Jay Bilas Unveils Top 68 College Basketball Rankings as 2025-26 Season Begins
The 2025-26 college basketball season started Monday night after a hectic offseason full of coaching changes and Transfer Portal activity. Basketball is back with some major storylines to follow.
Season Storylines
- Can Florida become the second program in a row to repeat as National Champions?
- Will Kelvin Sampson lead Houston to its first-ever National Championship?
- Can Duke overcome last season’s Final Four disappointment to win the first title of the Jon Scheyer era?
Jay Bilas’ Top Team: Purdue
After just one game, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas ranked Purdue as the top team in college basketball. Coach Matt Painter returns for his 21st season with standout players including point guard Braden Smith, sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer, versatile big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff.
The Boilermakers are aiming to reach the National Championship Game for the second time in three years. They started the season strong with an 82-51 victory over Evansville, powered by Loyer’s 30 points and an impressive 7-of-10 from three-point range.
Purdue has one more tune-up game against Oakland before heading to Tuscaloosa for a rematch against a top-ranked opponent, revisiting last year’s non-conference battle which Purdue won 87-78.
“The Boilermakers have loaded up in their quest to return to the National Championship Game for the second time in three seasons.”
Author’s summary: The 2025-26 college basketball season is underway with Purdue leading Jay Bilas’ rankings, highlighting a thrilling year filled with high expectations and fresh challenges for top programs.