The moving and shaking is far from finished, but the closing of the transfer portal leaves us with more clarity about the landscape of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season than we had three weeks ago.
With that being the case, let’s take a look at the 25 best teams in the sport post-portal closing.
1. Houston Cougars
2024-25 Record: 36-4
2024-25 Finish: National Runners-Up
The Cougars came within one made shot (and one avoided late-game collapse) of winning the program’s first national title last season. Despite that disappointment, they aren’t going anywhere in 2025-26.
Kelvin Sampson brings back three key pieces from that squad — Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan and Joseph Tugler — adds Creighton point guard Pop Isaacs to run the show, and has a loaded incoming recruiting class highlighted by five-star freshman Chris Cenac Jr. The Cougars will still be terrorizing the Big 12 with their “monster” defense, but expect Sampson’s team to be even more capable on offense this coming season.
2. Purdue Boilermakers
2024-25 Record: 24-12
2024-25 Finish: Sweet 16
Expect “roster retention” to become one of the biggest buzz phrases in this new era of college basketball. No one did it better this offseason than Matt Painter, who returns five of his top six scorers from a second weekend team.
Braden Smith (15.8 ppg/8.7 apg), Trey Kaufman-Renn (20.1 ppg) and Fletcher Loyer (13.8 ppg) are the most proven returning trio in the sport.
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders
2024-25 Record: 28-9
2024-25 Finish: Elite Eight
No team in the country benefitted more from a “stay or go” decision over the last month than Texas Tech, which will return All-American JT Toppin for one more season. Grant McCasland also returns double figure scorer Christian Anderson, who seems poised for a breakout sophomore season. Toss in a highly-touted transfer portal class headlined by Washington State import JeJuan Watts, and there’s no reason for Red Raider fans to not be dreaming the biggest of dreams right now.
4. St. John’s Red Storm
2024-25 Record: 31-5
2024-25 Finish: Second Round
Rick Pitino loses Big East Player of the Year R.J. Luis as well as fellow starters Kadary Richmond, Aaron Scott and Simeon Wilcher, but hits back at those losses with the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country.
Big man Zuby Ejiofor returns to provide some culture continuity, and will join forces with Providence transfer Bryce Hopkins and Cincinnati transfer Dillon Mitchell to create arguably the formidable frontcourt in the country. There are some understandable questions about the backcourt, most notably North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson being brought in to run the point, but expect the Red Storm’s Hall of Fame head coach to figure out how all the pieces fit.
5. BYU Cougars
2024-25 Record: 26-10
2024-25 Finish: Sweet 16
Without question, BYU is going to be one of the more fascinating teams to watch this winter.
They return four key contributors from a Sweet 16 squad — Richie Saunders, Dawson Baker, Keba Keita and Mihailo Boskovic — they bring in one of the best players from the transfer portal in Baylor point guard Robert Wright, and oh yeah, they’ll also have the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft in superstar freshman AJ Dybantsa.
The rumors about how much this roster cost the powers that be in Provo are all over the place, but make no mistake about it, Kevin Young’s squad is stacked.
6. UConn Huskies
2024-25 Record: 24-11
2024-25 Finish: Second Round
Expect last season’s “down year” to be a one-off for Dan Hurley and company.
Solo Ball is poised to become a star, but he’ll ha e Georgia transfer Silas Demary in the backcourt with him to help shoulder the load. Alex Karaban is still waiting to make a decision about the NBA Draft, but if the Huskies get him back (or replace him with a suitably impactful transfer), there’s no reason for them to be right back in the national title conversation for the third time in four years.
7. Louisville Cardinals
2024-25 Record: 27-8
2024-25 Finish: First Round
Pat Kelsey lost the three leading scorers from his overachieving first Cardinal squad, but instantly replaced them with three of the best players in the transfer portal in Ryan Conwell (Xavier), Isaac McKneely (Virginia) and Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State). Those three also happen to be three of the best shooters in the country, a notable trait for a team that took the third most shots from beyond the arc of any team in the sport last season. They’ll pair in the backcourt with five-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr., the top-ranked floor general in the class of 2025.
Kelsey returns starting forward J’vonne Hadley as well as fellow forward Kasean Pryor, who was poised to be one of the team’s top performers before tearing his ACL in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis. There are some questions on the inside, especially after the surprise defection of starting center James Scott earlier this week.
8. Kentucky Wildcats
2024-25 Record: 24-12
2024-25 Finish: Sweet 16
Kentucky is loaded with size, athleticism and quickness thanks to the portal additions of Jayden Quainance (Arizona State), Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), Jaland Lowe (Pitt), Kam Williams (Tulane) and Denzel Aberdeen (Florida). So long as Otega Oweh, last season’s leading scorer at 16.2 ppg, doesn’t bolt for the NBA, Mark Pope should also be able to boast a little bit of culture continuity as well.
While the pieces here all sparkle, some of them don’t necessarily fit perfectly with the system Pope has run effectively at Utah Valley, BYU and now Kentucky. If he can take all those pieces and turn them into a legitimate national title contender, Pope will make a large statement that he’s ready to be one of those faces poised to headline the sport as it makes the leap into this brave new era.
9. Michigan Wolverines
2024-25 Record: 27-10
2024-25 Finish: Sweet 16
Dusty May set the bar pretty high for himself after a debut season that saw Michigan win 27 games, a Big Ten Tournament championship, and two games in the NCAA Tournament. He’ll look to clear that bar in year two with a roster that includes three key returnees (Roddy Gayle Jr., Nimari Burnett and L.J. Cason) and an absolutely loaded group of imports headlined by Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), Morez Johnson (Illinois) and Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina).
10. Auburn Tigers
2024-25 Record: 32-6
2024-25 Finish: Final Four
Yes, the core of last season’s Final Four team is either graduated or in the transfer portal, but Auburn is going to be just fine in 2025-26. Tahaad Pettiford is poised to become one of the biggest stars in the sport, and should be appointment viewing every time he steps on the court. The world will also get a chance to find out just how good UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall is.
11. Duke Blue Devils
2024-25 Record: 35-4
2024-25 Finish: Final Four
Jon Scheyer loses his entire starting five from a team seemed poised to be remembered as one of the best college basketball squads in recent memory before its Final Four collapse against Houston, but it’s Duke, they’re going to be fine.
Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba all return ready to make larger impacts in 2025-26. They’ll join forced with a top-rated recruiting class headlines by five-star freshman Cameron Boozer.
12. Michigan State Spartans
2024-25 Record: 30-7
2024-25 Finish: Elite Eight
Tom Izzo seems to be at his best when he comes into a season flying a bit below the radar. That’s probably not going to be the case in 2025-26.
The Spartans return Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears and Carson Cooper from a regional finalist squad, and add in a couple of nice transfers in Trey Fort (Samford) and Kaleb Glenn (FAU). Expect this team to challenge for the title of best defensive squad in the sport next season.
13. UCLA Bruins
2024-25 Record: 23-11
2024-25 Finish: Second Round
Top transfers Donovan Dent (New Mexico) and Xavier Booker (Michigan State) join up with a returning core that features nearly every impactful player from last season’s 23-win squad. If Dent’s game can translate efficiently into Mick Cronin’s system, there shouldn’t be a team in the Big Ten that this squad won’t be able to play with.
14. Iowa State Cyclones
2024-25 Record: 25-10
2024-25 Finish: Second Round
Iowa State fizzled out a bit down the stretch, but they still return three of their top five scorers — Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic and Tamin Lipsey — from a team that earned a No. 3 seed in the Big Dance. T.J. Otzelberger’s teams have always been among the best in the country on defense, and having that core return for another season should all but guarantee that this is the case again in 2025-26.
15. Kansas Jayhawks
2024-25 Record: 21-13
2024-25 Finish: First Round
Perhaps starting the year off in the middle of a top 25 will be good for Bill Self, who has fielded two his worst teams in back-to-back seasons after starting each of those years ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP top 25 poll.
Big man Flory Bidunga returning to Lawrence was huge. He should create one of the top inside-outside combos in the sport with five-star freshman Darryn Peterson. Self is still active in the portal, which means the Jayhawks could still make the couple of additions necessary to move closer to the top 10 on this list.
16. Florida Gators
2024-25 Record: 36-4
2024-25 Finish: National Champions
The reigning national champions lost virtually everyone from their championship squad, but still have the pieces necessary to not fall too far a year later. Big man Alex Condon is still mulling over a jump to the NBA, but even if that happens, fellow forward Thomas Haugh is poised for a star turn. Princeton transfer point guard Xaivian Lee has been the biggest addition so far for head coach Todd Golden, who is still in on several of the top-rated players currently available in the transfer portal.
17. Tennessee Volunteers
2024-25 Record: 30-8
2024-25 Finish: Elite Eight
Still in search of that ever-elusive first trip to the Final Four, Tennessee should have a shot to be back in that conversation again next season thanks in large part to the additions of Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie and incoming five-star freshman Nate Ament.
18. Arizona Wildcats
2024-25 Record: 24-13
2024-25 Finish: Sweet 16
Key contributors Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka, Motiejus Krivas and Anthony Dell’Orso all return from a second weekend team. Tommy Lloyd will likely rely heavily on a pair of five-star freshmen (Brayden Burries and Koa Peat) to take the Wildcats even farther next March.
19. Arkansas Razorbacks
2024-25 Record: 22-14
2024-25 Finish: Sweet 16
DJ Wagner, Karter Knox, Trevon Brazile and Billy Richmond III all return from an Arkansas team that got hot late and became the only double-digit seed to crash the Sweet 16. The additions of Florida State transfer Malique Ewin, South Carolina transfer Nick Pringle and five-star freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. will once again give John Calipari plenty of weapons at his disposal.
20. Oregon Ducks
2024-25 Record: 25-10
2024-25 Finish: Second Round
Nate Bittle, Jackson Shelstad, Kwame Evans Jr. and Jamari Phillips all return from a solid 2024-25 squad. If Dana Altman can land at least one more big piece from the portal, this should be a team with second weekend potential.
21. Vanderbilt Commodores
2024-25 Record: 20-13
2024-25 Finish: First Round
Mark Byington is one of the most exciting young coaches in college basketball, and he’s going to prove it again this season. The Commodores don’t have headline stars in their transfer portal, but it’s still loaded with value.
22. North Carolina Tar Heels
2024-25 Record: 23-14
2024-25 Finish: First Round
It certainly feels like a make or break season for Hubert Davis in Chapel Hill. The good news is that he has the players needed to restore the fan base’s faith in his ability to consistently position UNC as a national title threat. Seth Trimble returning is huge, as are the additions of Kyan Evans from Colorado State, Henri Veesar from Arizona, and five-star freshman Caleb Wilson.
23. Alabama Crimson Tide
2024-25 Record: 28-9
2024-25 Finish: Elite Eight
Nate Oats has once again been busy in the portal, landing Jalil Bethea (Miami), Taylor Bol Bowen (Florida State) and Patriot League Player of the Year Noah Williamson (Bucknell), among others. Don’t be surprised if another splashy name or two joins the fray in Tuscaloosa before all is said and done.
24. Illinois Fighting Illini
2024-25 Record: 22-13
2024-25 Finish: Second Round
No one is recruiting Europe right now like Brad Underwood, who just signed Mihailo Petrovic, one of the top professional point guards in Serbia. He also returns Tomislav Ivisic and added his brother, Zvonimir, from Arkansas, creating an exciting roster that will terrify play-by-play announcers all winter long.
25. Gonzaga Bulldogs
2024-25 Record: 26-9
2024-25 Finish: Second Round
Graham Ike and Braden Huff returning are reason enough to believe that Mark Few won’t let the Zags slip from being top 25 good in 2025-26. There are plenty of questions about the backcourt as it currently stands, but Few almost always figures these sort of things out.
The Next 10:
26. Creighton Bluejays
27. Ole Miss Rebels
28. Texas Longhorns
29. Ohio State Buckeyes
30. Wisconsin Badgers
31. Miami Hurricanes
32. Maryland Terrapins
33. USC Trojans
34. Mississippi State Bulldogs
35. UNC Wilmington Seahawks
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