Top 20 Most Improved Teams in the 2025 CBB Offseason

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.

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.