Florida jumps to the top while Louisville and Indiana join the mix. Here's how next season is taking shape.
The buzzer on Michigan's national championship win over UConn was just three weeks ago, but it's been a 20-day sprint since the transfer portal opened the next morning, with more than 2,700 players leaving their school to find a new one -- and only 10 of our top 100 transfers still available.
The majority of power-conference programs have already completed much of their rebuilds, particularly at the top of their rosters. While the focus has been on portal acquisitions, a common theme has emerged toward the top of our latest Way-Too-Early Top 25: Retention.
Just look at the top five: Florida returns four starters and most of its rotation from an SEC championship team; Duke brings three starters back; Michigan retains two key guards; Illinois is expected to return five of its top eight scorers; and UConn will start three players with extensive experience in Storrs. The dust hasn't quite settled yet, but with the portal closing last Tuesday and the NBA early-entry deadline last Friday, it's time to update our forecast for the 2026-27 men's college basketball season.has entered the NBA draft process, he is ultimately expected to return.
That means Florida is likely to bring back the same frontcourt that won a national championship two seasons ago and is coming off an SEC title.has committed to the Gators, too, but will need a waiver to play another season. If that happens, there's not much of an argument for any other team to top these rankings.
Jon Scheyer's team has fallen short in heartbreaking fashion two years in a row, but the pieces are in place for Duke to make another deep run. -- the latter of whom is arguably the top breakout candidate for next season -- will be the offensive hubs on the perimeter, while five-star guardremains likely to return despite entering his name in the NBA draft at the deadline.
Of course, the Illini also had to replace their starting backcourt withopts to do with his NBA draft future, but Arkansas could have one of the elite backcourts in the country if Thomas decides to return to Fayetteville. Jordan Smith Jr., the best guard in the 2026 class, and high-scoring Georgia transferis expected to return despite going through the NBA draft process.
Smith is one of four top-25 recruits, joined by five-star forwardsSean Miller and the Longhorns had arguably the best portal class of any program in the country, landing two of the best transfers available in Colorado point guardto form one of the most talented on-paper cores in college basketball. There could be some early growing pains, but Texas' ceiling is incredibly high.opts to stay in the draft or return to Tuscaloosa.
For now, we'll project this team's standing as if both are on the roster. There's an intriguing mix of wing talent, with returneeStaying true to his view on retention and development, Tom Izzo is effectively bolstering last season's roster with a few reinforcements to help replace big men. will be a preseason All-American as one of the nation's elite point guards, and there should be more offensive punch on the perimeter withheading back to Tucson.
Peat's expected departure means Tommy Lloyd will have to go find frontcourt reinforcements elsewhere, as the roster looks incredibly thin as it stands. One area the Wildcats are well-equipped is on the perimeter, where they landed point guardsWith all five starters from this past season's team gone, Rick Barnes went into the portal and landed one of the best transfer classes in the country.
There's been a notable shift in focus, with the Volunteers adding a ton of offensive punch with the incoming group. is a score-first lead guard. The key could be whether Barnes can get them all to buy in his usual brand of defense. provide optimism.
There's also the arrival of productive transferswill once again be the anchor down low defensively, but Sampson will need Tugler to carry over his late-season offensive production . , who entered the NBA draft last week, will ultimately be back in Nashville for another season. If Tanner does return, he's likely a lock for preseason All-American after earning first-team All-SEC and All-Defensive team honors last season.
Mark Byington also did a fantastic job in the portal, landing impact transfers likeIn terms of pure on-paper talent, there won't be too many teams with more than USC next season. Withexpected to return, Eric Musselman will have five McDonald's All-Americans from the last two classes. The Trojans have an elite incoming class featuring three high-level recruits, they added a pair of Big East transfers inand Arenas. How will all the pieces fit?
There's a lack of perimeter shooting and a lot of guys who will want shots, but it's an incredibly intriguing group. The Cardinals have generated plenty of buzz with their portal class, particularly given that they landed two of the more sought-after players on the board a few days after the season ended in Kansas transferalso returns from this past season. It's a key year for Kelsey, and he's building a roster with that in mind.
After emerging as one of the biggest surprises in college basketball last season, Fred Hoiberg has another team that can win multiple games in March. The Cornhuskers quietly had one of the better portal hauls in the country, withVirginia's overall roster is fairly barren, but Ryan Odom and the Cavaliers bring back four of their top six scorers and minute-getters from last season:.
De Ridder was one of the best first-year players in the ACC in 2025-26, Lewis showed real potential as an offensive focal point late in the campaign, Mallory was a terrific point guard off the bench and Grunloh is a defensive anchor. Odom now needs to add on the wings to round out the lineup and add some depth.
TJ Otzelberger is known to get his work done early on the recruiting trail, whether in the portal or at the high school level, and this spring was no different. The Cyclones welcomed five transfers on campus the first weekend after the season, and all five committed. There might not be the star power ofRick Pitino's roster isn't set just yet, but this is a bet on him, and that the Red Storm will add a couple more pieces.
They've already landed British point guard Quinn Ellis, one of the best players coming to college basketball from Europe this offseason, and productive forwardThis ranking is well ahead of consensus when it comes to the Tigers' early preseason ranking, but Dennis Gates has done a fantastic job of stockpiling talent at the top of the roster.is also back in the lineup. There's plenty of size and athleticism, and Crowe is the type of high-usage guard who can be an immediate game-changer.
Jai Lucas did a fantastic job in year one at Miami and has a roster to be even better in 2026-27. Villanova transferAssuming the five-for-five eligibility rule doesn't pass in the next few weeks, Matt Painter is set to move on from theJosh Schertz is set to bring back three starters from a team that won 29 games and throttled Georgia in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Billikens' top two scorers,After advancing past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament nine consecutive times, Gonzaga has been bounced in the second round of the dance in back-to-back seasons. Will 2027 be the year the Bulldogs get back to the Sweet 16?is prepared for a breakout season.
The key will be the newcomers: European pro Jack Kayil, who is going through the NBA draft process; Houston transferDarian DeVries completely changed his approach to roster construction and the transfer portal after one year in Bloomington, and the Hoosiers now have a squad that is seemingly better equipped to deal with the physicality, size and athleticism of high-major basketball. When healthy,offer a good balance of shooting and defense on the wings.
Indiana made its post group a priority, and landed two of the better bigs in the portal in
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