Jay Bilas Unveils Top 68 College Basketball Rankings as 2025-26 Season Kicks Off
The 2025-26 college basketball season officially began Monday night following a turbulent offseason filled with coaching changes and Transfer Portal activity. Basketball is back, sparking huge anticipation across the sport.
Season Storylines to Watch
- Will Florida become the second team in a row to repeat as National Champions?
- Can Kelvin Sampson lead Houston to its first-ever National Championship?
- Will Duke bounce back from last season’s Final Four disappointment to claim the first title of the Jon Scheyer era?
Jay Bilas’ Top Team: Purdue
Just one game into the season, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas ranked Purdue as the top college basketball team. Head coach Matt Painter returns for his 21st season, supported by star point guard Braden Smith, sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer, skilled big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff.
The Boilermakers aim to reach the National Championship Game for the second time in three seasons. They opened their campaign with a commanding 82-51 victory over Evansville on Tuesday.
"Loyer led the way with 30 points on 7-of-10 shooting from three-point range."
Purdue has a final tune-up game against Oakland before facing a tough matchup in Tuscaloosa against a top-ranked opponent in a rematch of last year’s 87-78 victory.
Author’s Summary
The 2025-26 college basketball season is off to a thrilling start with Purdue leading Jay Bilas’ rankings and major storylines brewing around several top programs.