NCAA 25/26: how the top teams are shaping up one month before the start

With official practices beginning on September 22, 2025 for many Division I programs, the top college basketball teams are in full preparation mode. Coaches are refining schemes, setting rotations, integrating newcomers, and ensuring physical conditioning is competition-ready. Meanwhile, the transfer portal continues to reshape rosters dramatically, and staff changes are actively influencing team builds.

The 5 Potential NCAA 25/26 Winners

Given that the official practices have commenced (or are about to), teams will spend their early sessions on fundamentals, defensive spacing, conditioning, and small‑group drills before ramping up full team sets and scrimmages.

Here’s an overview of the 5 frequently cited teams among the title contenders: Purdue, Florida, Houston, UConn, and St. John’s.

Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue enters the season with considerable stability and high expectations. Key transfers have been added to shore depth: South Dakota State forward Oscar Cluff and North Florida guard Liam Murphy are among the newcomers. Departures are modest; Myles Colvin, Camden Heide, Caleb Furst among those expected to leave. Thanks to a combination of experience and talent, they are considered the leading contenders for the title. Betting on their victory, even taking advantage of the bonus bets offered by top sportsbooks, would seem to be the most obvious choice at this point.

Florida Gators

Florida, the reigning champion, officially opened fall practice on September 22. The Gators face a more challenging roster rebuild than many others due to multiple key departures: Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, Will Richard, Denzel Aberdeen, Sam Alexis, and Kajus Kublickas are no longer with the program either via NBA draft, transfer, or graduation.

To refill the roster, Florida has brought in transfers such as Xaivian Lee, Boogie Fland, AJ Brown, and Alex Kovatchev, and signed freshmen Cornelius Ingram Jr. and Alex Lloyd. The staff is also recalibrating.

Houston Cougars

Houston enters with significant expectations, coming off a deep tournament run. They return several core contributors, and the roster includes new additions via the portal. According to preseason outlooks, Houston retains strong continuity and is considered among the strongest challengers. In practice, Houston will aim to sharpen its defensive identity while adding offensive pivots to compensate for any losses.

UConn Huskies

UConn is always under the microscope after its back-to-back championships in 2023–2024. While last season’s tournament ended prematurely in 2025, expectations remain high. Coach Dan Hurley and staff are emphasizing accountability, cohesion, and role definition early on. The Huskies plan to blend returning contributors with strategic incoming pieces, tuning rotations in fall practice. UConn’s goal is to regain a competitive edge in the Big East and among national contenders.

St. John’s Red Storm

St. John’s is arguably one of the most aggressive teams in the portal and recruiting this offseason. Under Rick Pitino, the program has aggressively added perimeter scorers and depth via transfers like Ian Jackson, Joson Sanon, Oziyah Sellers, Bryce Hopkins, and others. The strong transfer activity aims to push St. John’s into national relevance again.

General trends: transfers, recruiting, staff changes

The modern college basketball landscape is dominated by player and staff movement. The NCAA’s waiver allowing for unlimited official recruiting visits through July 2025 has increased flexibility for programs navigating roster turnover. Many coaches now treat roster construction as a near‑continuous process.

Staff adjustments are also significant. As veteran assistants depart elsewhere, head coaches are recruiting new support staff to oversee analytics, player development, recruiting, and scouting. In some cases, these changes help refresh philosophies or offer a needed edge in game preparation.

The stage is set: practices have begun, drills are underway, and by November, each of these programs will begin putting their offseason labor to the test. The NCAA landscape is volatile, but among these contenders, the margin between success and disappointment will often come down to preparation, chemistry, and coaching execution.