Jay Bilas Reveals Top 68 College Basketball Teams for 2025-26 Season
The 2025-26 college basketball season officially began Monday night after a chaotic offseason filled with coaching changes and Transfer Portal activity. Fans are eager as basketball returns with compelling storylines.
Season Storylines to Watch
- Can Florida become the second consecutive program to repeat as National Champions?
- Will Kelvin Sampson lead Houston to its first-ever National Championship?
- Will Duke overcome last season’s Final Four collapse to claim the first title under Jon Scheyer?
Top-Ranked Team: Purdue
Just after the season opener, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas ranked Purdue as the top team in college basketball. The Boilermakers, led by head coach Matt Painter in his 21st season, aim to reach the National Championship Game again for the second time in three years.
The roster features standout players including point guard Braden Smith, sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer, big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and transfer Oscar Cluff from South Dakota State.
Purdue began their season strongly with an 82-51 victory over Evansville, highlighted by Loyer’s 30 points on impressive 7-of-10 three-point shooting.
Upcoming Games
The Boilermakers have one more warm-up game against Oakland before heading to Tuscaloosa for a highly anticipated rematch against a ranked opponent. Last year’s meeting saw Purdue win narrowly, 87-78.
"Purdue has loaded up in their quest to return to the National Championship Game for the second time in three seasons."
Author’s summary: The 2025-26 college basketball season opens with high stakes and top rankings, as Purdue positions itself strongly to make a deep championship run.