Jay Bilas Reveals Top 68 College Basketball Teams for 2025-26
The 2025-26 college basketball season officially began Monday night following a hectic offseason packed with coaching changes and Transfer Portal activity. Basketball is back, and this season promises thrilling storylines.
Key Questions Heading Into the Season
- Will Florida become the second program in a row to repeat as National Champions?
- Can Kelvin Sampson lead Houston to its first-ever National Championship?
- Will Duke redeem last season’s Final Four loss and claim the first title of the Jon Scheyer era?
Purdue Tops Jay Bilas’ Preseason Rankings
After just one game into the season, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas has released his rankings of the top 68 college basketball teams. Purdue leads the pack, entering as the best team in college basketball.
Head coach Matt Painter is in his 21st season guiding the Boilermakers, supported by standout players like point guard Braden Smith, sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer, powerful big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff.
Purdue aims to return to the National Championship Game for the second time in three years. They kicked off their regular season with an emphatic 82-51 win over Evansville.
"Loyer led the way with 30 points on 7-of-10 shooting from three-point range."
The Boilermakers have one more preparation game against Oakland before traveling to Tuscaloosa for a rematch against a top-ranked non-conference opponent, a contest they won last year 87-78.
Author’s Summary
This season is set for intense competition as top teams like Purdue and Florida vie for supremacy, with Jay Bilas offering a fresh ranking after the opening games.