Jason Burgos
The 2025-26 regular season is officially in the rearview mirror, and teams around the country will use the upcoming conference tournaments to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding or land a berth in the massive March event. But who are the best of the best in college basketball right now?
Our all-new college basketball rankings look to answer that question, as of March 6, 2026.
25. Vanderbilt (LW: 25)
Vanderbilt’s backcourt duo of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles leads a Commodores offense that is scoring 87.0 PPG, which is 13th best in the nation. It’s why the team is off to one of its best starts in program history, heading into tourney season at 23-7.
After starting the year 16-0, Vanderbilt has been up and down. Going 7-7 since January 14. They stumble into the SEC tourney after going 2-3 in their last five.
24. Tennessee (LW: 23)
Tennessee freshman Nate Ament is proving why he is a notable prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft. He is second on the team in points (17.4) and leads in rebounds (6.5) per game. The combo of him and senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie is why the Vols are a team worthy of respect in the SEC.
For much of the season, Tennessee has been an inconsistent group and already has more losses than it did last year. However, the 21-9 team can’t be overlooked when they have wins over Houston, Louisville, and Alabama this season.
23. Saint Louis (LW: 22)
Don’t look now, but Saint Louis may have the program’s best team ever. The A-10’s top school has gotten off to an outstanding 27-3 start, and it is because of a high-powered offense that is posting 88.8 PPG — which is eighth best in the nation.
Leading the way is senior big man Robbie Avila. The starting center leads the team in scoring (13.0), assists (4.2), and is shooting 43.3% from three. While they don’t have a win against a ranked school, they have fairly earned a spot in our college basketball rankings with play that should get them back into March Madness for the first time since 2019.
22. Miami (LW: UR)
Jai Lucas was handed a difficult situation in having to turn Miami basketball around after a disastrous 7-24 season from his predecessor in 2024-25. However, he has achieved that goal in his first season as a head coach and has the 24-6 Hurricanes in position to be back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years.
Their big bounce-back season is due to some strong years from transfers Tre Donaldson and Malik Reneau. The duo is combining for over 35 points and 9 rebounds a night for a Miami team that will be a tough out in the ACC tournament.
21. Saint Mary’s (LW: UR)
Legendary Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett has been on a roll over the last few years and has his team positioned to make a record fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament this month.
Heading into the WCC tourney, the Gaels own an impressive 27-4 record that includes a huge win over Gonzaga to end February. Their strong showing in 2025-26 is due, in large part, to the play of Lithuanian big man Paulius Murauska (18.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG) and a defense that is giving up the seventh fewest points in the nation (64.2).
20. Arkansas (LW: 20)
Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. lead an impressive all-freshman backcourt for Arkansas this season. However, Acuff has emerged as the best of the pair, and the Razorbacks’ top star continues to generate serious NBA Draft buzz by leading the team in scoring (22.2 PPG) and assists (6.4 PPG).
In year two with legendary head coach John Calipari, Arkansas has played rock-solid ball. Scoring big wins over four ranked teams. However, they are an imperfect group, and their recent setbacks to Alabama and Florida keep them at the back end of our latest top 25.
19. Miami (OH) (LW: 17)
While it took a couple of seasons to change the program from the bottom up, Miami (OH) head coach Travis Steele has put together what is turning into the greatest season in school history.
The Redhawks ended the regular season with an outstanding 30-0 record and seem like an unstoppable force heading into the MAC tourney. Their fantastic season is thanks to an offense that is third in the nation (90.3 PPG) and has seven players posting 10 or more points a night.
18. Alabama (LW: 19)
Alabama can be a problem for any team in the nation on any night. The Crimson Tide has the best scoring offense in college basketball (92.0 PPG), and it is led by future NBA draft pick Labaron Philon Jr. He leads the program in scoring with 21.5 PPG (12th-best in the nation).
Yet, despite their offensive firepower, they had a tough go of it in January. Going 4-3 in the month. However, they got hot since Feb. 4, winning eight straight before a regular-season finale defeat to Auburn.
17. North Carolina (LW: 15)
Hubert Davis’ North Carolina team is worthy of a spot in our college basketball rankings due to the outstanding performance of potential lottery pick Caleb Wilson. The freshman leads the Tar Heels in points (19.8), rebounds (9.4), and steals (1.5). He is also getting big support from veterans Henri Veesaar (16.5 points and 8.4 rebounds) and Seth Trimble (14.2 points).
While the Tar Heels have solid momentum heading into the ACC tournament after winning four straight, the news that Wilson will miss the rest of the season is a killer blow to their hopes of a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
16. St. John’s (LW: 16)
There were huge expectations for St. John’s this season after a breakthrough year in 2024-25. However, over the first two months of the season, they were inconsistent and struggled against ranked schools.
But since the calendar hit 2026, the team led by Zuby Ejiofor (15.8 PPG) and Bryce Hopkins (13.4 PPG) has played far better. Winning 13 straight at one point, including a big win over UConn. Despite a blowout loss to the Huskies in their rematch, the Johnnies are a dark horse in the Big East tournament.
15. Texas Tech (LW: 18)
Texas Tech has progressed a lot during Grant McCasland’s first two seasons overseeing the program. And the formidable duo of JT Toppin and Christian Anderson (19.6 PPG) made Tech look like a team that can make serious noise in March. However, the news that Toppin — one of the top scorers in the nation (21.8 PPG) — is out for the season put a dark cloud over their campaign.
However, they persevered without their top star and scored a huge win over Iowa State last week. But following that up with a defeat to a TCU team with 10 losses shows they will be hit or miss the rest of the season.
14. Illinois (LW: 11)
Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a major program in the Big Ten and a consistent tournament participant. A key reason why they are a top-10-level program in our updated college basketball rankings is freshman guard Keaton Wagler. The breakout star leads the Fighting Illini in scoring (18.1) and assists (4.3).
Their rise into a top team in the conference came after a 12-game win streak that included Ws over three ranked conference rivals. However, they have struggled over the final weeks of the season, losing four of their last seven. It will be interesting to see how they fare in the conference tourney.
13. Michigan State (LW: 14)
Legendary coach Tom Izzo has another good Michigan State team on his hands in 2026. This year’s group has four players averaging 10 or more points and is led by star guard Jeremy Fears Jr. There is no better proof of their top 25 worthiness than owning wins over five ranked teams this season, including a big win over Purdue last week.
If they are focused and playing up to potential, Michigan State can make noise in the Big Ten tournament.
12. Nebraska (LW: 13)
Fred Hoiberg’s 2026 team looks to be his best yet at Nebraska. The school heads into tourney season with a 25-5 record and is fronted by former Bradley recruit Rienk Mast. The Dutch senior is second on his team in points (13.6 PG) and first in rebounds (6.0). He is part of a formidable combo with junior Pryce Sandfort, who leads in scoring with 18.0 PPG.
Nebraska emerged as a serious problem in the Big Ten after starting the year 20-0, including victories over Illinois and Michigan State. However, they have been since a January loss to Michigan, they are a 5-5 team and have lost their momentum ahead of the conference tournament.
11. Purdue (LW: 10)
Purdue has something most elite schools lack: Top players with a boatload of experience. Seniors Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith lead the way for the Boilermakers in 2026 and are combining for close to 30 points a night — Smith is also adding just under nine assists a game.
Early in January, Purdue fairly earned their way back into the top five. However, they struggled over the final six weeks of the regular season. Suffering six of their seven defeats this season.
10. Virginia (LW: 12)
Head coach Ryan Odom had a rough go of it in his first year overseeing Virginia. However, year two has been far better due to the strong play of Belgian big man Thijs de Ridder. The freshman forward leads in points (16.0) and rebounds (6.2) for the 26-4 team.
The only thing that has stopped the Cavaliers from closing in on the top 10 is a few wins over ranked schools. Nevertheless, they head into the ACC tourney with a good bit of momentum after going 10-1 to finish the regular season.
9. Kansas (LW: 8)
Kansas was a frustratingly inconsistent group for much of this season. You never truly knew what you would get from week to week. However, since mid-January, the Jayhawks and top star Darryn Peterson (when on the court) have been one of the best teams in the country. Scoring victories over five ranked teams in that time.
However, they have dropped in our recent college basketball rankings after losing four of their last six. Including two straight to end the regular season.
8. Gonzaga (LW: 6)
Mark Few’s Gonzaga squad posted a strong 28-3 record during the regular season because of what their veteran front court of Braden Huff and Graham Ike gives them each night. The duo is averaging close to 40 points and 15 boards a game for the Bulldogs this season.
Following a bad loss to Michigan in November, Gonzaga was a machine, winning 15 straight. However, they did hit some surprising bumps in the road over the final month of the regular season, as they were on the wrong side of upset losses to Portland and Saint Mary’s.
7. Iowa State (LW: 5)
In his final season at Iowa State, Joshua Jefferson is garnering attention from NBA Draft evaluators by leading the team in rebounds (7.4) and assists (5.1) and is second in points (16.6). But the Cyclones have also gotten strong seasons from guard Tamin Lipsey and top scorer Milan Momcilovic (17.0).
They are 24-6 due to those three and a formidable defense that is giving up 65.8 points a night. While they are one of the best teams in the nation, they enter tournament season in a slump after losing four of their last seven, including to Texas Tech and Arizona to end the regular season.
6. Florida (LW: 9)
The first couple of months of the season for defending champs Florida were rough as they lost four of their first nine games. However, after back-to-back defeats to Duke and UConn, the Gators have played like a team ready for another deep run in March. Since Dec. 13, they are 19-2 and have Ws over six ranked schools.
Juniors Alex Condon (14.8 PPG) and Thomas Haugh (17.1 PPG) have led the way during their resurgence. However, big man Rueben Chinyelu has been the X-factor as the center is having a breakout season. Posting 11.3 points and 11.8 rebounds a night.
5. Houston (LW: 7)
Kelvin Sampson’s Houston squad is again among the top teams in the nation. Senior Emanuel Sharp (15.9 PPG) has been as important as ever. However, if they win the program’s first national championship this month, it will be because of freshman Kingston Flemings (16.6 points and 5.3 assists a night), who is emerging as a potential top-five pick in June.
Yet, another key reason the Cougars head into tournament season with a 25-5 record is an elite defense that is limiting opponents to just 62.3 points a night — second-best in the nation. After a three-game losing skid at the end of February, they bounced back with a pair of dominant wins to finish the regular season schedule.
4. UConn (LW: 4)
It’s another season in college basketball, and UConn is once again among the elite programs in the country. Although they took a step back last season, they retooled by adding stud recruit Braylon Mullins and are back to being a title contender in 2026.
Senior big man Tarris Reed Jr. (13.7 points and 7.9 rebounds) and junior guard Solo Ball (14.1 PPG) lead the way for a team that is not just a group to respect on offense, but is a handful on defense (65.2 opponents PPG). That defense played a major role in a dominant 32-point revenge win against St. John’s last week.
3. Michigan (LW: 3)
After 29 games, Michigan has shown that head coach Dusty May has a team that can win the program’s first championship in close to 40 years later this month. Former UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg (14.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG) leads a dominant front court that has the Wolverines among the 10 best scoring teams in the country (89.0 PPG).
Their rise to elite status in 2026 features wins over six ranked teams, including decisive victories against Purdue and Illinois during the final weeks of the regular season.
2. Arizona (LW: 2)
Arizona has been impressive throughout the 2025-26 regular season. Led by impressive freshman Brayden Burries (15.5 points and 4.9 rebounds) and stud NBA prospect Koa Peat (13.3 points and 5.4 rebounds), the Wildcats have posted wins over 10 top-25 teams.
Their performance this season has been led by an offense posting 86.6 PPG (14th best in the nation). After a pair of tough losses to Kansas and Texas Tech in February, Arizona roared back with five straight Ws, with all but one coming against a ranked program.
1. Duke (LW: 1)
Duke had a vintage Blue Devils regular season because of the outstanding play of big man Cameron Boozer. The freshman, who stepped in to replace Cooper Flagg, leads the team in points (22.6) — which is also seventh best in the nation. Plus, he tops the team in rebounds (10.0) and assists (4.0).
Beyond the superb play of Boozer, Duke is also getting high-impact minutes from sophomores Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II. The trio and the team’s elite defense (62.5 PPG) are why Duke has a 28-2 record heading into the ACC Tournament.
