Jay Bilas Reveals Top 68 College Basketball Rankings for 2025-26 Season
The 2025-26 college basketball season officially began Monday night, following a turbulent offseason full of coaching changes and Transfer Portal activity. The excitement is high as fans and analysts look forward to a season packed with compelling storylines.
Key Questions for the Season
- Can Florida become the second team in a row to repeat as National Champions?
- Will Kelvin Sampson lead Houston to its first-ever National Championship?
- Can Duke overcome last year’s Final Four disappointment to capture the first title of the Jon Scheyer era?
Purdue Tops Jay Bilas’ Rankings
ESPN’s Jay Bilas ranked Purdue as the number one team entering the season. Head coach Matt Painter returns for his 21st season with key players including star point guard Braden Smith, sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer, skilled big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and transfer Oscar Cluff from South Dakota State.
The Boilermakers showed their strength in the season opener with an 82-51 win over Evansville. Loyer led scoring with 30 points, shooting 7-of-10 from beyond the three-point line.
Upcoming Matchups
Purdue has one more warm-up game against Oakland before traveling to Tuscaloosa for a rematch with a top-ranked opponent. Last year, the Boilermakers claimed an 87-78 victory in this non-conference rivalry.
"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 opens with high expectations as Purdue leads Jay Bilas’ top 68 rankings, eyeing another run at the National Championship.