The confetti has barely settled on the Michigan Wolverines’ 2026 national championship — they topped UConn, 69-63, in a thrilling men’s NCAA Tournament title game on Monday night — but it’s never too early to think ahead. Can’t help it…
Both the Wolverines and Huskies should bounce back strong next season, regardless of how many players return or select for the NBA Draft. They both top my extra-early list — but not No. 1.
Which players are expected to return, and who may be headed to the NBA or the transfer portal? Let’s join in.
Here are my men’s college basketball rankings for next season:
VCU finished the 2025–26 season with a bang, winning 15 of its last 16 games and scoring a memorable upset victory over North Carolina in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Losing Terrence Hill Jr. to the transfer portal hurts, but Phil Martelli Jr.’s team has several veterans returning, which should make this group one of the favorites in the A-10.
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Texas Tech Red Raiders forward JT Toppin (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
What’s next for Texas Tech’s dynamic duo of Christian Anderson and JT Toppin? Both received All-American honors last season, marking the first time the Red Raiders have had a pair of All-Americans in the same season. Both have massive decisions to make regarding the upcoming NBA Draft. What they ultimately decide to do will determine where Grant McCausland’s team ranks as we approach next season.
Sean Miller’s team was one of the surprise stories of this year’s NCAA Tournament. As a No. 11 seed, Texas upset BYU and Gonzaga before losing to Purdue in the Sweet 16. The Longhorns will welcome the No. 12-ranked recruiting class in the country.
Florida has four players who could depart early for the 2026 NBA Draft, which makes this such a difficult exercise. Thomas Hough is projected to be a first-round pick and is expected to head to the pros, but will Alex Condon, Boogie Fland and Ruben Chinyelu follow him?
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CJ Cox fouls out against the Queens University Royals during the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. (Photo Dilip Vishwanath/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
There aren’t many teams that will have to replace more talent next year than Purdue. Gone are Braden Smith, Fletcher Lauer and Trey Kauffman-Wren, who contributed over 52% of the team’s scoring last season. CJ Cox and Omar Meyer will be kept an eye on taking a big step forward for Matt Painter’s team.
Freshman phenom AJ DiBuntsa will likely be selected in the top 3 in this spring’s NBA Draft, while Richie Saunders and Keba Keita were both honored on this year’s Senior Night. It will be interesting to see if Robert Wright returns to BYU next season, and if so, how he will adjust to the incoming freshman class that is ranked 16th in the country.
John Blackwell shocked the college basketball world Monday morning when he announced his intention to enter the transfer portal by going through the NBA draft process. Nolan Winter will have a chance to be a star for Greg Gard’s program next season.
Vanderbilt’s roster was built around a group of seniors, outside of standout guard Tyler Tanner. Will he forgo the NBA Draft and return to school for his junior season? If so, Mark Byington will be one of the nation’s top guards leading the show next time.
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Price Sandfort dives for the ball against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. (Photo by Alex Schlitz/Getty Images)
After the most successful year in program history, can Fred Hoiberg build on the success his team had last season? Pryce Sandfort, who earned All-Big Ten honors, is expected to return for Nebraska next season and should be one of the top players in the conference.
Milos Uzan and Emmanuel Sharp are set to graduate, while Chris Cenac and Kingston Flemings are both expected to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. That means a bigger role for forward Joseph Tuggler. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson will also bring in 7-foot-1 big man Arafan Dione, the top-ranked center prospect in the country.
The Tar Heels will begin a new era in Chapel Hill with former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone being named the school’s next head coach. Malone has not coached in college since being an assistant at Manhattan in 2001. He will be tasked with retaining the team’s 2026 recruiting class, which includes a pair of blue-chip prospects in point guard Dylan Mingo and small forward Maximo Adams.
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Kansas head coach Bill Self during the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. (Photo by Michelle Layton/Getty Images)
With budding phenom Darrin Peterson likely heading to the NBA and forward Flori Biddinga announcing he will test the NBA waters or potentially transfer elsewhere, it will be a new-look team for the Bills Self. Don’t be surprised to see the Jayhawks make a big splash or two on the portal this offseason.
The Cavaliers are one of the few teams in college basketball that can say this: They’re set to get their leading scorer and rebounder back next season. Belgian 6-foot-9 forward Thijs de Ridder enjoyed a breakout freshman campaign and should be one of the top interior players in the game next season.
Rick Barnes’ team enjoyed a memorable run to the Elite Eight this season, but will be tasked with replacing standout guard Ja’Coby Gillespie and possibly Nate Ament, who is projected to be a first-round pick. Look for veteran forward JP Estrella to take a big step next season.
Rick Pitino made it clear that it would be nearly impossible to replace a player like Jubie Ejiofor who has defined everything about this program. The Red Storm will also need to replace Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell in the front court, but look for Pitino to step into the portal and fill those voids this offseason. Ian Jackson will need to take another step forward next season if this group is going to compete for the Final Four next year.
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Billy Richmond III drives to the basket against the Arizona Wildcats during the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photo via Getty Images)
Losing Darius Acuff Jr. and Melek Thomas is disappointing, but Arkansas fans don’t need to worry. DJ Wagner, Carter Knox and Billy Richmond III return, and coach John Calipari has added the nation’s No. 2-ranked player in guard Jordan Smith Jr.
We trust TJ Otzelburger! Iowa State lost hometown leaders Tammin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson, but the returns of Milan Momsilovic and Kylian Touray are a great place to start. The Cyclones also bring back a top-20 recruiting class with four newcomers.
The Zags moved to the new Pac-12, and they brought back big man Braden Huff for his senior season. The backcourt combo of Braden Smith and Mario Saint-Superior needs to take a big step forward.
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Tyrese Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins during the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament National Championship Game. (Photo by Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
It might be humiliating for UConn to be this low in any ranking, but the Huskies will lose Alex Curban – aka “Captain America” – Tyrese Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins. If Solo Ball and Silas Demery Jr. stick around, UConn’s backcourt should be solid, and center Eric Riebe is ready for his close-ups.
Alabama coach Nate Oats received a contract extension over the weekend. Even though they will lose LeBron Philon Jr., I expect Amari Allen to be back and ready to have a great season. Aiden Holloway, Aiden Sherrell and a top-10 recruiting class have me excited about the Crimson Tide.
A core group of returnees led by Ivan Kharchenkov and Mo Krivas is enough for Arizona to justify a top-5 ranking here. Dwayne Aristode is expected to be out and five-star shooting guard prospect Caleb Holt is legit. Some transfers are needed, but I have confidence in coach Tommy Lloyd that he will have another great group.
Tom Izzo’s top priority this offseason will be retaining All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., as well as fellow backcourt partner Jordan Scott and forward Koen Carr. The combination of those three players and a top 5 recruiting class should put Michigan State in position to compete for a Big Ten title next season.
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The Michigan Wolverines celebrate winning the 2026 men’s national championship. (Photo by Tanner Pearson/NCAA Photo via Getty Images)
Assuming either Ade Mara or Moraz Johnson Jr. return, I think Michigan is a top-3 team. If both head to the NBA, incoming five-star Brandon McCoy will need to perform immediately. The backcourt of Elliott Cadeau, LJ Cason and Trey McKinney will be excellent.
Duke coach John Scheyer is bringing in another top recruiting class, highlighted by Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard, along with returnees Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster and Dame Sarr.
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Andrej Stojakovic, Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic are seen playing against the UConn Huskies in the 2026 Final Four. (Photo by Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
Yes, Illinois will lose Keaton Wagler, but if David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic and Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivicic return, it will be one of the best and most experienced teams in the country.
