John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
College basketball has become a year-round sport, which means it’s never too early to start talking about next season. The transfer portal is loaded with over 1,700 names, while the coaching carousel brought several fascinating moves between Sean Miller heading to Texas, Darian DeVries taking over at Indiana, Buzz Williams heading to Maryland, former Terps coach Kevin Willard went to Villanova, and so much more.
The only certainty with the offseason in college hoops is the uncertainty that still surrounds roster building, NIL money and the portal. That said, it gives us no shortage of things to talk about because, in this fluid atmosphere, a coach’s ability to win the speed dating portion of the offseason is so key. There’s not much time to allocate your money and bring portal players in, so the on-the-fly nature of this is really intriguing. And, just because you spend a lot on a roster does not mean that you’re a lock to make the NCAA Tournament or a lock to make a run. Ask Kansas State and Indiana how things fared for them this past year or Bill Self and Kansas how the Jayhawks did the last two years after appearing to have crushed the portal.
With that in mind, here’s our first snapshot of the 2025-26 season.
1. Houston
First off, how about the pedigree that the Cougars have built? They’re the class of the Big 12, losing just one conference game, notching a pair of Final Four appearances in the last five years along with three Elite Eight appearances and five Sweet 16s. Roster continuity is a theme to their rich success, and they’ve got that in place with Emanuel Sharp and potentially Milos Uzan, not to mention JoJo Tugler and Terrance Arceneaux. But the Cougars are also bringing in a loaded recruiting class that ranks at No. 4 in the country and is headlined by Chris Cenac Jr. and Isiah Harwell.
2. Purdue
The Boilermakers made the Sweet 16 and gave Houston all it could handle in that game. They should have as much returning experience and perimeter firepower as anybody in the sport next season. Braden Smith could very well be the preseason national player of the year after being a finalist for the Naismith Award this season, while his backcourt sidekick, Fletcher Loyer, will also be back. Trey Kaufman-Renn headlines the frontcourt after his strong 2024-25 campaign, while the Boilers have made one of the biggest splashes in the portal with South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff (17.6 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 2.8 APG).
3. Louisville
The Cardinals are the champions of the transfer portal at the moment, having reeled in one of the best bucket-getting guards in America in Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell, while Isaac McKneely comes in from Virginia and Adrian Wooley comes from Kennesaw State. Five-star guard Mikel Crown Jr. is set to arrive next season and will team up with returnees J’Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor. There’s a lot to like about Pat Kelsey’s team as he heads into his second season. He’s done a great job in a short period of time and has restored the Cardinals to the top of the headlines in college hoops for the right reasons.
4. Duke
While the Blue Devils took a loss that will stick with them for a long time, don’t expect Duke to waver from their status as one of the nation’s best. They have the No. 1 recruiting class for the third time in the last four years, headlined by Cameron and Cayden Boozer. Cameron is a 6-foot-9 forward who can do a little bit of everything and will be a handful for any defense to stop, while Cayden will be in a lead guard role and is a really skilled playmaker with upside. Fellow five-star prospects Shelton Henderson and Nikolas Khamenia are a pair of dynamic wings as well.
5. UConn
I expect a big bounce-back season from Connecticut, which gave Florida all it could handle in the second round of the NCAA Tournament before the Gators narrowly survived. Why do I have the Huskies in the top five? They bring back Solo Ball, big man Tarris Reed and wing Jaylin Stewart while notching one of the best transfer guards in America with former Georgia standout Silas Demary. The decision for Alex Karaban to go pro or return for his senior year is key, as is what else Dan Hurley does in the portal.
6. Texas Tech
The Red Raiders were a matchup nightmare for opponents this season with their versatility and athleticism. If this group can remain intact for 2025-26, they have a chance to be one of America’s best. Rising junior JT Toppin could come back and be one of the best players in the country after averaging 18.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG this past season. Second-leading scorer Darrion Williams could also return along with Christian Anderson, who scored 22 points and was huge in the Sweet 16 comeback victory over Arkansas. While things are always fluid in the offseason, there’s a lot of potential in Lubbock next year and Grant McCasland has the money to keep the majority of his pieces intact.
7. Alabama
Having a fully healthy Latrell Wrightsell is one of the Tide’s top storylines heading into next season. The team’s second-leading scorer ruptured his Achilles in November but will be working his way back and leads the returnees alongside Aden Holloway, who should make a big leap in his junior year. Look for sophomore Aiden Sherrell to take his game to another level next season as well. Nate Oats brings in a top-10 recruiting class and has gone into the portal with rising sophomore guard Jalil Bethea, rising junior big man Taylor Bol Bowen, and a 7-foot veteran in Noah Williamson. The job Oats and his staff have done cements Alabama into my top 10.
8. St. John’s
Coming off a 31-win season, which included a sweep of the Big East regular season and tournament titles, Rick Pitino charges St. John’s into his third year at the helm and has already made a pair of big splashes in the transfer portal. Bryce Hopkins, when healthy, is as tough of a wing as any in the conference, while shooting guard Jo Sanon looks to help solve the Johnnies’ perimeter shooting problem. With All-Big East selection Zuby Ejiofor returning to headline one of the country’s top frontcourts, the big question for Pitino and his staff to answer now is at point guard. But either way, with quality returning star power and a couple of really nice additions, the Johnnies belong in the top 10.
9. UCLA
Coming off a year that frustrated him at times and ultimately led to a second–round exit in the NCAA Tournament, Mick Cronin went out and attacked the portal, bringing in New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent. The 6-2 guard, who averaged 20.3 points and 6.4 assists for the top team in the Mountain West this past season, is wired to score at a high level, something we did not see consistently from the Bruins this season. With rising senior Tyler Bilodeau back, the Bruins have one of the best forwards in the Big Ten, and he’ll be teaming up with Michigan State transfer Xavier Booker. The former McDonald’s All-American has come to LA looking for a change of scenery after averaging just 4.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11 minutes per game in his two years in East Lansing. But having Dent join Bilodeau and returning impact guard Skyy Clark gives this team strong upside.
10. Iowa State
T.J. Otzelberger has a strong returning core and has already notched a couple of intriguing portal adds to keep the Cyclones rolling into 2025-26. Tamin Lipsey is pegged to be back, while Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson will join him to provide long, versatile weapons for the Cyclones to count on. Jefferson will be a senior and has the potential to be a star next year after averaging 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this past season. Then there’s Momcilovic, a rising 6-8 wing who had eight games of 16-plus points in his sophomore season. Look for him to continue making strides and get more shots. Couple that with the nation’s 21st-ranked recruiting class and transfer portal adds Blake Buchanan (Virginia), Eric Mulder (Purdue Fort Wayne) and Mason Williams (Eastern Washington), and you can feel the makeup of a dangerous team if Otzelberger, who’s 54-18 in the last two seasons with a Sweet 16 appearance, can get to work in the lab and develop roles. He’s become one of the best in the country at doing that.
11. Auburn
12. Kansas
13. Florida
14. Arizona
15. Michigan
16. Kentucky
17. Tennessee
18. Michigan State
19. Arkansas
20. Gonzaga
21. BYU
22. Creighton
23. North Carolina
24. Texas
25. Iowa
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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