College Basketball Rankings: ESPN shakes up Way-Too-Early Top 25 after transfer portal movement

It’s been a wild three weeks since the national championship game ended and Michigan claimed its spot atop the college basketball world. The transfer portal has opened and closed and rosters look wildly different than 21 days ago.

ESPN has updated its Way Too Early Top 25 for the 2026-27 season, providing a look at which teams are best suited to contend for it all next year. There’s a new name at the top.

So who does the Worldwide Leader have out in front? Which other teams round out the Top 25? We begin by taking a look below.

1. Florida Gators

Previous Ranking: 3
The kings of college basketball two years ago are back at it again, claiming the top spot in the sport at ESPN after returning some key players. Thomas Haugh is back, as is Alex Condon. For now, ESPN’s assumption is that Rueben Chinyelu will also return, though he is testing the NBA Draft waters.

That would give Florida four of five starters back from a team that was a No. 1 seed this season. The top bench scorers have also returned, making the Gators a formidable group entering next season.

2. Duke Blue Devils

Previous Ranking: 2
Like Florida, Duke is getting a healthy chunk of its roster back, though Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans are moving on to the NBA Draft. Still the return of Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba gives the Blue Devils a strong core to work with.

Add elite Wisconsin scorer John Blackwell and Duke once again has the goods to get it done. Cameron Williams is one of the top incoming prospects in the country.

3. Michigan Wolverines

Previous Ranking: 1
Michigan tumbles from the top spot, but Florida and Duke shouldn’t exactly be celebrating — the Wolverines are close behind. Replacing the frontcourt led by Aday Mara and Morez Johnson won’t be easy, but the Wolverines have snagged a trio of transfers there.

Meanwhile, point guard Elliott Cadeau and budding star Trey McKenney are both back. Dusty May has proven he can build a winner. Does he have the right combination of returning talent and portal stars yet again?

4. Illinois Fighting Illini

Previous Ranking: 8
Illinois returns virtually its entire frontcourt, which was a pretty good outfit during the 2025-26 college basketball season. The Ivisics are one of the better duos in the country, and Andrej Stojakovic could return despite testing the NBA Draft waters.

Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks should help replace the loss of Keaton Wagler, while recruit Quentin Coleman is considered one of the nation’s best. This is a strong overall group returning.

5. UConn Huskies

Previous Ranking: 4
UConn gets dinged a bit here for a loss through no fault of its own. Star guard Solo Ball will miss the 2026-27 college basketball season while recovering from a wrist injury.

Still, UConn has the pieces to replace veterans Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. effectively. Nikolas Khamenia from Duke was a top transfer portal get, as was Seton Hall‘s Najai Hines. And Dan Hurley has proven time and again he knows how to produce a winning roster.

6. Arkansas Razorbacks

Previous Ranking: 7
All eyes are on the decision of Meleek Thomas and whether he will remain in the NBA Draft going forward. If he returns, Arkansas has a 15.6 PPG scorer at its disposal. He would go once again alongside Billy Richmond while joining Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson.

John Calipari is also an excellent recruiter. He has four of the best recruits in the nation headed in, headlined by elite guard Jordan Smith.

7. Texas Longhorns

Previous Ranking: 13
Sean Miller very quietly molded Texas into an NCAA Tournament contender in 2025-26, sneaking in as one of the last teams in the Big Dance but then doing some real damage. Big man Matas Vokietaitis is back, helping to anchor the frontcourt.

A trio of terrific transfers should help bolster the lineup elsewhere: Colorado‘s Isaiah Johnson (16.9 PPG), TCU‘s David Punch (14.1 PPG) and Auburn‘s Elyjah Freeman (9.2 PPG). The Miller era is truly off and running in Austin.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide

Previous Ranking: 20
The status of Aden Holloway remains a major question mark for Alabama following his arrest. If he’s back, Alabama has an elite scorer in the backcourt to build around. If not, other answers will be needed.

The Crimson Tide took one of the hottest players late in the season in the transfer portal in Kentucky forward Brandon Garrison. Can he emerge as a full-time threat in the frontcourt?

9. Michigan State Spartans

Previous Ranking: 6
Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. is back and that’s where the conversation starts with this college basketball mainstay. The Spartans are always competitive under Tom Izzo.

More than many other teams in this list, Michigan State will be relying on a homegrown group of guys to take the next step. There are a bunch of returning pieces — not that there aren’t some talented new recruits, too — and that usually bodes well for an Izzo squad.

10. Arizona Wildcats

Previous Ranking: 5
Arizona takes a bit of a tumble after big man Koa Peat opted to enter the NBA Draft. The Wildcats should be quite good on the perimeter, but more answers are needed on the interior following Peat’s departure.

Derek Dixon transfers in from North Carolina, while Ivan Kharchenkov returns after averaging 10.2 PPG. Big man Montiejus Krivas is back, as well. Can newcomers Caleb Holt and Cameron Holmes make an immediate impact?

Rest of the College Basketball Top 25

11. Tennessee Volunteers (next in line)
12. Houston Cougars (10)
13. Vanderbilt Commodores (24)
14. USC Trojans (17)
15. Louisville Cardinals (NR)
16. Nebraska Cornhuskers (18)
17. Virginia Cavaliers (9)
18. Iowa State Cyclones (12)
19. St. John’s Red Storm (11)
20. Missouri Tigers (23)
21. Miami Hurricanes (next in line)
22. Purdue Boilermakers (14)
23. Saint Louis Billikens (15)
24. Gonzaga Bulldogs (21)
25. Indiana Hoosiers (NR)

Next Five
Iowa Hawkeyes
BYU Cougars
Ohio State Buckeyes
UCLA Bruins
Texas A&M Aggies