College Basketball Preseason Top 25

The 2026-2027 college basketball season is about to kick off. Who are the best teams in the country? The Game Haus has the answers. Here is the college basketball preseason top 25.

25-21

25. Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State could have Tamin Lipsey back and he could rejoin Killyan Toure in the backcourt after Toure recovers from surgery. Plenty of players will need to step up, but Blake Buchanan started last season in the post and can take a large leap in production. If Lipsey ends up not being eligible, Iowa State is likely out of this list.

24. LSU Tigers

A lot of this ranking depends on who is eligible for the Tigers. LSU has plenty of players who are suing for eligibility. RJ Luis has recently won an injunction to let him play. He won Big East Player of the Year in 2024-2025 and really pulls the team together. Depth could be an issue, especially if some (or all) are ruled ineligible.

23. Texas Tech Red Raiders

JT Toppin decided to return to school, but the All-American may miss a lot of time as he recovers from a torn ACL. When he returns, Texas Tech could really catapult into a better situation. If everyone is eligible, they will have Donovan Atwell back after he scored 13.5 points per game last season and Darrion Williams is back in Lubbock after transferring to NC State last season.

22. Vanderbilt Commodores

Tyler Tanner was a First Team All-SEC selection after putting up 19.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. Ace Glass scored 16.4 points per game at Washington State and can give a scoring punch to the team. Mark Byington has made two straight tournaments, and improving the frontcourt could help him win a game or two in the big dance.

21. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Braden Huff returns as one of the best post players in the sport after averaging 17.8 points per game last season. Gonzaga has plenty of transfers to help on the perimeter, including point guard Javon Bennett, wing Isiah Harwell and guard Xavian Lee. They’ll be in the new-look Pac-12, but should be able to handle the uptick in competition.

20-16

20. Kentucky Wildcats

Getting Milan Momcilovic out of the portal completely changed the trajectory of Kentucky’s hopes for the 2026-27 season. He is the best returning shooter in the country. Malachi Moreno is expected to take a big jump on the interior after starting last season. The guard play will be the biggest question for the Wildcats, but Zoom Diallo (Washington) and Alex Wilkins (Furman) transferring in should be able to adjust as the season goes on.

19. Tennessee Volunteers

Rick Barnes reloaded in the transfer portal this offseason. Dai Dai Ames and Juke Harris can score well in the backcourt. Miles Rubin transfers in from Loyola Chicago and can protect the rim. There is plenty of talent, but Tennessee did struggle in their exhibitions.

18. BYU Cougars

Keeping Rob Wright III,  was huge for BYU, as he averaged 18.1 points per game. Collin Chandler transfers in from Kentucky and can shoot or get to the basket to provide offense. For the interior, Jaxon Kohler has an extra year of eligibility after a great career at Michigan State. Add in some good recruits and BYU has a chance to make a run this year.

17. Alabama Crimson Tide

Aden Holloway is experienced in the backcourt and averaged 16.8 points per game last season. Amari Allen is the other returning starter and he shoots a high percentage from everywhere. They hit the portal hard for bigs and getting a few to pan out is all they need to be a solid team.

16. Michigan Wolverines

Dusty May going to the NBA hurts, as he was one of the best coaches in the sport. A lot of players exited, but Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney played big parts in the backcourt for the national championship team last season. New bigs are coming through the transfer portal with J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) and Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati). Brandon McCoy can really elevate this team as an incoming freshman.

15-11

15. USC Trojans

Rodney Rice returning from injury this season is huge for the Trojans, as he scored 20.3 points per game last season. He will be paired with Alijah Arenas, who averaged 14.1, and Georgetown transfer KJ Lewis, who put up 14.9 points per game. On the interior, Eric Reibe brings experience from his time at UConn, but he may need to improve his scoring this season for USC to reach their ceiling.

14. Houston Cougars

Houston will have a lot of new faces this season, but some returnees as well. JoJo Tugler has played in a lot of games as a great glue guy. Dedan Thomas is in from LSU, with Chendall Weaver entering from Texas, giving the Cougars a scorer on one hand and a good defender on the other. Mercy Miller can take on a larger role on the perimeter as well. Finding good production next to Tugler on the interior will be essential.

13. Miami Hurricanes

Jai Lucas turned things around quickly at Miami last season. This year, he has Shelton Henderson returning who can really get to the basket. Around him, Acaden Lewis transfers in after a solid freshman season at Villanova and LJ Cason was a part of a great Michigan team last season. Somto Cyril is an experienced player on the interior who should see a lot more rebounds for the Hurricanes.

12. Texas Longhorns

Matas Vokietaitis was great for Texas at center last season, averaging 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Joining him in the frontcourt is David Punch from TCU, who can also drive a bit. Isaiah Johnson was a star for Colorado who could put the ball in the basket. Marcus Spears Jr. is reclassified as a top recruit who could really help Texas advance in March.

11. Louisville Cardinals

Louisville has plenty of talent from the transfer portal to advance further in the NCAA Tournament this season. Jackson Shelstad comes in from Oregon to run the point as a good distributor and scorer. Seth Trimble (UNC) and Karter Knox (Arkansas) provide athleticism on the wings. Forward Flory Bidunga had several great years at Kansas and can protect the rim.

10-6

10. Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas signed superstar recruit Tyran Stokes, which is a great start for a team. Things got even better, though, when Melvin Council was able to return at guard. Trey Kaufman-Renn transferred in from Purdue after getting extra eligibility. TKR was a post-scoring and rebounding machine at Purdue. It looked like the team would have a lot of growth to do, but now it looks like it could advance to a second weekend or even more in the 2027 NCAA Tournament.

9. St. John’s Red Storm

Quinn Ellis gives St. John’s a legitimate point guard who can set the table. Ian Jackson returns to play off the ball after scoring 9.4 points per game last season. Joining him on the wing is Tounde Yessoufou, who scored a lot as a freshman for Baylor last season. Keyshawn Hall can score in the frontcourt and Ruben Prey has had a lot of big moments for St. John’s already.

8. Arkansas Razorbacks

Jordan Smith enters as the next John Calipari guard after being a big-time recruit. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by glue-guy Billy Richmond III and Jeremiah Wilkinson, who was a productive scorer for Georgia last season. Finding out which players in the frontcourt will start will be crucial, but there are a few with some potential, including Mikka Muurinen and Cooper Bowser.

7. Virginia Cavaliers

Thijs De Ridder is brings size and scoring ability back to Virginia after a great season last year. Johann Grunloh returns after a solid season on the interior. Chance Mallory played a large role last season and can score in addition to setting the table. Sam Lewis is a versatile player who started last season, but they’ll need to find some other players around the core returners to step up.

6. Arizona Wildcats

Ivan Kharchenkov can do a little bit of everything for the Wildcats and his return leads some high hopes for Arizona. Getting Moteijus Krivas back on the interior is also huge, as he averaged 10.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Derek Dixon transfers in from UNC where he will be expected to improve. Caleb Holt really elevates the team, as the freshman is one of the best recruits in the country.

5-1

5. Michigan State Spartans

Jeremy Fears is one of the best returning players in the country after averaging 15.2 points and 9.4 assists per game last season. He will have Kur Teng, Cam Ward, Coen Carr and Jordan Scott back as big contributors from last year’s team. If the 3-pointers fall, Tom Izzo could make another Final Four.

4. UConn Huskies

While Solo Ball is out for the season, the backcourt will still have Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins after they had some great March moments last season. Nikolas Khamenia was a solid freshman at Duke, while Najai Hines can protect the rim. UConn has enough role players as well to go on another tournament run.

3. Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois returns a lot from last season’s team, including: Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jake Davis, David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic. That is a great core returning, even after the Illini lost some talent. If Quentin Coleman can have a good freshman season and other depth pieces emerge, Illinois could have their best season since 2005.

2. Florida Gators

While Florida has had some struggles in exhibitions, they have plenty of talent and Todd Golden should be able to coach them to a lot of wins this season. Thomas Haugh returns after being an All-American last season. Also returning in the frontcourt is Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu. Boogie Fland is back at point guard after putting up 11.6 points per game last season. Denzel Aberdeen was at Kentucky last year, but now returns to Florida after helping them win a championship two seasons ago. Urban Klavzar played a huge role last season and can really help things along. Shooting could be an issue, but if the Gators get it right, they could win two titles in three seasons.

1. Duke Blue Devils

Duke has a good mix of returnees, transfers and recruits, putting them at the top spot. Caleb Foster is experienced in the backcourt and will be joined by John Blackwell from Wisconsin, who can put the ball in the basket. Dame Sarr returns after a solid freshman season on the wing, while Patrick Ngongba and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje could make Duke have one of the best frontcourts in the country. There are plenty of options for depth as well, including Cayden Boozer, who played a big role last season.

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