Florida Gators win third NCAA title in school history
USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg breaks down Florida’s win over the Houston Cougars in the NCAA National Championship.
Sports Seriously
It’s never too early to examine the potential top teams in the nation in men’s college basketball for next season.
Even one day after the 2025 men’s national championship game.
USA TODAY Sports has released its “way-too-early” Top 25 for the 2025-26 season and the list has a definite Big 12 flair.
There are a nation-leading seven Big 12 teams in the Top 25, including the No. 1 team in the initial ranking, which includes the Arizona Wildcats.
Here are some takeaways from the early men’s college basketball Top 25 ranking for next season, which will be here before we know it.
Houston Cougars lead early men’s basketball Top 25
Houston may have lost the 2025 national championship game to Florida, but the Cougars could be the favorite to win the title in 2026, according to USA TODAY Sports, which has Kelvin Sampson’s team No. 1 in the early Top 25.
It wrote of Houston: “The defending national runner-up will lose stalwarts L.J. Cryer and J’wan Roberts but is poised to make another run to the title game behind one of the top recruiting classes in the country, led by five-star forward C.J. Cenac and guard Isiah Harwell.”
The Big 12 could be very good in 2025-26 season
The Big 12 could be very good next season, according to USA TODAY Sports’ ranking. The site has BYU at No. 5 in the early Top 25. Yes, No. 5.
It wrote of BYU: “After making the Sweet 16 for the second time since 1981, BYU is poised for a big year with the arrival of hyped freshman AJ Dybantsa. He’ll join a rotation that should lose point guard Egor Demin to the NBA but is set to bring back guards Keba Keita and Dawson Baker and forwards Richie Saunders and Mihailo Boskovic. If Dybantsa is as good as expected, the Cougars could be a serious threat for the Final Four.”
Texas Tech comes in at No. 7, while Iowa State is No. 14. Kansas is ranked No. 17. Arizona is ranked No. 23 and Baylor rounds out the Top 25 at No. 25.
Could SEC continue to shine in 2025-26?
The SEC sent a record 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2025. Could it continue to shine next season?
The conference has six teams in the initial USA TODAY Sports ranking, led by Alabama at No. 6. Defending national champion Florida is ranked No. 8, with Arkansas at No. 12.
Kentucky comes in at No. 16, with Tennessee at No. 18. Auburn is at No. 24 in the ranking.
Of Florida’s ranking, USA TODAY Sports wrote: “There will certainly be a transition from a team led by All-America guard Walter Clayton, and he will be hard to replace. However, the Gators still should have most of the inside players returning, with Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu all poised for increased production. Denzel Aberdeen should be a consistent perimeter scorer and will get boosted by incoming freshman Alex Lloyd.”
Who are biggest national title contenders in 2025-26?
There are some familiar names behind Houston at the top of the way-too-early Top 25 men’s college basketball ranking.
Duke comes in at No. 2, with USA TODAY Sports writing: “It will be another offseason of reloading for coach Jon Scheyer with Cooper Flagg and fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach almost certainly headed for the draft. Next year’s group of high-end recruits will be led by forwards Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the twin sons of former Blue Devils star Carlos Boozer. Also arriving is Shelton Henderson, another five-star forward. Several major contributors have options to return to Duke, including veteran guard Tyrese Proctor, freshman Isaiah Evans and sophomore Caleb Foster.”
UConn was ranked No. 3 in the list, leading the Big East, while UCLA led the Big Ten with a No. 4 ranking. Michigan (No. 9) and Louisville (No. 10) rounded out the top 10.
Other teams in early men’s college basketball Top 25 ranking
St. John’s is No. 13 in the USA TODAY Sports ranking, while Michigan State at No. 15.
Other Top 25 teams we haven’t mentioned include Wisconsin at No. 19, Gonzaga at No. 20, Creighton at No. 21 and North Carolina at No. 22.
The Big Ten has five teams in the Top 25, while the Big East and ACC each have three. The West Coast Conference has the lone non-power four conference team in the ranking (Gonzaga).
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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