After more than two months of near nonstop roster turnover, we have a much clearer picture of what the 2025–26 men’s college basketball landscape looks like. The deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft was Wednesday, so a number of schools now know which players will be on campus this fall. Here is Sports Illustrated’s updated way-too-early top 25.
The Cougars already looked like a strong contender for the No. 1 spot before Milos Uzan made the surprise decision to return to school. With their starting point guard back for his senior season, it’s an even easier call. Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and JoJo Tugler give Kelvin Sampson three huge pieces back from the team that experienced heartbreak in April, the type of continuity most staffs can only dream about in this era. It will be a new experience for Sampson with three elite freshmen incoming, and how guys like Chris Cenac and Isiah Harwell take to his system will likely dictate whether this group can cut down the nets this time around. But the floor is incredibly high given the returning production, incoming talent and consistency of Sampson’s teams in the last half-decade.
Florida is among the biggest winners of the offseason after getting Alex Condon back from testing the draft waters and adding a pair of top-ranked portal guards in Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton). The Gators will miss the defensive edge that Alijah Martin brought to their backcourt as well as Walter Clayton Jr.’s clutch instincts, but the talent here is title-caliber yet again ... especially if Thomas Haugh takes well to playing on the wing to get him on the floor next to Condon and Rueben Chinyelu more.
Dan Hurley and the Huskies are hungry again after a disappointing 2024–25 and have the roster to get back into top-tier title contention. UConn has strong continuity, with five rotation players back headlined by star guard Solo Ball and two-time champ Alex Karaban. Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr. addresses the Huskies’ point guard woes from 2024–25 and plays a style that will remind some of former Bob Cousy Award winner Tristen Newton in Storrs, Conn. Look for freshman Braylon Mullins to make a significant impact from Day 1 as well.
Armed with a massive NIL budget, the Red Storm have a more talented roster than the one that won the Big East a year ago. Rick Pitino addressed his team’s shooting woes with the likes of Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Oziyah Sellers (Stanford) and Joson Sanon (Arizona State) and got deeper and more physical up front with high-profile adds Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell to play with Zuby Ejiofor. What might hold them back this time around is point guard play: Pitino has said he intends to play Jackson (a natural scorer) on the ball, though he did add a potential insurance policy in Idaho State transfer Dylan Darling in case that plan doesn’t end up working.
The Boilermakers feel like a relatively safe bet to be among the nation’s elite with a top national player of the year contender in point guard Braden Smith leading the way. Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn form one of the most formidable guard/big duos in the sport, and that star duo should have more help around it this season after a savvy spring from Matt Painter. South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff solidifies the front line and is an ideal fit as one of the top post scorers in the sport, while Israeli point guard Omer Mayer should lighten the load on Smith a tad. The defense is the only real potential hole, though redshirt freshman Daniel Jacobsen should provide a boost protecting the rim.
Grant McCasland and staff have expertly navigated this spring, getting Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin back for one more season and also bringing back a budding star in Christian Anderson who should slot in at point guard. Around that duo, the Red Raiders added two sharpshooters (Tyeree Bryan and Donovan Atwell, who combined for over 160 made threes at better than 40%), a bruising wing in LeJuan Watts (Washington State) and an elite rim protector in Luke Bamgboye (VCU). They’re still in pursuit of one more starting-caliber guard to pair with Anderson, but there’s tons of promise here.
Mark Pope has his sights set on more after taking the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 in his first year on the job in Lexington, Ky. The Wildcats spent big on their roster this spring, adding 10 new players, including high-profile transfers Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance while bringing back star wing Otega Oweh. Quaintance’s health is a huge question coming off a late-season ACL tear at Arizona State, but he’s a game-changing player (especially on the defensive end) if 100%. A lot rides on Lowe improving his efficiency, though Pope’s offensive system should give him more space to operate—it helped less-talented guards make a jump last season.
For the second straight year, a Duke freshman could be in the mix for national player of the year. While the NBA ceilings of AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas) may be higher, Cameron Boozer has consistently been the most productive player in high school basketball for multiple years now. He’ll be a double-double machine and the anchor of a Duke team that will once again have high expectations. Watch for a breakout campaign from sophomore sharpshooter Isaiah Evans.
Utah Prep's AJ Dybantsa, of Brockton, during a game vs. Montverde Academy the HoopHall Classic
Dybantsa, the top-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, could lead BYU to new heights. / Jason Snow / The Enterprise / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After dropping a record-setting NIL figure to land top recruit Dybantsa in the fall, the focus all spring for the Cougars was finding pieces that fit around him. Returners Richie Saunders (perceived by Big 12 coaches as perhaps the league’s most underrated player) and Keba Keita were good building blocks, but the big splash of the spring came by landing an elite point guard in Baylor transfer Rob Wright III. Add in several proven shooters on the bench, and this group looks primed to maximize Dybantsa’s lone season in college.
Pat Kelsey has built a loaded roster in his second season at Louisville, a group with the potential to unseat Duke at the top of the ACC that could make a deep run next March. The backcourt should be outstanding, with five-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. a budding star and portal pickups like Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely and Adrian Wooley all impact guys. There’s some frontcourt instability at the moment after Aly Khalifa was surprisingly ruled ineligible (at least for now) by the NCAA, though expect German big Sananda Fru to make an instant impact.
Among the big winners of the draft decision deadline were the Wolverines, who got potential first-rounder Yaxel Lendeborg to delay his plans to turn pro and head to Ann Arbor, Mich., instead. Lendeborg has All-American potential in Dusty May’s system as a game-wrecking forward who can play with the ball in his hands and guard multiple positions. The rest of the frontcourt is also fierce with high-upside adds like Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois) and Aday Mara (UCLA). Guard play is the question, with Elliot Cadeau taking over PG duties after transferring in from North Carolina following an uneven sophomore year in Chapel Hill.
Getting Tahaad Pettiford back gives Auburn plenty of reasons for optimism heading into 2025–26. Pettiford, a huge spark off the bench on last year’s Final Four team, now steps into a starring role for Bruce Pearl’s team and profiles as a potential All-American if he can build on an outstanding freshman season. Pearl also has done an excellent job building a nucleus around him, adding the Big 12’s leading scorer in Keyshawn Hall, intriguing Division II talent Elyjah Freeman and a pair of impact bigs in Mississippi State’s KeShawn Murphy and freshman Filip Jovic.
A run to the Sweet 16 made Year 1 at Arkansas for John Calipari a success after an up-and-down journey to get there. The Hogs seem positioned to build on that with strong roster continuity (a rarity for Calipari) and some talented reinforcements. Five-star Darius Acuff should be outstanding next to D.J. Wagner in the backcourt, while Karter Knox has breakout potential on the wing. The frontcourt also beefed up with portal adds Malique Ewin (Florida State) and Nick Pringle (South Carolina).
The Jayhawks still have work to do to round out this roster after missing on high-profile wings Dame Sarr and Darrion Williams in recent days. That said, building around Peterson and Flory Bidunga remains a highly appealing starting point, and Kansas added valuable role players like sharpshooter Jayden Dawson (Loyola Chicago) and physical wing Tre White (Illinois) around them. Add one more stud and this ranking could shoot up.
Brad Underwood’s big bet on international recruiting will be among the most fascinating stories to watch in college basketball this season. The Illini will likely start three Balkan natives (brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic as well as point guard Mihailo Petrovic), while top transfer add Andrej Stojakovic also has Balkan roots. The talent here is impressive, particularly in the backcourt with Stojakovic (17.9 PPG at Cal) and Petrovic (perhaps the best player in the Adriatic League this season) pairing with an elite glue guy in Boswell. How quickly the pieces mesh together will determine whether this group can contend for a Big Ten title.
The Vols have finished in KenPom’s top 10 four years running, and it’d be foolish to bet on much of a drop-off even with massive pieces departing. Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie is the ideal Zakai Zeigler replacement, one of the top ball-screen operators in the country with plenty of high-level experience. Rick Barnes is also bullish on five-star freshman Nate Ament, who has been on a remarkable development curve over the last few years.
The Wildcats would have loved to get Carter Bryant back for his sophomore season, but there are still reasons for optimism about this Arizona group with an elite recruiting class incoming. Five-stars Brayden Burries and Koa Peat look like instant-impact starters to go with top returners like Jaden Bradley, Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka. One more wing could put this group over the top.
The Aztecs have had an incredible offseason, coaxing Magoon Gwath back after he tested the portal and getting Miles Byrd to return after a strong NBA draft combine for one more season. That duo is the core of what should be among the best non-power conference teams in America, especially when factoring in SDSU’s success in player development over the years. The Aztecs also get a key wing piece healthy in Reese Waters and add one of the top assist men in the country in Louisiana Tech transfer Sean Newman Jr.
New Mexico Lobos guard Donovan Dent
Dent averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists for New Mexico last season, and should be a big difference maker for UCLA. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Few portal adds look more impactful than UCLA adding New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent, who was one of the elite guards in the sport a year ago for the Lobos and could fundamentally transform the Bruins’ sluggish offense. Dent and returners like Eric Dailey Jr. and Tyler Bilodeau are a strong nucleus, and a Mick Cronin team can be relied on to be strong on the defensive end if nothing else.
Ryan Odom has built up this Virginia roster quickly since taking over this spring. The Cavaliers went international for a high-level center in Johann Grunloh and are working to get another top prospect in 22-year-old Belgian forward Thijs De Ridder eligible. In the portal, San Francisco transfer Malik Thomas is a high-impact addition as a scorer, while Jacari White (NDSU) and Sam Lewis (Toledo) are elite-level shooters.
Gonzaga’s remarkable streak of nearly a decade straight going to the NCAA tournament’s second weekend came to a close, but the Bulldogs still haven’t finished outside KenPom’s top 25 since the 2010–11 season. I wouldn’t bet on that streak ending this season with a loaded frontcourt that should see veterans Graham Ike and Braden Huff in featured roles. Point guard play is worth monitoring: Colgate transfer Braeden Smith redshirted last year behind Ryan Nembhard and the Bulldogs are also expected to add backcourt talent from the international ranks.
Tom Izzo’s Spartans lost some important pieces from last year’s Big Ten title-winning squad, but key pieces like PG Jeremy Fears Jr., wing Coen Carr and big Jaxon Kohler all return. That continuity is huge, especially for a coach like Izzo, who has been open about his critiques of the portal. MSU added a few pieces in the portal that will be key though, with FAU’s Kaleb Glenn and Samford’s Trey Fort adding some much-needed three-point shooting.
Wisconsin was among the sport’s biggest overachievers last season, riding a faster-paced offense to 27 wins and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. While a few key pieces like star wing John Tonje and steady big Steven Crowl are gone, there’s still a lot to like here. John Blackwell III looks primed to step into a starring role, and I also expect a big jump from junior big Nolan Winter. In the portal, San Diego State transfer Nick Boyd should take over point guard duties and former Portland big Austin Rapp is a big-time shooter to add to the frontcourt.
Scott Drew and the Bears have a completely new team in place, with no returners from last season’s 20–15 campaign. There’s a good mix here of young talent, like five-star wing Tounde Yessoufou, and older portal pieces, like Oregon State forward Michael Rataj and Wyoming guard Obi Agbim. Defense is a concern: Baylor has ranked outside the top 50 in KenPom defense three straight years since top assistant Jerome Tang left for Kansas State. That said, personnel-wise the Bears are bigger, more athletic and more physical than they’ve been, which should help on that end.
New coach Ben McCollum should get off to a hot start in the Big Ten thanks to star point guard Bennett Stirtz, a bona fide NBA prospect who followed McCollum from Drake and should be among the best players in the Big Ten this season. Surrounding him, McCollum added a pair of elite shooters in Brendan Hausen (Kansas State) and Alvaro Folgueiras (Robert Morris). How McCollum’s grind-it-out style works at the highest level is an open question, but he has won big at every level of the sport and I feel confident he’ll continue that in the Big Ten.
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