NCAAB · 2 months ago

College Basketball Preview: 2025-26’s Top 35 Most-Improved Teams

David Connelly

Host · Writer

35. Syracuse
The Orange desperately need to get a supporting cast around star guard JJ Starling, and it seems they may have done so this offseason. Naithan George is their marquee pickup out of Georgia Tech, the ACC's leader in assists per game at 6.5 while also pouring in 12.3 points per contest. He should help keep Starling off the ball and let him focus on scoring, which is what he does best. William Kyle III is an under-the-radar pickup from UCLA, an uber-athletic forward that could carve out a niche role in the frontcourt.
1. St. John's
Rick Pitino and St. John's knew what its biggest weakness was in 2024-25, and it came back to bite them in the NCAA Tournament. The team's lack of three-point shooting reared its ugly head in their Round of 32 loss to Arkansas, shooting just two-of-22 from beyond the arc. He addressed that in a big way this offseason with the likes of Ian Jackson, Oziyah Sellers, and Joson Sanon added to the mix. And don't forget the prized gem, Providence's Bryce Hopkins, making the rare intraconference move. With Big East Player of the Year candidate Zuby Ejiofor returning, the Johnnies are back, and maybe better than last year's team that won the league.
2. Louisville
It's starting to feel like Pat Kelsey is building something special at Louisville. The Cardinals are already coming off a season where they exceeded expectations, going 18-2 in the ACC and snatching up an #8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now they bring in a trio of studs from the portal in Xavier's Ryan Conwell, Kennesaw State's Adrian Wooley, and Virginia's Isaac McKneely. The way Kelsey can quickly get guys to buy in means that this Louisville team could be a serious dark horse in the 2025-26 season.
3. USC
Eric Musselman's debut season at USC saw the team finish below .500, but the result was largely in line with expectations, given the talent on the roster and the overall state of the rebuild. Musselman decided to bring in some win-now talent through the portal this offseason, most notably Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara and Maryland's Rodney Rice. It's almost an entirely new roster for the Trojans, but there is enough ability here to make them a competitor in the Big Ten if everything comes together.
4. Iowa
The Hawkeyes came away with one of the prized jewels of the portal in Bennett Stirtz, as he follows head coach Ben McCollum on his move from Indiana State to Iowa. It immediately makes Iowa a threat in the Big Ten, and they have also brought in some solid secondary pieces to go with him. Robert Morris's Alvaro Folgueiras and Kansas State's Brendan Hausen ought to round out the starting lineup around Stirtz and provide some offensive firepower.
5. Kansas State
After spending more than any school in the country and producing one of the biggest flops of the 2024-25 season, head coach Jerome Tang is under a lot of pressure to have some success in what is now his fourth season at Kansas State. The Wildcats have made splashes yet again, landing our top transfer of the class in Memphis's PJ Haggerty. Abdi Bashir Jr. from Monmouth is another sleeper name to watch here. He boasts elite isolation scoring for a mid-major player and could quickly translate to the high-major level.
6. NC State
The Will Wade era is officially underway at North Carolina State, and he has hit the ground running, revamping the roster via the transfer portal. The household name to know is Texas Tech's Darrion Williams, a point forward who has started nearly 100 games between his time spent in Lubbock and at Nevada for his freshman season. He should be able to contribute as the team's alpha from the outset.
7. UCLA
Sometimes, improving in today's college basketball landscape simply means retaining the talent you already have through the offseason. The Bruins showed flashes of being a dangerous team last season, knocking off Michigan State, Gonzaga, and Wisconsin in some convincing performances. Three of their five starters return for Mick Cronin, including leading scorer and NBA prospect Tyler Bilodeau. He also brings in Donovan Dent, one of the top guards and best playmakers in the country from the portal this offseason.
8. Michigan
Head coach Dusty May hammered the portal to bring immediate success to Ann Arbor in his first season at the helm, and it paid off in dividends. He led the Wolverines to the second weekend, and they may have their eyes set on an even deeper run in 2025-26. UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg headlines the portal haul, a double-double machine that is more than ready for the high-major level. North Carolina's Elliot Cadeau and Illinois's Morez Johnson Jr. will slot into the starting lineup, giving Michigan some really fun roster construction and all-around strengths in the starting five.
9. BYU
The Cougars are a legitimate Final Four contender for the first time since Jimmer Fredette was on campus. Head coach Kevin Young brought the program back to the second weekend for the first time since Fredette's senior season in 2011 and returned key piece Richie Saunders for the 2025-26 season. Projected No. 1 overall pick and blue-chip freshman A.J. Dybantsa will headline this year's newcomers, as well as Baylor's Rob Wright and Southern Illinois's Kennard Davis.
10. Indiana
It's a complete retool for the Hoosiers with Mike Woodson out the door and Darian DeVries stepping in. The biggest addition is, of course, Tucker DeVries. With his season cut short due to injury at West Virginia last year, DeVries is back for his last dance with his father in Bloomington. Add in some exciting pieces like Sam Houston State's Lamar Wilkerson, Florida's Sam Alexis, and DePaul's Conor Enright, and this team becomes well-rounded from top to bottom.
11. Kentucky
The days of Kentucky stacking up talent via the high school recruiting trail are long gone. Head coach Mark Pope has made an emphasis on hammering the transfer portal, and continued to do so this offseason. The crown jewel of the class is Arizona State's Jayden Quaintance, an uber-athletic 6'9" center that should quickly burst onto the scene in Lexington. Florida's Denzel Aberdeen and Pittsburgh's Jaland Lowe should step right into the backcourt and become instant impacts, providing the Wildcats with an exciting roster oozing with potential.
12. Florida
It's not a very large crop of players, but the Gators have retooled with some serious talent as they attempt to secure back-to-back national championships. Arkansas's Boogie Fland headlines the group, a point guard who showed awesome flashes last season and should lead this backcourt. Xaivian Lee is an elite running mate from Princeton, a guard familiar with intricate offensive scheming during his time with the Tigers and a brilliant off-ball mover. Ohio's AJ Brown is another name to keep an eye on, a solid scorer with high-major size and athleticism.
13. Creighton
While there may not be a household name on Creighton's list of incoming transfers, there are a lot of strong pieces that will make up a well-constructed roster. We consider Iowa's Josh Dix a notable name here, an uber-efficient guard who has shot over 50 percent from the floor in his career. His teammate, Owen Freeman, also comes over from the Hawkeyes as a capable forward who made an impressive leap between his freshman and sophomore seasons.
14. Washington
Desmond Claude is the big name to know here, who surprised a lot of the college basketball world by choosing Washington over other highly-regarded destinations that were pursuing him. He is a veteran leader who will instill a winning culture in the program, while being a reliable scorer who showed improved efficiency in his lone season at USC. Teammate Wesley Yates III also follows him to the Huskies, a promising rising sophomore who averaged 14.1 points per game in 2024-25 while shooting a scorching 44 percent from beyond the arc.
15. BYU
While BYU may have one of the highest ceilings among teams on this list, it's challenging to rank them highly based on their performance last year. The Cougars were one of the hottest teams in the country to close out the 2024-25 season, winning their final eight games of the regular season before reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The Final Four is the new goal with top-rated recruit A.J. Dybantsa entering the mix, while Baylor's Rob Wright joins the program as one of the top guard transfers in the country. BYU enters 2025-26 with its best chance to reach a national semifinal since Jimmer Fredette was still on campus back in 2010-11.
16. Maryland
With the departure of head coach Kevin Willard, along with most of the roster, Maryland is set for a total overhaul in 2025-26. Head coach Buzz Williams has brought in nine transfers this offseason, most notably big man Pharrel Payne, who followed Williams from Texas A&M. Indiana's Myles Rice still possesses loads of upside despite a disappointing season at Indiana. At the same time, Isaiah Watts is an exciting combo guard coming in from Washington State. If Williams can fit the puzzle pieces together early on in College Park, the Terrapins could be a sneaky squad in the Big Ten.
17. Texas A&M
Bucky Ball has arrived at College Station, and head coach Bucky McMillan wasted no time retooling the roster to his liking. Ten incoming transfers will have to adjust to McMillan's coveted playstyle, one that heavily emphasizes tempo and three-pointers. Kansas transfer Rylan Griffen should have no problem making that shift, having since played under Nate Oats at Alabama. Pop Isaacs enters from Creighton after missing most of last season due to a hip injury. If he can be fully healthy for the upcoming season, he could be an X-factor for the Aggies this season.
18. Miami
After a pair of ugly seasons to close out the Jim Larrañaga era at Miami, the Hurricanes are ready to turn the page and begin life under Jai Lucas. Indiana's Malik Reneau is the highlight of their portal activity this summer, a proven forward who will be expected to lead the line in the frontcourt right away. Tre Donaldson arrives at Coral Gables after emerging as Michigan's starting point guard in 2024-25, showcasing his playmaking and ability to facilitate on the offensive end. This group should be a solid upgrade from last year's calamity as a new chapter begins at Miami.
19. Texas
The Texas job has been a bit of a revolving door in recent years. After a failed stint with Rodney Terry over the past three seasons, the Longhorns sent him packing and have brought in Sean Miller from Xavier, a proven name with four Elite Eights to his name. Dailyn Swain and Lassina Traore followed Miller from the Musketeers, providing some player-coach continuity that should help the team to start the year. St. John's transfer Simeon Wilcher is an exciting under-the-radar pickup here. Rick Pitino always gushed about his potential during his time with the Red Storm, something he could get the chance to realize in 2025-26.
20. Ole Miss
Chris Beard is breathing life back into the Ole Miss basketball program, and he's looking to continue keeping them relevant with a successful portal stint this summer. AJ Storr enters from Kansas, a First-Team All-Big Ten selection back in 2023-24 who struggled to find any footing within the Jayhawks' rotation last season. Kezza Giffa is a name to keep an eye on, a talented mid-major transfer from High Point who could quickly become an exciting scorer for the Rebels next season.
21. Cincinnati
It's time for Wes Miller to step up at Cincinnati, entering his fifth season. It's been an underwhelming tenure, and it's clear he is going all-in with this roster to get the team to its first NCAA Tournament and potentially save his job. The group is headlined by UCF transfer Moustapha Thiam, a freshman seven-footer who led the AAC in blocks per game and poured in 10.4 points per contest last season. Kerr Kriisa joins his fourth program in as many years for his final collegiate season, hoping to bring some elite playmaking to the backcourt here. Baba Miller is another name to watch, a promising forward who has steadily improved his shooting splits over the years.
22. Alabama
We have Taylor Bol Bowen as one of our top breakout candidates for the 2025-26 season, and he is the headliner of this Alabama transfer class. At 6'10" with a 7'2" wingspan, he has the frame and raw ability to become one of the top contributors for the Crimson Tide. Noah Williamson is the lesser-known name here to know, the Patriot League Player of the Year in 2024-25, who stands seven feet tall and has slowly developed the ability to knock down outside shots to go with his elite interior presence.
23. North Carolina
Henri Veesaar has been a player many have been counting on to be a massive breakout star for the upcoming college basketball season. His overall growth as a raw talent over the course of three years at Arizona makes many believe he could explode into a serious paint presence for the Tar Heels. Kyan Evans is also an intriguing get for head coach Hubert Davis, a reliable guard at Colorado State last year who really blossomed over the previous offseason.
24. Texas Tech
After losing Darrion Williams to the portal, it became clear to head coach Grant McCasland that he needed to find talent to put around superstar JT Toppin in a big way this offseason. LeJuan Watts will be asked to provide that as the crown jewel of this transfer class, a former Big Sky Rookie of the Year winner, a 42 percent three-point shooter at Washington State last season. If he can be a secondary scoring option and stretch the floor for them, it could help raise the ceiling in Lubbock.
25. LSU
It's always fun snatching up a Conference Player of the Year in the transfer portal, and LSU did just that with scooping up Marquel Sutton from Omaha this offseason. A three-level scorer with a knack for rebounding and solid size, Sutton should find plenty of ways to be effective in the SEC this season. Rashad King is the second name to know here, an All-CAA First-Team selection that should contribute right away in Baton Rouge.
26. Oklahoma
The Sooners have brought in some stability to hold the floor intact entering the 2025-26 season. Experienced point guard Nijel Pack headlines the group out of Miami, who has averaged at least 12.7 points across all five of his collegiate seasons. He is a solid, all-around floor general that can dish it, shoot, and score when he calls his own number. Tae Davis is an intriguing get from Notre Dame, a volume scorer that saw a ton of workload with the Fighting Irish due to a lack of talent on the roster. His counting stats may decrease at Oklahoma, but he remains a key cog in this incoming transfer class.
27. Baylor
Purely based on the size of the class, we're going to guess that Baylor is going to hit on a few of these newcomers. The biggest landing for the Bears came from Oregon State with forward Michael Rataj. The rising senior broke out last season, more than doubling his scoring output to 16.9 points per game, all while increasing his shooting splits. Obi Agbim is another name to watch. In his first season at the Division I level, he dominated for Wyoming as their leading scorer, and even led the Mountain West in three-point percentage (43.7%). These are sneaky additions from head coach Scott Drew, who will surely find ways to utilize their skill sets effectively.
28. Texas Tech
LeJuan Watts is the name to know from this incoming group, a rising star who is moving up for the second consecutive offseason. After a promising freshman campaign at Eastern Washington, Watts transferred within the state to Washington State. Despite the leap, he still improved his production and now heads to Lubbock to join the Red Raiders. Donovan Atwell also joins the mix here, a combo guard from UNC Greensboro who is an elite shooter and a Third-Team All-Southern selection from last season. There is a lot to like about what head coach Grant McCasland has brought in to surround superstar JT Toppin in 2025-26.
29. Virginia
The Cavaliers feel like a serious sleeper in the ACC ahead of Ryan Odom's first season at the helm. It's one of the more exciting transfer classes the program has seen in recent years, headlined by BYU guard Dallin Hall. The Utah native possesses a very high floor as he enters his senior season, with the ability to play both on and off the ball in the backcourt as either a scorer or facilitator. North Dakota State's Jacari White and San Francisco's Malik Thomas are the mid-major gets to watch out for, both elite scorers who made their respective First-Teams in their conference.
30. Clemson
Clemson didn't do much to make a massive difference in the offseason, but they did fill some holes on the roster via the portal. Nevada center Nick Davidson joins the team for his final collegiate season, a stretch big who should fill Ian Schieffelin's shoes nicely in the frontcourt. Georgia power forward RJ Godfrey is another strong get as he boomerangs back to Clemson after spending last season with the Bulldogs. Brad Brownell's familiarity with his skill set means he could make an immediate impact.
31. UConn
The Huskies kept it mostly quiet in the offseason, but did scoop up two strong transfers to help out in the backcourt. Georgia's Silas Demary is expected to step right in, a shifty combo guard that can both playmake for others and score on his own. Dayton's Malachi Smith will likely be the one on the ball in the backcourt, an electrifying pass-first point guard who will be sure to deliver a highlight reel almost every night. If they can figure it out quickly in the backcourt around the other pieces returning for UConn, then they could be back to contending for a national title.
32. Providence
Between a plethora of injuries and some flop transfers, things didn't exactly go as planned for Kim English and Providence in 2024-25. The good news is that the only way to go is up, and they have some sneaky-good pickups from this offseason. Vanderbilt's Jason Edwards will bring some much-needed stability to the backcourt, someone who has already proven that he can do it at the power conference level. Jaylin Sellers was the alpha for Central Florida before suffering a back injury that hampered his senior season. A medical redshirt gives him another chance to make an impact with the Friars in 2025-26.
33. Georgia
BYU's Kanon Catchings is ready for a fresh start at Georgia. The former top-40 high school recruit is still incredibly raw and presents loads of potential for Georgia with three years of eligibility remaining. Cal's Jeremiah Wilkinson and Saint Mary's Jordan Ross will help round out the backcourt. These two players can become legitimate contributors for the Bulldogs if they improve their efficiency a bit as they take the leap to the SEC.
34. West Virginia
It's a packed class of incoming transfers as Ross Hodge looks to fill up his scholarship spots with the departure of head coach Darian DeVries. Eight players enter the mix for West Virginia, headlined by North Dakota's Treysen Eaglestaff, a dynamic scorer who has one of the highest single-game ceilings in the country after exploding for 51 points in a win over South Dakota State in last season's Summit League Tournament. Honor Huff is another fun mid-major pickup out of Chattanooga, a First-Team All-Southern selection who helped lead Chattanooga to the NIT title in 2024-25.
35. Syracuse
The Orange desperately need to get a supporting cast around star guard JJ Starling, and it seems they may have done so this offseason. Naithan George is their marquee pickup out of Georgia Tech, the ACC's leader in assists per game at 6.5 while also pouring in 12.3 points per contest. He should help keep Starling off the ball and let him focus on scoring, which is what he does best. William Kyle III is an under-the-radar pickup from UCLA, an uber-athletic forward that could carve out a niche role in the frontcourt.
1. St. John's
Rick Pitino and St. John's knew what its biggest weakness was in 2024-25, and it came back to bite them in the NCAA Tournament. The team's lack of three-point shooting reared its ugly head in their Round of 32 loss to Arkansas, shooting just two-of-22 from beyond the arc. He addressed that in a big way this offseason with the likes of Ian Jackson, Oziyah Sellers, and Joson Sanon added to the mix. And don't forget the prized gem, Providence's Bryce Hopkins, making the rare intraconference move. With Big East Player of the Year candidate Zuby Ejiofor returning, the Johnnies are back, and maybe better than last year's team that won the league.

College Basketball Preview: 2025-26’s Top 35 Most-Improved Teams

BETTING NEWS

FUTURES

2026 World Cup Winner

2026 NCAAMB Winner

2026 UCL Winner

2026 World Cup Winner

EDITOR'S PICKS

For the Best of SportsGrid, Grab the App

BETTING NEWS

FUTURES

Sports Betting

Sportsbook Promos

Social Casinos