Jay Bilas Unveils Top 68 College Basketball Rankings for 2025-26 Season
The 2025-26 college basketball season officially began Monday night after a turbulent offseason filled with coaching changes and Transfer Portal activity. Basketball is back with highly anticipated storylines.
Key Questions for the Season
- Can Florida become the second consecutive program to repeat as National Champions?
- Will Kelvin Sampson lead Houston to its first-ever National Championship?
- Can Duke redeem last season’s Final Four loss and claim the first title under Jon Scheyer?
Purdue Tops the Rankings
After just one game, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas ranked Purdue as the top team in college basketball. Head coach Matt Painter returns for his 21st season, supported by standout players like point guard Braden Smith, sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer, big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff.
The Boilermakers are aiming to reach the National Championship Game for the second time in three years. They opened the season with a commanding 82-51 victory over Evansville. Loyer was outstanding, scoring 30 points with seven three-pointers on 7-of-10 shooting.
Upcoming Matchups
Purdue has one more warm-up game against Oakland before traveling to Tuscaloosa for a rematch against a top-ranked non-conference opponent. Last year, Purdue won their meeting 87-78.
"Basketball is officially back. The storylines this season are off the charts."
"Loyer led the way with 30 points on 7-of-10 shooting from three-point range."
Summary: The 2025-26 college basketball season starts with high expectations, led by Purdue as the top-ranked team, and many compelling narratives across the country.
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