Way-Too-Early 2025-26 NCAA Men's Basketball Top 25

With Florida cutting down the nets in Phoenix, the college basketball world immediately turns its attention to next season. Here's our comprehensive breakdown of ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for the 2025-26 campaign:

1. Houston Cougars

Kelvin Sampson's squad tops our list thanks to:

• Returning stars Emanuel Sharp (12.7 PPG) and Joseph Tugler
• No. 6 recruiting class featuring three top-20 prospects
• Potential NBA departure of Milos Uzan (No. 40 in ESPN draft rankings)

Projected Starters:

• Kingston Flemings (Fr.)
• Isiah Harwell (Fr.)
• Emanuel Sharp (Sr.)
• Joseph Tugler (So.)
• Chris Cenac Jr. (Fr.)

2. Purdue Boilermakers

Matt Painter returns:

• Preseason Wooden favorite Braden Smith (15.8 PPG)
• Trey Kaufman-Renn (20.1 PPG)
• South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff (17.6 PPG)

Transfer Portal Impact Teams

Louisville (No. 3): Pat Kelsey's impressive haul includes:

• Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 8 recruit)
• Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell (16.5 PPG)
• Virginia sharpshooter Isaac McKneely

Michigan (No. 5): Dusty May landing:

• Potential 1st-rounder Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB)
• UNC transfer Elliot Cadeau
• Illinois big Morez Johnson Jr.

Title Defenders

Florida Gators (No. 19): Key questions:

• Replacing Walter Clayton Jr.'s leadership
• Alex Condon's NBA decision
• Thomas Haugh's development leap

Complete Top 25 Breakdown

Other Notable Storylines:

• UConn's reload after 2-title streak ended
• Duke's freshman class led by Boozer brothers
• Michigan State's development without Jase Richardson
• Gonzaga's complete backcourt overhaul

Key Dates

• October 15th: First official practices
• November 11th: Season tip-off
• March 18th, 2026: NCAA Tournament begins

The college basketball machine never stops - stay locked to ESPN for all your offseason coverage of the transfer portal, NBA Draft decisions, and recruiting news leading into what promises to be another thrilling season!