College Basketball Rankings: FOX Sports releases updated 2026-2027 Top 25 after latest portal moves

The college basketball landscape for the 2026-2027 season is still taking shape. Rosters are not completely finalized. But for the most part, head coaches know what their teams will look like moving forward.

A lot of movement has taken place in the NCAA transfer portal. So, with most of the top guys off the board, FOX has released its latest preseason top 25.

Let’s check out the full thing below, beginning with some familiar faces. The top three schools all featured in the Final Four not too long ago.

1. Florida Gators

Head coach Todd Golden has not been too busy in the NCAA transfer portal. Instead, the name of the game for Florida has been roster retention. A lot of familiar faces are going to be back in Gainesville.

Florida was already one of the top teams in college basketball a season ago. You have to imagine plenty will be motivated after surprisingly exiting from the NCAA Tournament early.

2. Illinois Fighting Illini

A second Final Four team from a year ago, Illinois is in quite a similar position to Florida. Brad Underwood should find a way to retain a lot of the same players. Another offseason of experience only boosts them in rankings like these.

Illinois comes in at No. 2, according to FOX. If this comes to fruition in the preseason AP poll, it would be the Illini’s highest preseason rankings since 1985.

3. Michigan Wolverines

Before the confetti even stopped floating from the sky in Indianapolis, Michigan began to work on next season. The goal of repeating is one the Wolverines are taking quite seriously.

Michigan cut down the nets thanks to great work through the transfer portal. Dusty May figures to build his team with that in mind, already landing some key names.

4. Duke Blue Devils

If anybody in college basketball knows how to assemble an elite roster, it’s Jon Scheyer. Every single offseason, we see Duke pull some of the biggest names out there.

Per usual, an elite high school class is making its way to Durham. Scheyer landed one of the biggest names in the portal, John Blackwell, to cap things off. Oh, and Duke found a way to retain a few key faces.

5. Louisville Cardinals

Not many out there get aggressive in the portal like Louisville. Expectations are going to be up there with anyone in the country for the Cardinals.

FOX places them just inside the top-10 and behind an ACC foe. Pat Kelsey continues to make progress at Louisville and will want to take another step in ’26-27.

6. UConn Huskies

Nobody really expected UConn to be in position to win a national championship. In all honesty, the Huskies never really clicked during the season. Even so, they were just one win away from cutting down the nets.

Now, the roster looks to be even better suited to make an NCAA Tournament run. Dan Hurley is one of the best out there when it comes to finding consistency.

7. Arizona Wildcats

For the first time in a long time, Arizona was one of the final four teams standing. Tommy Lloyd had been building to the moment, only to finally break through. Still, folks in Tucson are looking to cut down the nets.

Caleb Holt features on the roster, looking to be one of college basketball’s top freshmen. Lloyd has shown the ability to develop just about anybody.

8. Michigan State Spartans

The strategy at Michigan State has not changed too much. Tom Izzo is not all too interested in building his roster with transfers — instead looking for long-term guys.

Anton Bonke is somebody the Spartans have taken. One player decided to leave East Lansing. Besides them, no roster movement. Which, overall, is good news, considering how well Michigan State played last year.

9. Arkansas Razorbacks

In the portal era, John Calipari has not forgotten how to recruit. Four freshmen will play for Arkansas next season, all of whom are inside the class of 2026‘s top 25, per the Rivals Industry Ranking.

As of now, FOX has Arkansas as the class of the SEC. They are the conference’s lone team ranked inside the top 10.

10. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga just made a huge portal splash, landing a commitment from Massamba Diop. A class of him and Isiah Harwell makes for an exciting one-two punch in Spokane, on top of what the Bulldogs already have in the program.

For a while there, few schools produced results year-over-year like Gonzaga. Now, they are looking to get back to their high-level of winning ways.

FOX Sports latest college basketball rankings: No. 11-25

11. Texas Longhorns
12. USC Trojans
13. Iowa State Cyclones
14. Virginia Cavaliers
15. St. John’s Red Storm
16. Alabama Crimson Tide
17. Tennessee Volunteers
18. Houston Cougars
19. Indiana Hoosiers
20. Vanderbilt Commodores
21. Miami Hurricanes
22. BYU Cougars
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers
24. Ohio State Buckeyes
25. Purdue Boilermakers