Find out who are the 25 best basketball teams with our latest men’s college basketball rankings for the 2023-24 season.
Related: Latest Women’s College Basketball Rankings in 2024
Our list isn’t a rundown of the latest Associated Press or Coaches Poll but is instead who Sportsnaut views as the top 25 college basketball programs in the nation. Without further ado, here are our latest men’s college basketball rankings.
Top 25 College Basketball Rankings
1. UConn (LW: 2)
The Uconn Huskies have been on a roll over the last few weeks but what makes them a top contender in the NCAA Tournament is how deep they are. Tristen Newton has been outstanding this season, but unlike Purdue and Player of the Year candidate Zach Edey, the team’s top star has strong help from four others averaging double-digit points.
After winning the Big East tourney to kick off the month they are now in the top spot in our final men’s college basketball rankings before March Madness.
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2. Houston (LW: 1)
The Houston Cougars are a top-five team this season on the back of having one of the best backcourts in the country. Guards LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp, and Jamal Shead have been very good on both sides of the court this year in leading the Cougars in some big wins over Baylor and Iowa State that placed them among the best teams in our rankings at the end of the season.
However, Iowa State got revenge in the Big 12 conference championship and knocked the Cougars out of the top spot before the NCAA Tournament.
3. Purdue (LW: 3)
For a second straight year, Zach Edey has led the way with another impressive season for the Purdue Boilermakers. The reigning College Player of the Year is on a path to do it again as he has again put the program in a position where they can be serious contenders for a national title this month.
The team was again a force this season but losses to unranked teams have many wondering how real they will be in the tournament. After getting bounced by Wisconsin in the Big Ten tourney, they are looking like one of the weakest of the top seeds in March Madness.
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4. Iowa State (LW: 7)
Iowa State has taken control over the Big 12 due to some very strong play from their backcourt featuring Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, and Curtis Jones. All three are versatile and Lipsey has been a handful on the defensive end also.
Missed opportunities against BYU and Baylor cost them a chance to reach the top five of our rankings sooner, however, they earned vindication when scored a revenge win over Houston in the Big 12 conference tourney and head into the NCAA Tournament a very confident under-the-radar powerhouse with elite level defense.
5. North Carolina (LW: 6)
North Carolina is an elite squad in 2023-24 due to having one of the best one-two combos in Division-I basketball with RJ Davis and Armando Bacot. Furthermore, fellow forward Harrison Ingram gives them one of the better frontcourts in the country as well. While they have big wins over Duke and Tennessee this season, surprise losses to Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Syracuse dropped them to the back half of our top five.
Nevertheless, they still did enough during the season to get one of the four coveted one-seeds in the tournament.
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6. Tennessee (LW: 4)
Dalton Knecht leads a Tennessee Volunteers team with a bunch of potential. Early in the season, they struggled in matchups with some of the best teams in the country, however, in recent weeks they have scored big wins over conference leader Alabama and a ranked Kentucky squad.
While they came up well short of their SEC conference tourney goals, they should make some noise deep into March.
7. Marquette (LW: 8)
Marquette was one of the best teams in the Big East and has scored some notable wins this season. While they came up short in the conference finals to UConn, the combo of Tyler Kolek and Kam Jones is one of the best backcourts in the country and this squad deserves respect and is a team to fear in this year’s tournament.
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8. Auburn (LW: 13)
Following losses to Kentucky and Tennessee late in the season, Johni Broome and the Auburn Tigers caught fire and rode that momentum all the way to a SEC conference title in 2024. When it comes to the big tournament, confidence is key and the Tigers are feeling their best at just the right time. Their six game win streak to end the regular season also gets them their first top 10 ranking for the year.
9. Arizona (LW: 5)
The Arizona Wildcats have a formidable big and small combo with Caleb Love and Oumar Ballo. The two seniors have played very well this season and have the ‘Cats at the top of the Pac-12 heading into the final weeks of the season. Unfortunately, they were not able to bring home the legendary conference last tourney championship. Nonetheless, the Wildcats will be a problem for many teams in the NCAA Tournament.
10. Illinois (LW: 12)
Despite a late season loss to Purdue, Terrence Shannon Jr. and the Illinois Fighting Illini have been on a role in recent weeks. They head into the NCAA Tournament on four game win streak that includes a Big Ten tourney title win. Backed by a top 10 offense in the country, Illinois will be a handful for teams in the national tournament.
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- 11. Creighton
- 12. Kentucky
- 13. Duke
- 14. Baylor
- 15. Saint Mary’s
- 16. Kansas
- 17. South Carolina
- 18. Alabama
- 19. Gonzaga
- 20. Utah State
- 21. BYU
- 22. Texas Tech
- 23. Wisconsin
- 24. San Diego State
- 25. Washington State
Who is No 1 in men’s college basketball?
Picking the top team in any sport beyond what the standings show can be very subjective — especially in college sports. However, there is little doubt that the Houston Cougars are the best team in the nation heading into March.
Who won the most national championships in college basketball?
No team in college basketball history has more national championships than the UCLA Bruins. The school once coached by NCAA legend John Wooden has 11 national titles. Three more than the next-best team, the Kentucky Wildcats.
Who is the winningest team in men’s college basketball?
While Kentucky may not have the most national titles, the program is iconic for the many impactful coaches and players that have helped them earn 2,379 victories, the most in men’s college basketball history.
How many teams are in NCAA men’s basketball Division 1?
Men’s Division-I college basketball has more than double the number of football (133) with 351 squads currently competing in DI.