diego State

Strangely, the Mountain West failed to produce a top-30 team in predictive metrics last season (while having five in the 41-60 range). In the seven seasons prior, they were producing at least one top 25-quality team. In this final year of the Mountain West as we know it (SDSU and other key players are moving to the new Pac-12 in 2026), I expect the conference to send at least three teams to the NCAAs again, led by San Diego State's surge back to the top of the league. The Aztecs have made the tournament 12 times since 2010, and it'd be 13 if we had a 2020 tournament.

Brian Dutcher brings back probably the best player in the league, senior wing Miles Byrd , who'll be flanked by Reese Dixon-Waters, Magoon Gwath (the best sophomore in the conference and a freak on D) and BJ Davis, all of whom played big roles on last year's 11-seed. Sean Newman Jr . comes over from Louisiana Tech , where he averaged 7.9 assists. I'm not sure if the 'Tecs will have long-range capability, but the defensive layout again looks fabulous and the replacement pieces suggest a one- or two-notch upgrade from what we saw in '24-25.

23. Oregon

Dana Altman — who, after being the subject of retirement rumors the past two Marches, sounds like he's got at least two more years in the tank — has never not won at least 20 games with Oregon. Beyond that, he's never had a below-.500 season in more than 30 years of head coaching experience. I'm a little higher on O than most others in national media. That's because Nate Bittle , Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans all return and all should be guaranteed to improve markedly in their final season together. Shelstad's dealing with a broken right hand that will prevent him from being fully healthy and able to play to start the season, but this is a top-six or -seven team in the Big Ten to me once Shelstad's a full-go, so that's why I put the Ducks 23rd. Oregon brought on Sean Stewart from Ohio State and mid-major bucket-getter TK Simpkins from Elon as well. Ducks will dance again in 2026, no doubt.

24. North Carolina

With approximately $14 million spent on the roster, Hubert Davis enters November with more tension on his job than just about any coach … except maybe Bill Belichick. UNC is worthy of top 25 inclusion because the talent compilation practically insists upon it. Being a top-10 spender in 2025, but having two of the past four seasons end as flops, makes Davis' Year 5 the pivotal one for his future at his alma mater. Keep in mind, this team is the first with zero players who have ties to when Roy Williams was the coach.

Davis brings back Seth Trimble as a crucial defensive 2-guard. Speaking of defense, look for the Heels' to be improved from last season. Five-star freshman Caleb Wilson and Arizona center transfer Henri Veesaar will stiffen North Carolina's aptitude for ball-stopping. After whiffing a year ago in the frontcourt, UNC won't be outsized this year against most teams, which will be a sight for sore eyes in Chapel Hill. At point guard, Kyan Evans comes by way of Colorado State . I'm a little wary about his handling of that spot, but he did have some good moments in helping the Rams to one of their better seasons, and he can shoot it in streaks. Fleshing out the starting five is Luka Bogavac , who comes over from the Adriatic League and might be the special ingredient to keep Carolina punching with Duke and Louisville for ACC supremacy.

25. Marquette

I don't think you'll find anyone else as high on Marquette as me. We'll see if my faith in Shaka Smart's unique approach to roster fashioning pays off, because I can tell you a lot of people in and around that program are intrigued to see how this goes over the next five months. Marquette, again, is not bringing in a transfer. The only other places among the 360-ish schools in DI where this is also true are military academies or Ivy/Patriot League programs, where scholarships aren't available. To do this amid the most portal-frenzied era ever is an act of hubris, defiance, trust and faith. I'm riveted.

Chase Ross will be the next star guard for the Golden Eagles now that Kam Jones and Stevie Mitchell have graduated. I like his chemistry along with Ben Gold and Royce Parham , but beyond that, it's going to have to be an old-school approach. Marquette has five freshmen on the roster and other players who didn't crack more than five points per game. Fading MU in 2025-26 is an easy choice; I'll go the other way and say it still works and that Smart's team has a single-digit NCAA seed for a fifth straight year.

26. Auburn

Since we haven't gotten to the games yet, I don't know if I've actually digested the fact that Auburn will do this thing without Bruce Pearl as its coach. His son, Steven, is now running the show, which understandably knocks the Tigers down just a bit from where they'd otherwise be. The heir needs to show he's got the chutzpah to run a program from the top the way Bruce did for so many years.

At least Tahaad Pettiford's back. The peppy lefty seriously flirted with going to the NBA, but now that he's readying for a sophomore season, he could become one of the best watches in the sport. He'll probably wind up carrying a huge load, with Johni Broome (the second-best player in college basketball last season behind Cooper Flagg) having left, in addition to mainstays Dylan Cardwell, Denver Jones, Chaney Johnson and Miles Kelly no longer roaming about campus. Be on the lookout for the two dudes with similar names to step in and strike quick: UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall led the Big 12 at 18.8 points per game last season; Mississippi State transfer KeShawn Murphy will step in to Broome's spot. D-II transfer Elyjah Freeman will team up with Pettiford in an attempt to stay in the top third in the SEC.

27. Creighton

Only one team has to move on from a four-time conference defensive player of the year. It's going to be weird to turn on a Creighton game and not see Ryan Kalkbrenner posted in the paint. Steven Ashworth and Jamiya Neal are also gone. I can't fade too far on Creighton, though, not when coaches this summer voted Greg McDermott as the third-best X's-and-O's mind in the game. Big Mac will prop up returnees Jackson McAndrew, Jasen Green, Isaac Traudt and Fedor Zugic. That quartet is going to mesh alongside a duo of Iowa transfers: Owen Freeman and Josh Dix. Freeman's returning from an ACL injury and won't be available until close to midway through the season, it sounds like. Nik Graves (Charlotte transfer) also figures to be a reliable option, particularly from deep. It would be no surprise if this Creighton group is the most 3-point-happy of any in the Big East; the Jays were top-11 nationally in 3-point rate the past two years.

28. Oklahoma

Taking a big swing on Porter Moser's Sooners. Few staffs at the high-major level seemingly got more budget-friendly bargains in the portal than Oklahoma (which, to be clear, still spent more than $5 million). The Sooners retain enough from last year's No. 9 seed. Even losing top-10 pick Jeremiah Fears after one season probably won't ding the team's profile. Fears was a fun talent but played minimal defense, which shouldn't be a theme on this year's squad. Xzayvier Brown (by way of St. Joe's) is one of the better portal adds in the SEC; I think he can be a top-15 player in the league if deployed correctly. Brown will play alongside 3-point sniper Nijel Pack (STILL in the sport!), Derrion Reid (Alabama) and Tae Davis (Notre Dame), all top-100 transfers who will give OU more depth and power than last season. Moser's going to see a big jump on defense from Mohamed Wague in the middle, and with that, potentially his best defensive team in five seasons in Norman.

29. Virginia

Plenty has been said and written about the fit between institution and coach here. Ryan Odom had formative years growing up when his father, Dave, was on staff in Charlottesville. Beyond the connections to Virginia, I like Odom's chances in the big picture — and in Year 1 — because his record backs up the forecast. He's won 64% of his games at three mid-major schools (and at D-II Lenoir Rhyne), totaling 227 wins. Odom also got more than $10 million to play with right away, which should equate to a huge bounce-back after the Tony Bennett hangover season was a 15-17 bust.

The Wahoos are expected by some to be in the top third of the ACC. I think they get there thanks to a basketful of transfers who can all hit the deep ball, with most of them averaging double digits a season ago. Names to know, with 3-point accuracy in parentheses: Malik Thomas (39% at San Francisco), Sam Lewis (44.4% at Toledo), Jacari White (40% at North Dakota State), Devin Tillis (39% at UC Irvine), Dallin Hall (35.3%) at BYU. And then there's Thijs de Ridder, a 6-8, 230-pound forward from Belgium who could unlock all of it. He enters college hoops after logging 33 games in Liga ACB in the past year — and was a 39.1% 3-point shooter. Virginia's going to look a LOT different, stylistically, from the Bennettball era.

30. Iowa

A lot of my teams between 26-40 are coached by first-year guys. Similar to Virginia, I'm going to take a fairly large swing and predict Iowa is immediately good under new ownership. Hello, 44-year-old Ben McCollum, who went 31-4 at Drake and won an NCAA tourney game in his first season coaching in DI. His rep was so good, Indiana seriously looked into him, as did West Virginia … but Iowa was the not-so-secret frontrunner for the Hawkeye State native.

McCollum has won 82% of his games in his career, with four D-II national titles. He's bringing Bennett Stirtz with him. The slender point guard is a CBS Sports preseason All-American and could vie with Braden Smith for the nation's best assist rate. A lot of Drake guys transferred up, and keep in mind many of these guys began with McCollum at D-II Northwest Missouri State just a few years ago. This pick could totally blow up in my face … or look brilliant!

31. Saint Mary's

There are certain coaches where you have to abide by the track record. Randy Bennett is one such coach. Saint Mary's loses point guard Augustas Marciulionis, lumberjack Mitchell Saxen, Luke Barrett and Jordan Ross. Those four combined for more than half the team's production. It's a ton. But Paulius Murauskas, Mikey Lewis and Harry Wessels are loyal servants in the School of Randy, ready to keep SMC in the NCAA Tournament picture. There's a couple of portal guys (Tony Duckett seems primed to pop) and a couple freshmen whose roles are still being ironed out, but Bennett's simply too good for me to put the Gaels any lower at this point. SMC's KenPom average finish the past 10 years: 30th. (And that's including the COVID-year 75th finish that kills the average.) I'll ride with Bennett's boys again and feel no uneasiness placing them this high after a 29-6 run in 2024-25.

32. Wisconsin

I've got Badgers junior guard John Blackwell making the Big Ten First Team in March. He put up 15.8 points last season while being a semi-understudy to the fabulous transfer redemption story that was John Tonje. Now this is Blackwell's team. The only other Badger back who averaged more than two points per game is forward Nolan Winter (9.4). The new face who I think will get Wisconsin safely into the NCAA Tournament is a guy with Final Four experience: San Diego State transfer Nick Boyd leveled up after being an off-the-bench guy on FAU's Cinderella team in 2022-23. Bringing him and Andrew Rohde from Virginia should keep Wisconsin safely in the top half of the Big Ten.

33. Ohio State

If you've been following along this month with all of our preseason coverage (and I trust you have; no outlet is more creative, enthusiastic, reliable or thorough as our group), you saw we released our All-America teams earlier this week. I'm here to disclose my biggest gripe: Bruce Thornton didn't make the cut. He was a Second Team choice on my ballot. The OSU senior lead guard averaged 17.7 points, 4.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, shot 42.2% from 3-point range, 85.3% from the line and 50.1% from the field. He's an outright stud and will carry OSU into the NCAAs in 2026 after the Buckeyes missed out in '25. Thornton has Devin Royal (13.7 ppg) returning and John Mobley Jr., who averaged 13 points and could become a top-10 3-point torcher over the next five months. Buckeyes have too much talent to squander. A great buy-low team.

34. Texas

Texas has made one Final Four since 1947, the 2003 run under Rick Barnes. Rodney Terry took UT to the NCAA Tournament in all three seasons he ran the program, but it went from 29 wins, a 2-seed and the Elite Eight; to 21 wins, a 7-seed and the second round; to 19 wins, an 11-seed and not clearing the First Four. The coach who beat Terry? Yep: Sean Miller. And now the 56-year-old Miller is the coach in Austin. He's won 487 games in his career, opting to bail on Xavier — after it gave him a new lease on life following his firing from Arizona — because he believes winning a national title in his new place is possible, unlike the old place. Whether that's true, we'll find out in the years to come.

In Year 1, Miller has a team that figures to make the NCAAs … but maybe it'll be flirting with that First Four status. The Horns retained Tramon Mark and Jordan Pope, a good duo worth 20-plus points per night, in addition to a couple more guys who opted to stay on with the new regime. The highest-ceiling transfer is likely Simeon Wilcher, who left Rick Pitino and St. John's for a chance to expand his skillset. This will be the final stop of Miller's college career. Will it be his best?

35. NC State

The Wolfpack's fanbase feels like it has reason for pride and some braggadocio now that 42-year-old Will Wade is in command of the program. The last time State went into a season with this much on-the-table optimism was probably 2012-13, which was Mark Gottfried's second season (team included TJ Warren, CJ Leslie and Lorenzo Brown; it wound up a No. 8 seed). How about this for a plot twist: It's State — not Duke or North Carolina or anyone else in the league — that claims the preseason ACC player of the year. Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams (15.1 ppg) is the tip of the spear of a portal class that also includes Tre Holloman (Michigan State), Quadir Copeland (McNeese), Ven-Allen Lubin (UNC) and Terrance Arceneaux (Houston).

Wade has one of the best track records of quick fixes, so it's fair to forecast State in the NCAA Tournament conversation right away. This is Wade's fifth job, following his most recent two-year success at McNeese, which came after LSU, VCU and Chattanooga. In eight of his previous 11 seasons, Wade has been in charge of an NCAA Tournament team.

36. Ole Miss

There's just no way the SEC can come close to matching last season's record-setting greatness. My rankings reflect this not just with where I have Mississippi (ninth overall in the pecking order), but the teams you'll see soon hereafter. Chris Beard's club brings a quality forward in Malik Dia (10.8 ppg) back but no one else who averaged better than two points on a 24-win team that earned a 6-seed. The Rebels can rely on depth, though. This might be Beard's deepest team ever, and I think you'll see that reflected in the first month of the season, when the starting rotation could feature seven or eight guys over a seven-, eight-game span. The name that's emerged early is Kentucky transfer Travis Perry, who's going to be one of the breakout guys in the SEC, but he'll be uplifted by the likes of Kansas transfer AJ Storr (who desperately needs a reset) and Louisville transfer James Scott, an elite lob threat.

37. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs again feature one of the must-see players in the sport, 5-9 (if that) Josh Hubbard, who averaged 18.9 points last season and hopefully can be a 20-per-game guy in 2025-26. You can make the case that relying on a small lead guard for so much offense can hamper other facets of an attack. But, if I can present a counterpoint: diminutive guards who can hoist and haul up the points is one of the best selling points of college basketball. Here's to hoping Hubbard is so good, he makes a push for SEC Player of the Year. Hubbard lost more than 60 points per game in support from last season's team. Jayden Epps, by way of Georgetown, will flank him in the backcourt. And I like the Achor Achor add (K-State). That's a perfect fit for Chris Jans' system.

38. Baylor

An absolute enigma entering the season. Baylor won 20 games and was a No. 9 seed a year ago … yet lost every single player to either graduation or transfer. This typically happens with a team that undergoes a coaching change, not a program with its best coach in history and with a national title not so far in the rearview. What gives? The allure of the portal, essentially. Scott Drew's had tougher coaching jobs, for sure, but none quite like this one. He managed to bring in another top-10 recruit, however. Look for freshman guard Tounde Yessoufou to have plenty of opportunities to match or exceed any first-year player in the conference (including Dybantsa and Peterson) in usage rate. The Bears' most promising transfers seem to be Obi Agbim (better than 17 points/game at Wyoming) and Michael Rataj (16.9 ppg with Oregon State). I also like the Dan Skillings Jr. add. Skillings was a connective piece at Cincinnati and is a great scheme fit for Drew's system. BU's range could be as good as a No. 5 seed and as bad as not even sniffing the tournament. Oh, and if you'd like another regular reminder of your mortality, there's a freshman in Waco by the name of Andre Iguodala Jr.

39. Memphis

Another team where everybody left. Penny Hardaway's trying to get through even just a six-month run without any drama, but that seems impossible with this program. The Tigers have won the American auto bid in two of the past three seasons, but they can't seem to handle the prospect of prosperity that well. Still, it's Memphis: this should be the best team in the conference. The transfer intake is too long to list, so I'll point out three guys I have high hopes for in keeping the Tigers as a top-40 outfit: K-State transfer Dug McDaniel at the point; McNeese transfer Sincere Parker as the starting shooting guard; and former Kentucky/Ohio State center Aaron Bradshaw to find a home that empowers him to make good on his five-star reputation coming out of high school.

40. Indiana

Mike Woodson is out after four years. In comes Darian DeVries, who won 169 games at Drake and West Virginia. The intriguing thing is DeVries nearly coached in this state two years ago: he was the No. 2 choice at Notre Dame behind Micah Shrewsberry. Can he be the guy to get Indiana back to blue blood status? Will be a heavy lift and it won't come immediately, even if the Hoosiers were one of the biggest spenders in the portal, easily clearing $10 million in the spring. The new faces are Lamar Wilkerson (20.5 ppg at Sam Houston), Tucker DeVries (14.9 at West Virginia before sitting out most of the season with a shoulder issue), Reed Bailey (18.8 ppg with Davidson), Nick Dorn (15.2 ppg with Elon) and Conor Enright (glue guy at DePaul).

The roster doesn't seem to have the names to justify all the money spent, but that's all speculation until we actually get going. The Hoosiers are in a weird spot where the football program can win a national title and the men's basketball team is just hoping to be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament.

41. SMU

If you're not paying close enough attention, SMU in the bubble mix might float right over your head. Andy Enfield lacked high-end wins in Year 1, but the Ponies did win 24 games and finish tied for fourth in the 18-team, down ACC. There's plenty to work with here; a 2026 NCAA Tournament appearance is quite possible. The Mustangs will look to achieve that by relying on a guy named "Boopie," who is Exhibit No. 4,298 why College Basketball is The Best. Boopie Miller averaged 13.2 points a season ago and may well jump that to north of 17/game by March. He'll play off big man Samet Yigitogulu and senior backcourt mate BJ Edwards. If Virginia can threaten to win the ACC in football, maybe SMU can do the same in hoops?

42. Missouri

Dennis Gates returns more than 40% of his minutes, including Mark Mitchell, Anthony Robinson and Trent Pierce. I've got the Tigers 11th in the SEC pecking order. Mistake? It's possible, but the reason I wound up slotting them seven or eight spots lower than in my initial pass at the top 101 is due to the transfer class. Jayden Stone scored more than 20/game at Detroit … but that was two seasons ago, so we'll see how he is coming off the redshirt year. Sebastian Mack (UCLA) and Shawn Phillips Jr. (Arizona State) are TBD with their roles and impact. Mizzou has been good-bad-good in Gates' three seasons. I don't think this is a bad team by any stretch — no shot — but need to see how the pieces fit in an SEC that's still going to be ridiculous in the top eight.

43. Boise State

After three straight NCAA Tournaments, the Broncos missed last season, though they managed to finish a respectable 26-11. Leon Rice has coached this program since 2010 and averaged 19.8 wins per year; there were a pair of 13-win campaigns, but otherwise Boise's hit the 20-plus-win mark in the other 11 seasons. I'm leaning in on a big year despite some dings: Tyson Degenhart (who felt like he was there eight seasons), O'Mar Stanley and Alvaro Cardenas left. A pair of 6-7 upperclassmen are back in Javan Buchanan and Andrew Meadow, and they'll be propped up by UCLA transfer Dylan Andrew (huge get) and Drew Fielder, who is a 6-10 incomer from Georgetown that was a puzzle piece-type addition for Rice's crew. Also, I think guard Pearson Carmichael will be one of the breakout guys in the Mountain West — and I think the Broncos squeak into the Big Dance for the fourth time in five years.

44. Vanderbilt

Mark Byington went from James Madison to Vanderbilt and immediately got the Commodores into the NCAAs, which amounted to one of the better coaching jobs in 2024-25, a season with no shortage of impressive first-year résumés. Some in the basketball world regard Byington as an upper-tier coaching mind, and if he can overshoot my Vandy prediction here by 20 slots, prepare to hear Byington's name in the rumor mill on the coaching carousel in 2026 and 2027. A year ago, Byington scheduled a weak non-con, but went 12-1 and it set his team up with the confidence necessary to have a shot in the SEC. This year's November-December slate is a notch tougher, but with transfers Mike James (from Louisville), Duke Miles (from Oklahoma) and Frankie Collins (from TCU), Vandy should be able to weather some early storms. Tyler Nickel (10.4 ppg) and Devin McGlockton (10.3 ppg) returning to the fold should keep this team competitive nationally.

45. USC

I think USC is the toughest team to peg of all 18 in the Big Ten. I could see the Trojans being good enough to finish sixth or bad enough to wind up 14th. What we know: Eric Musselman's team will be playing from behind, as five-star prospect Alijah Arenas is rehabbing a knee injury and won't know until at least mid-January whether or not he'll play this season. Absent Arenas, USC brings back Terrance Williams on the wing … and no one else. The portal pickups were highlighted by Maryland's Rodney Rice and Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara, who to be fair, could be huge additions. There are also players from Youngstown State, UNC Asheville, Dartmouth, Robert Morris, Utah and Samford on the roster. USC won 17 games last season and wasn't a top-50 team. I think it nudges up … but it feels like an unpredictable next five months.

46. Dayton

This is a blatant contrarian take. Dayton is not the top pick by humans or predictive metrics in the A-10. The Flyers might have a bigger rebuild in 2025 than after the Obi Toppin 2019-20 season or the Da'Ron Holmes 2023-24 season — and maybe even any of the high-end Archie Miller teams from the mid-2010s. It's fair to think UD slips to third, fourth, fifth or sixth in that league. But I'll fly with the Flyers given their track record of 21-plus wins in five of the previous six seasons, the only exception being the COVID-shortened 2020-21 experiment. My reason for staying true starts with the point guard, Javon Bennett, coming back, a 5-10 waterbug who will pair with a 7-1 Frenchman (Amael L'Etang) that will make them a tough scout even with an overall talent dip. The defensive profile should still be upper-tier in the league, thanks to inbound transfers from Georgia, NC State, Iona and Rutgers who should all keep Dayton a stubborn team on that end of the floor.

47. Utah State

Jerrod Calhoun's agent received some calls in last year's cycle, but thankfully USU is not dealing with yet another coaching change after Calhoun taking the job in 2024 represented the fifth head coach in Logan since 2018. More good news, Aggie fans: I think your team is going to be in contention to get an NCAA Tournament bid. And honestly, I've got USU at 47 here, but a top-35 season is within the realm of possibility thanks to Mason Falslev (15.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.7 apg) returning to the fold. I think Falslev can play his way into being the Mountain West POY. Utah State, overall, brings back nearly 40 points per game from last season, a healthy amount for a mid-major in the portal era. Calhoun ain't messin' around, either: Garry Clark is in the mix after being a 15 point-per-game guy at A&M Corpus-Christi. Transfers from Butler (Kolby King), Vanderbilt (MJ Collins Jr.) and Utah (Zach Keller) will fortify a justifiable squad in the Beehive State.

48. Clemson

The Tigers went 18-2 in the ACC last season. If you aren't a Clemson fan, you probably didn't even realize this; to be fair, the ACC was stinky. Brad Brownell's team won 27 games, then got booted in the first round of the NCAAs by McNeese — the only high-major to lose to a low-major in last year's tourney. With lead guard Chase Hunter, forward Ian Schieffelin and center Viktor Lahkin all moving on (though Schieffelin's actually playing football for Clemson in 2025), the Tigers are almost certainly taking a big step back. Dylan Hunter is the one guy back who played legit minutes a season ago. Nevada transfer Nick Davidson — a moldable forward — should find a lot of room to thrive here, but questions linger on the defensive end. Is it a robust enough roster to still be top-five in the ACC? Brownell's done a nice job in the past five years, so a top-50 ranking is bowing to his recent track record.

49. Cincinnati

One of the strangest stories of the past six months is the dismissal of Jizzle James from Cincinnati. James was, by all accounts, a quality teammate through his first two seasons with the Bearcats. But something changed in the spring, and by July, coach Wes Miller had to sever ties. James would've been the team's projected best player under ideal circumstances, so UC as a result gets knocked down a bit in my rankings without him. UC also lost Dillon Mitchell, Dan Skillings Jr., Simas Likosius, Aziz Bandaogo … and most of the roster from one of 2024-25's most disappointing teams. Miller needs to make the NCAA Tournament to hold on to his job. Day Day Thomas (10.2 ppg) is the only player back who contributed a season ago and he should be a really nice player over the next five months. Cincinnati's most promising additions are Jalen Celestine from Baylor, Baba Miller from FAU (previously at FSU), Sincere Harris from West Virginia and Kerr Kriisa, who got hurt last fall and never factored in at Kentucky.

50. Kansas State

I had the Wildcats 24th a year ago, and I was wrong just like everyone else who thought one of the biggest 2024 spenders in the portal would cruise to the NCAA Tournament. Jerome Tang's team was a bust, finishing 16-17. For '25-26, I have K-State missing the Big Dance again, but I think the team gets to 20 wins and is much more competent. PJ Haggerty is here after one season at Memphis. Maybe he'll lead the country in scoring? Maybe he's actually going to be so awesome, K-State outshoots this prediction. Hopes are high in the Little Apple. Tang kept a few bit players, but this is a hefty roster flip, including three international prospects whose production I'm interested to track. Whereas the offense should be a lot better (K-State was 125th in efficiency a season ago), I think the defense sags.

51. Maryland

What a violent swing for the Terps. This team finished 10th at KenPom, won 27 games and made the Sweet 16 … but underwent 100% turnover after Kevin Willard tied himself into knots and then sliced his way out of College Park in the process. So, hello, Buzz Williams, who was rumored the past two years to be itching again to switch jobs. The 53-year-old has 373 wins to his name and 12 NCAA Tournament victories (both much more than Willard), providing some short-term optimism for Terps fans. Provided with a healthy NIL budget, Williams and his staff brought Pharrel Payne and Solomon Washington along from A&M, in addition to Myles Rice (10/game at Indiana, but has potential to pop), Isaiah Watts (Washington State) and Elijah Saunders (10.4 ppg at Virginia). Freshman to know: Darius Adams, a five-star prospect who's a slender 6-5 2-guard and will get some real run right away.

52. Saint Louis

The Billikens didn't immediately upend the A-10 in Josh Schertz's first season, but they will have a shot at taking the league in 2026. SLU and Schertz get one more year from Robbie Avila, the guileful and goggled 6-10 centerpiece who put up 17.3 points and 6.9 boards per game in an injury-affected season. Avila got some preseason All-American buzz last October, then fell well short of that, but I think he turns in a terrific send-off senior season. The Bills get Avila and his frontcourt mate, Kalu Anya, back in the fold, and they'll have reinforcement with Quinnipiac transfer Paul Otieno, giving SLU the top frontcourt in the A-10. (SLU should have the best size in the league, in fact.) Guard-wise, Xavier transfer Trey Green is poised to run the point — one of eight players on this roster with a track record of shooting at least 35% from beyond the arc.

53. Villanova

The Kyle Neptune era was unfortunately a huge miss. Three seasons, with each campaign falling well short of NCAA Tournament quality. In: Kevin Willard, who's won 335 times in his career across Maryland, Seton Hall and Iona. He's turned the page after one of the uglier coach-and-school divorces in the sport in the past 15 years. Nova wasn't one of the richest schools in the portal this year, but it ranked near the top in the Big East, so here's what to know: Eric Dixon, one of the best players in program history, is gone. As is most of the roster, though Tyler Perkins (6.3 ppg) did stick around. Willard brought on journeyman Devin Askew, whose career began in 2020 at Kentucky and includes stops at Texas, Cal and Long Beach State. Yes, he still has eligibility. Bryce Lindsay (James Madison) and Duke Brennan (Grand Canyon) are a pair of mid-major guys who will have to make a leap and prove their skill to justify Villanova's preseason projection of being a top-six team in the Big East. The freshman to know is Acaden Lewis, who may become the most productive frosh in the conference due to how much Willard leans on his lefty combo guard.

54. Georgia

The Dawgs' 10-year NCAA Tournament drought was snapped last March when UGA earned a No. 9 seed and navigated its way through a hellish SEC schedule. Mike White's team was promptly kicked out of the Dance with a 21-point defeat to Gonzaga, but at least the arrow was going in the right direction. Alas, as you can see with where I've got the team here, I think a regression is inbound. Blue Cain is back, and he'll probably jump from 9.6 points to 12 or 13 per game, but you can't make the case this team is more talented than last year's. Asa Newell went one-and-done to the NBA and Silas Demary took a pay jump to go and try and win a national title at UConn. White's hoping Jeremiah Wilkinson's 15.1 ppg production at Cal can transfer seamlessly into the SEC. Wilkinson is a lead guard and will have to thrive to give Georgia a shot at top-10 status in the SEC. The 6-9 Kanon Catchings left BYU for Athens and is a projected starter as well.

55. Notre Dame

Think this is where we see Micah Shrewsberry's coaching acumen making a big difference in roster quality vs. overall finish. Shrews' team was 118th at KenPom in 2024, 98th last season and not forecasted by the computers to be in the realm I'm placing it. A jump into the top 70 should be the likely outcome, with a top-60 finish possible thanks to one of the ACC's best still in town. Markus Burton is a dark horse ACC POY pick. The junior lead guard averaged 21.3 points in 2024-25. That number might not increase because Braeden Shrewsberry (14.0 ppg) will boost and freshman Jalen Haralson could be the best non-Duke/UNC newbie in the ACC. That league cannot/will not be as mediocre as last season. It'll take a few teams making some northward vaults. I love ND as one of those teams.

56. Texas A&M

We had 14 high-major coaching changes in March and April; here's another. After spending his first 41 years on planet earth calling the state of Alabama home, Bucky McMillan left Samford for College Station and is going to bring his BuckyBall system to the SEC. McMillan's teams have traditionally pressed like madmen. I'm interested to see if the philosophy is fully brought over now that he's competing at the highest level in college hoops. McMillan's key portal additions are Pop Isaacs — who joined only after defecting from Houston (Isaacs pledged to UH after leaving Creighton in the spring) once Milos Uzan opted out of the NBA Draft — and former Indiana big Mackenzie Mgbako. Rylen Griffen's fizzle-out at Kansas also led to him coming here, and he'll be flanked in the backcourt by NC State transfer Marcus Hill and North Alabama point guard Jacari Lane (17.3 ppg). No expectations in Year 1 from the outside in, so let's just toss a bunch of interesting players together and see how it all cooks.

57. Georgetown

"Find me in Year 3" was what Ed Cooley told me a couple of years back when we were discussing the reality of the rebuild at Georgetown and what it was going to take to turn that battleship around. Well, this is Year 3. Cooley's record at the school is 27-39. I don't need to see an NCAA Tournament team, but I do need to see a team that is in the bubble conversation entering February. Georgetown has the pieces to move up a tier in the Big East. Malik Mack is back to run the offense, supported by four role players who should grow into a stronger unit. Georgetown doesn't have a single freshman on its roster, the only high-major (maybe the only school in the country?) where that is the case. Transfers KJ Lewis (Arizona), Langston Love (Baylor) and Vincent Iwuchukwu (St. John's) clearly make this team streets ahead of the past two. Lewis might be a top-10 defender in America.

58. TCU

The Horned Frogs were background noise in the greater landscape of college hoops last year. A 16-16 campaign, no All-Big 12 talent, just … there. But with the exception of 2019-21 (COVID-affected, keep in mind), Jamie Dixon doesn't do back-to-back subpar seasons. So while I don't think the Horned Frogs will be dancing in 2026, I do think they'll be above .500 and battling for the top half of the Big 12. The unknown is who winds up becoming the No. 1 guy. Will it be a returnee (David Punch, Micah Robinson) or one of the transfers (Utah Valley's Tanner Toolson, Providence's Jayden Pierre)?

59. Nebraska

Fred Hoiberg is fortunate to bring back Connor Essegian, the thread that connects all in the offense. Still, Essegian averaged just 10.7 points a season ago. He'll team up with Rienk Mast, who sat out '24-25 with a knee injury. Mast was a volcano of 3s in NU's exhibition vs. BYU, an initial positive sign that the Cornhuskers will dodge the Big Ten basement. Getting Mast back, plus Braden Frager off a redshirt year should provide Nebraska with enough experience and camaraderie to play a spoiler on some nights in the league. The transfer class is very much to-be-determined as far as impact goes. Hoiberg's had a top-50 team the past two seasons. This group shouldn't be too far off, I wouldn't think.

60. LSU

It's a hot-seat season for Matt McMahon. The Bayou Bengals are 45-53 in McMahon's three seasons and will need to make the Big Dance in order for him to hang on in Baton Rouge. I don't project LSU to be that good, though I think there's a healthy chance this is McMahon's best team. One double-digit scorer returns: junior PF Jalen Reed (11.1 ppg). Incoming? UNLV's Dedan Thomas Jr., Omaha's Marquel Sutton and Mississippi State's Michael Nwoko. This group collectively will have more offensive prowess than the three previous teams under McMahon. The portal haul doesn't rank among the seven or eight most dangerous in the SEC, but I do like how the staff was able to bring in guys who are proven bucket-getters. If it's going to be a bumpy season, at least try to win games in the 80s.

61. Butler

Thad Matta has not hit yet at Butler, but you can bank on this team — in his fourth season — being the best yet. The Bulldogs haven't had a squad as deep or athletic overall as what was built through, coincidentally enough, the best NIL budget Matta was given. Junior G Finley Bizack (10.3) is the best returner, but look out for Michael Ajayi (who didn't hit his ceiling at Gonzaga) and Jalen Jackson (a creative scorer at Purdue Fort Wayne) to be two of the better transfers in the Big East. Still not an NCAA tourney team, but BU will rack up more wins this season vs. NCAA tourney-level competition than in any year since 2020.

62. West Virginia

Can WVU maneuver itself into an era of stability in the back half of the decade? The Mountaineers have their fourth coach in as many years — the only high-major currently enduring a revolving door of leadership four seasons running. The new guy in town is 45-year-old Ross Hodge, who comes by way of North Texas after years of building up a reputation as one of the elite defensive minds in the game. Interesting, then, that one of his key transfers is Treysen Eaglestaff, who was the only player to go for 50-plus in a game last season when he dropped 51 while at North Dakota. WVU's roster is crammed with a lot of up-transfer mid-major guys (like Honor Huff, who was good for 15/game at Chattanooga and will be a crucial component), so we'll get an immediate look at if Hodge's scheme is immediately adaptable at the highest level with a litany of players who have never played in the NCAA Tournament.

63. Wake Forest

The Deacs don't appear to have the 1-10 heft of the past three seasons' worth of teams — and none of those qualified for the NCAA Tournament. But this group is going to pick off some good wins this year because there's enough speed, athleticism and defensive upside to make Wake an ACC spoiler. Myles Colvin is looking for a huge jump after being unsatisfied with his role at Purdue, while Mekhi Mason (Washington), Cooper Schwieger (Valpo) and Nate Calmese (Washington State) should all be double-digit scorers. If Wake can be vastly improved from 3 (it only made 28.5% last season, putrid) and get above 35% beyond the arc as a team, this ranking will prove too low.

64. Northwestern

In polling nearly 100 coaches this summer, we asked who the best X-and-O minds in college hoops were. Chris Collins received a few votes in that poll, which means I'm probably slotting Northwestern 5-10 spots too low. The Wildcats bring back small forward Nick Martinelli and his 20.5 points per night. KJ Windham and Jordan Clayton also return from a team that went 17-16 but lost four toss-up Big Ten games (defeated by five points or fewer). NU's going to be out-athleted and oversized on most nights, but Collins has had only two truly bad teams in the past 10 seasons. This group should similarly land well clear of the Big Ten cellar while falling some notches short of NCAA Tournament qualification.

65. Providence

We've got a roster makeover in Rhode Island. Kim English went from narrowly missing the NCAAs in his first season to only managing 12 victories last year. The Friars bring back five scholarship players, but their top options should be new faces into the fold. Vanderbilt transfer Jason Edwards (17.0 ppg and PC's best player) and UCF transfer Jaylin Sellers will be a fun duo to watch. Another intriguing player is Stefan Vaaks, who's getting some initial curiosities from the NBA ranks, but the 6-7 Estonian will likely ease into the season before finding his fit by the start of league play.

66. Virginia Tech

This will be a bounce-back season, almost guaranteed, for the Hokies. Mike Young's group was a mess last year. A 13-19 record, a sub-160 KenPom ranking and a backcourt rife with issues. Was it an outright purge? No. Tobi Lawal, Jaden Schutt and Tyler Johnson, most notably, are still involved — and I think all three make jumps to get Virginia Tech far clear of the ACC basement. The Hokies also brought on Greek forward Neoklis Avdalas, one of the best foreign-born players coming into college hoops. Will it be enough to save Mike Young's job? Possibly, but at least VT should compete in the lower-middle of a better ACC.

67. Pittsburgh

Jeff Capel has one NCAA Tournament trip in seven seasons. He probably needs to get No. 2 in 2026 to stay on here. The Panthers don't project as a tournament-worthy squad, alas. The offense will probably be a work-in-progress heading into December, even when the wins vs. buy-game teams come. Jaland Lowe was so solid last season, but now he'll shine for Kentucky, not Pitt. Capel's going to have to find different ways by the week to grind to some victories, unless I'm misfiring entirely here and his portal pickups were quietly some of the best bargain-bin hauls in the ACC.

68. George Washington

How often do you get a potential NCAA Tournament team from a mid-major whose best player is 6-11 or taller? Chris Caputo has the luxury of building his offense around his center. Senior Rafael Castro is a preseason A-10 First Teamer after averaging 14 points and nine snags a year ago. His counterweight on the offensive end is 6-2 grad transfer Tre Dinkins, who was a ball-mover at Duquesne. GW has its most loaded roster in more than a decade, and it's because of teams like this (in addition to a few more from the conference you'll see shortly) that make me believe the Atlantic 10 will have a shot as the best mid-major league in 2025-26.

69. Washington

The Huskies are getting some love as a Big Ten team that will finish top-half of the league, but I'm not sold yet. Part of that is due to an important injury: Transfer Jacob Ognacevic, the ASUN player of the year out of Lipscomb, is recovering from foot surgery and won't be available until January. At point guard, freshman JJ Mandaquit projects as an all-league player by his junior season, but he'll probably need some time to adapt. Who is the alpha in Seattle? Likely to be Wesley Yates III, but Zoom Diallo is back for his sophomore season and they'll team up with USC transfer Desmond Claude, who took something of a journey after his noisy decision to go one-and-done at USC. The Big Ten is going to be a bear. I think it winds up as the No. 1 league in college hoops. Coach Danny Sprinkle won 13 games last season. That gets to at least 15, but it'll be hard-fought. UW takes the real jump a year from now.

70. Miami

The Hurricanes are coached by Jai Lucas, a first-year coach who comes to Coral Gables after spending the past couple of years under Jon Scheyer at Duke. Miami probably won't be a top-half-of-the-ACC team in metrics but it will be damn close in talent. The two most proven DI players are former Indiana forward Malik Reneau and former Michigan/Auburn bruising guard Tre Donaldson. That's a nice place to start. Shelton Henderson is the five-star prospect who will be in the starting 5 from Day 1 while playing alongside Ernest Udeh Jr., who's a defense-first big who's also the commanding voice on the floor for the U.

71. Oklahoma State

Five double-digit-scoring mid-major players have transferred in, spotlighted by Anthony Roy, who led the country at 25.7 points per game a season ago for lowly Green Bay (but he only played 11 games, so he didn't qualify as the sport's leader in ppg). Steve Lutz can do more with less and he'll get to try this method out for a second straight season in Stillwater. The Cowboys haven't been able to compete monetarily with a lot of other programs in the Big 12, putting them a couple of tiers below the big boys. To offset this, Lutz recruited for and will again try to win with pace — hoping to push Oklahoma State into the top 10 for most possessions per game.

72. Loyola Chicago

A good season in honor of Sister Jean awaits. College basketball's most famous centenarian died earlier this month at 106; I'd be a fool to think Drew Valentine's Ramblers would stagger in her memory. Per CBB Analytics, no returning player had more alley-oops a season ago than LUC center Miles Rubin (30 in 32 games), who doubles as a fantastic paint protector alongside PF Kymany Houinsou. Getting those two back alongside lead guard Justin Moore (5.3 apg) is going to prove pivotal in the A-10, which could wind up as one of the best league races in college hoops. These days, a mid-major keeping three starters is borderline essential to having a shot to win your league. Valentine's won 23-plus games in three of his previous four seasons, and I think he hits that number again.

73. UNLV

Josh Pastner, welcome back to the sideline. After two seasons in the TV business, Pastner was itching to return to his true calling. So he finds himself in Vegas and with a roster-building experience unlike anything he's done before. I'm definitely higher on the Rebs than the computers. Pastner's biggest portal gets were Illinois' Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, UC Irvine guard Myles Che and former High Point bruiser Kimani Hamilton. Pastner has been infused with new purpose; I'll be surprised if by 2029 at the latest he hasn't earned UNLV its first NCAA Tournament win since … 2008!

74. Xavier

Musketeer fans did not think they'd be starting with a new coach this season, but wouldn't you rather be with someone who wants to be with you? Sean Miller dipped out for Texas, making way for Richard Pitino to join his father in the Big East and give additional compelling storylines to the league. Pitino's won 247 games in his career and is coming off a delightful two-year run at New Mexico with back-to-back NCAA appearances, totaling 53 wins and coaching up the likes of JT Toppin and Donovan Dent. I think Year 1 will be bumpy and likely never feature X in the bubble picture, but this should be a hire that ultimately works, so much so that this is probably the lowest preseason ranking X will have for me for however long Pitino's in Cincy.

75. Minnesota

Few fits better in this year's coaching carousel than 51-year-old Niko Medved going back home to Minneapolis to coach the Gophers. Medved did a stellar job developing NBA talent and title-winning teams at Colorado State. Before that, he cut his teeth at Drake and Furman. He's ready for this. His team will probably be in the bottom four of the Big Ten, but I don't think Minnesota is doomed to irrelevancy. Medved's going to make this work. He'll get Minnesota into the NCAA Tournament multiple times for however long this tenure lasts. This feels right. The roster rotation is up in the air, but Cade Tyson has looked especially good in the preseason (after he stunk at UNC) and fits much better in Medved's system, which includes this bewitching play-call .

76. Grand Canyon

The Antelopes have run from the WAC to the Mountain West, and in doing so, given this conference a jolt of buzz. This team's home arena (checking … it's … the Global Credit Union Arena? This place, which looks like a rave is called … that? Someone fix this ASAP, please) instantly jumps into the top-three environments in the conference. Bryce Drew brings back point guard Makaih Williams, and although Caleb Shaw got some burn last season, there's a lot of new pieces to put into place. Since this is GCU, the portal treated it well, considering the level it was recruiting to and the funds it had to make some impact. Dusty Stromer comes over from Gonzaga, Nana Owusu-Anane a terrific and underrated get via Brown. The Lopes won the WAC four of the previous five seasons. They won't win the Mountain West right away, but they'll fit in beautifully.

77. VCU

The Rams are the official preseason pick to win the A-10, but I'll veer away from that and instead project Phil Martelli Jr. to finish top-four in his first season at a great job. The former Bryant coach doesn't have a POY candidate in the conference but he did pick up Tyrell Ward from LSU (Ward sat out last season), Ahmad Nowell from UConn (he'll be much more impactful in the A-10), Jadrian Tracey from Oregon and four-star guard Nyk Lewis, who's looked good in preseason. Bryant transfer Barry Evans joined Martelli and received preseason Second Team All-League honors with Ward and Tracey. I've got the Rams 77th. They've finished 75th or worse at KenPom just twice since 2006, but those two years were the first seasons for Ryan Odom and Mike Rhoades.

78. Penn State

Speaking of Mike Rhoades. He had it going so well at VCU. Then Penn State opened, the check was too good and he had to make the move. But this is a hard job. And Penn State's portal abilities were at the bottom of the Big Ten this past spring. So I've got the Nittany Lions 17th in the 18-team pecking order. Rhoades is such a good coach, he can easily overshoot this prediction. Freddie Dilione V (9.4 ppg) is the one real impact guy who's returning. After that, it's up in the air on who steps in and steps up. Hopes are high for freshman Kayden Mingo, a four-star player who is the best recruit to commit to the program this century.

79. Syracuse

Red Autry had a lost season in Year 2, going 14-19 and finishing well outside the top 100. This year must go better, otherwise a program that saw one coaching change in five decades will find itself with three coaches in a four-year span. The Orange bring back JJ Starling and Donnie Freeman — two quality ACC starters. Can they be winning players? Welcome in Naithan George (12.3), who had some good moments in-league at Georgia Tech. And there is a feel-good story you'll hear plenty about: Kiyan Anthony, son of Carmelo, will play for SU. Anthony and Sadiq White are the future of this program, provided they can win enough to get Autry to Year 4.

80. South Carolina

Lamont Paris' team went 11 wins in Year 1, then jumped to 26 victories and a 6-seed in Year 2, then dipped back down to 12-20 and was the only bad team in the awesome SEC last season. One of the most interesting roster situations in the sport is based here, however. I've dubbed the "played here, went there, then came back" move as a "boomerang transfer," but Meechie Johnson is transcending the concept. He was at Ohio State from 2020-22, then played at South Carolina from '22-24. Then Johnson went back to Ohio State last season. And now he's back in Columbia AGAIN. Ladies and gents, I am coining this the Ping Pong Transfer. Ultra-rare. Johnson's a solid player, too! May well lead the team in scoring.

81. Liberty

The Flames have five top-100 finishes under Ritchie McKay since 2019. I expect this season to be the sixth thanks to McKay's ability to hang on to some valuable talent. A lot of mid-majors in similar spots lost their best players, but Liberty isn't scrambling. The Flames are the overwhelming favorite in CUSA after posting a 28-7 record last season. Double-digit scorers Kaden Metheny (13.3) and Zach Cleveland (11.0) return, in addition to point guard Colin Porter (9.1 ppg, 4.3 apg).

82. Stanford

I have the Cardinal ranked one spot behind where they finished at KenPom last season: 81. Kyle Smith's group was 21-14 and went 12-10 against ACC competition in its first season in the league. It did so because it had the second-most productive player in the ACC: Maxime Raynaud led the league in scoring (20.2) and became an NBA pick. With Raynaud, Jaylen Blakes and Oziyah Sellers gone (that's 47 points per game), Stanford will turn to junior wing Ryan Agarwal, senior forward Chisom Okpara and freshman guard Ebuka Okorie to try and keep heading in the proper direction.

83. San Francisco

USF was an average mid-major program for a long time, but look at what's transpired since 2016: Kyle Smith, then Todd Golden, now Chris Gerlufsen. A combined 188-111, with the Dons coming off a 25-win season, their highest total since 1981-82. USF returns 5-10 lead guard Ryan Beasley and 6-6 small forward Tyrone Riley, who's one of the more well-rounded players in the WCC. The Dons will be top-three/four in the WCC again with improved depth and an upgrade in frontcourt defense, bolstered by 7-foot Pitt transfer Guillermo Diaz Graham.

84. Belmont

I've got Casey Alexander's team winning out in what could be a terrific Missouri Valley chase. Belmont returns Tyler Lundblade, who's a threat to make 50% of his 3-pointers and 95% of his foul shots. Not many better shooters in the country, regardless of level, than that 6-5 senior. Forward Sam Orme is also back to support a cast that is on its way to a seventh straight season of 20-plus wins under Alexander.

85. Georgia Tech

Sort of just … existing. There are a few high-major schools that haven't truly been relevant in a long time that I'd like to see make a surge back. Tech is one of those programs, but this isn't the year. Damon Stoudamire is in his third season, and I do think there will be a nudge up after finishing outside the KenPom top 100 in his first two tours. Junior PF Baye Ndongo can be a 14-and-10 guy and should be the center of the operation. I've got the Bees so low because the backcourt ranks near the bottom in the ACC.

86. Rutgers

A year ago, hopes were high. Rutgers was going to compete near the top of the Big Ten with Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, its two best recruits in program history. RU went 15-17 and was THE bummer of last season. Now … we see what Steve Pikiell can do with yet another reset. Another Dylan — Dylan Grant — returns as the team's leading scorer … at just 5.9 points per game. Jamichael Davis and Emmanuel Ogbole also returned. Can they reverse the vibes? Keep in mind, Rutgers' top portal get was a guy from an NJIT team that won six games a season ago. It's a tough ask.

87. UC Irvine

Russell Turner continues to churn out really good teams in beautiful Irvine, California. Last season, UCI went 32-7 (NIT runner-up), but you didn't see it in the NCAA Tournament because UC San Diego was a Big West wagon. I expect the Anteaters to return to the top of the league, given UCSD coach Eric Olen took the New Mexico job. UCI's had some standout bigs in the past decade, but this season it should be sophomore guard Jurian Dixona (Big West freshman of the year) and grad student Andre Henry who lead the way. Henry's coming off an injury and could be the tip-the-scales factor between UCI and rival UC Santa Barbara.

88. DePaul

The first season under Chris Holtmann was 14-20 — which was an 11-game improvement from the year prior. This year's club figures to improve by 2-4 wins, I figure, with CJ Gunn starting senior wing CJ Gunn taking on a starring role. The Blue Demons were actually acceptable on defense a season ago, a trend that will continue with Radford transfer Brandon Maclin teaming up with Gunn as upper-end on-ball hawks. This is a bigger team vs. last year's, so I doubt it endures a dip like the 2-14 run it had in the middle of 2024-25. DePaul's finished better than 100th just twice at KenPom since 2007. Mark me down for 2025-26 being the third exploit into the top 100.

89. South Florida

Few teams have more experience in the sport than USF, which ranks fourth nationally in that department according to Torvik. A little more than a year removed from the tragic death of former coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, the Bulls are looking to quickly reestablish their trajectory from his era with new coach Bryan Hodgson. USF was the No. 2 pick in the American, behind Memphis, and will be led by redshirt senior forward Daimion Collins (previously at LSU, Kentucky) and big man Izaiyah Nelson, who came along with Hodgson from Arkansas State.

90. UCF

The most heavily rumored coach to be fired/retire last spring who didn't actually move was UCF's Johnny Dawkins. This is Dawkins' 10th season. He's had only one NCAA Tournament team in his time here. Last year the Knights were a middle-of-the-road Big 12 team that had just two wins vs. top-50 competition. And then they wound up losing every. single. player. on the roster. Not a single guy on scholarship here played a minute last season for Dawkins. The most recognizable names here, now, are former Florida/Mississippi State guard Riley Kugel and former TTU forward Devan Cambridge. Anything shy of an NCAA run will most definitely lead to a coaching change in Orlando next March.

91. Yale

Another year, another really good James Jones team in New Haven, Connecticut. (Side note: New Haven now has TWO Division I teams with DI's newest member: The University of … New Haven.) As for the Elis in the Ivy League, senior forward Nick Townsend is ready to be the next all-league player who stars for the Bulldogs, following in the footsteps of guys like Danny Wolf, Bez Mbeng, Miye Oni, Justin Sears, etc. Jones (418 wins) is one of the oldest-tenured coaches in DI: he's been at Yale since 1999. He should've had a bigger job years ago. I expect to see his team cozily ranked inside the top 100 of the metrics for the sixth time in an eight-year span.

92. Colorado

Is this Tad Boyle's final year in Boulder? He had zero interest retiring after a 14-21 season and last-place finish in the 16-team Big 12, so let's see if the next five months can be a — ahem, tad — bit better. The roster isn't overly inspiring (the leading scorer could be a 6-footer who played at UC Riverside), but I doubt Colorado takes back-to-back cellar-dwelling seasons (I have Utah last in the league in '25-26).

93. Charleston

Chris Mack is mighty confident in this group. It's one of his strongest teams, and accordingly, Charleston will be the favorite in the CAA. The Cougars' size and athleticism gets a big upgrade from last season, when Mack's debut campaign ended with a splendid 24-9 record. Names to know include Chol Machot (the team's best defender) and bucket-getters Mister Dean (elite name!) and Christian Reeves (Clemson transfer). Few mid-majors had as much money in the portal as Charleston. Seems a safe bet this team is getting to at least 24 wins again.

94. Florida State

The youngest high-major coach hired in 2025 is in Tallahassee, where 35-year-old Luke Loucks has come aboard after building out his résumé at the NBA level over the past 10 years. Loucks is an alum (2008-12) who spent the past three seasons with the Sacramento Kings. This is a big wait-and-see. FSU had petered out in Leonard Hamilton's final three seasons and there's no telling if Loucks will need three or four seasons to find his bearings and navigate through the ACC. I'm understandably selling in Year 1, but most others are as well, especially since FSU, per my sources, had one of the three lowest NIL budgets in the 18-team ACC for the upcoming season. The top dude here could be Clemson transfer Chauncey Wiggins, who should surely surge about the 8.3 points he averaged a season ago in the ACC.

95. Miami (OH)

I'll take the RedHawks in the MAC, which if it comes to pass would mark the first time since 2006-07 they won a league crown. Former Xavier coach Travis Steele has found a groove here, and this season's team has a pleasurable mix of high-end mid-major freshman talent and dependable experience. Guard Peter Suder (team-leading 13.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.8 apg) thrives off connectivity with his teammates. Suder, Evan Ipsaro and Eian Elmer will be the core in Oxford, Ohio.

96. Northern Iowa

I nearly took Bradley (which is coming off 76 wins in the past three seasons, its best run since Hersey Hawkins was a national player of the year at the Missouri Valley school in the late 1980s), but UNI has too much returning not to give Ben Jacobson's squad the nod. UNI returns, by far, the highest percentage of its players in the Valley. Watch for senior guard Trey Campbell to make a push for MVC POY. With Belmont my projected champ, it was mandatory to get a second MVC team in the top 100. The conference always squeezes at least two teams into this echelon, if not more.

97. Nevada

Might not seem like it, but this is sort of a swing of faith. The Wolf Pack have finished top-100 at KenPom in five of the previous six seasons under Steve Alford (overall finishing average in Alford's time: 78.5). So, despite bringing back the third-fewest overall minutes in the Mountain West and losing his top five scorers, I'll give Alford the benefit of the doubt and sneak Nevada onto the list here. Look for Tyler Rolison to be a breakout MW guy, with Elijah Price and Corey Camper bursting onto the scene as key portal pickups.

98. James Madison

Preston Spradlin is one of the sharpest young minds in mid-major coaching. After successfully navigating the low-end of the sport at Morehead State, he walked into the JMU job a season ago and won 20 games. Now he brings back F Eddie Ricks and G Justin Taylor to combine with some high-end mid-major transfers in Brad Douglas (who'll run point) and Cliff Davis (who made 100-plus 3-pointers the past two seasons while at UTRGV). The Dukes also have a former top-150 recruit at power forward in Justin McBride and a former top-100 recruit in Ike Cornish. If all are healthy, this is the best team in the Sun Belt.

99. Tulane

The Green Wave have American Conference preseason player of the year Rowan Brumbaugh, a venturesome redshirt junior guard who is the most accomplished player back in the league. He'll be back along with senior guard Asher Woods, giving Ron Hunter's team a good base — and there are still a handful of role players from last season still in play in New Orleans. Hunter should have his best two-year run since arriving at Tulane in 2019.

100. Colorado State

A coaching change (Niko Medved left for Colorado, making way for March Madness legend Ali Farokhmanesh to get promoted) will probably lead a downswing for the Rams, but I've got faith that the Mountain West can again produce at least six top-100 teams. The issue is the departure of 50 points per game in the form of Nique Clifford, Jalen Lake, Kyan Evans and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson. It's possible — even probable — that Farokhmanesh winds up starting four transfers alongside the best returnee, Rashaan Mbemba (7.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg). The success could rely on Josh Pascarelli (15.9 ppg at Marist) in the backcourt and Jevin Muniz (10.6 ppg at FGCU). Former four-star Carey Booth is now campus here as well. Is this the spot where he can thrive?

And 1: UAB

This is a swing, because UAB underwent a total rebuild after losing every scholarship player. So why am I still logging on to endorse 'em? Because one of the most reliable mid-major coaches in the country lives in Birmingham. This is Year 6 for Andy Kennedy with the Blazers, and did you know UAB has averaged 25.0 wins the past five years under his tutelage? Average KenPom finish: 81st. I can't keep the Dragons out of the Top 100 And 1 with that kind of track record. UAB takes a massive hit with the loss of Yaxel Lendeborg (who, along with Cooper Flagg, were the only players to lead their team in every statistical category a season ago) to Michigan.