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HOUSTON -- Notre Dame upset Villanova on Sunday in what amounted to the official launch of the 2026-27 college basketball season -- but things will really get started Monday with the reigning national champion (Michigan), the preseason No. 1 (Florida) and 18 other teams in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 scheduled to play, among them Houston.
That's where I'll be late Monday -- inside the Fertitta Center here on this Big 12 campus, where the Cougars will host La Salle in a game scheduled to tip at 9 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and streaming on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App. Houston is 15th in this final version of the preseason Top 25 And 1 and will be attempting to make an eighth straight trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament next March after not making it at all for 35 straight years before Kelvin Sampson took over.
He's orchestrated an incredible rebuild.
I'm eager to see it up close.
The only change from Version 29 of the Top 25 And 1 that I published last month and this final update before ranked teams have records is that I've added Texas Tech and inserted the Red Raiders at No. 17. As you might know, Grant McCasland's roster has been in constant flux for much of the all season. Lots of court cases. Lots of injunctions. I never really knew what to do with the Red Raiders.
But the way I'm trying to approach the start of this season (after the most unusual offseason in the history of the sport) is to simply assume everybody committed to a program and enrolled will eventually play. When I look at Texas Tech through that lens, and account for the eventual return of 2025 Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin, I just decided it would be silly to not have the Red Raiders in the final preseason Top 25 And 1.
Texas Tech opens the season Monday against Jackson State. The Red Raiders' first real test will come a week from Tuesday when they face Illinois.
College basketball picks, schedule: Predictions for Florida vs. Miami, more Top 25 games on opening day
Cameron Salerno
Florida remains and begins the 2026-27 season at No. 1 in the Top 25 And 1 after returning six of the top seven scorers from a team that won the SEC by multiple games and secured a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Gators open their season Monday against Miami in the only game on the schedule between two teams both ranked in the top 20 of the Top 25 And 1. The Hurricanes are 19th in the Top 25 And 1.
Biggest Movers
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | The Gators have made three straight NCAA Tournaments under Todd Golden after finishing 27-8 last season and advancing to the second round. Florida opens Monday against Miami with Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 2 | Duke | The Blue Devils have made five straight NCAA Tournaments under Jon Scheyer after finishing 35-3 last season and advancing to the Elite Eight. Duke opens Monday against Army with John Blackwell and Joaquim Boumtjie-Boumtjie expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 3 | Illinois | The Illini have made six straight NCAA Tournaments under Brad Underwood after finishing 28-9 last season and advancing to the Final Four. Illinois opens Monday against Fairleigh Dickinson with David Mirkovich and Andrej Stojakovic expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 4 | UConn | The Huskies have made six straight NCAA Tournaments under Dan Hurley after finishing 34-6 last season and advancing to the national championship game. UConn opens Monday against Gardner-Webb with Silas Demary and Braylon Mullins expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 5 | Kansas | The Jayhawks have made 22 straight NCAA Tournaments under Bill Self after finishing 24-11 last season and advancing to the second round. Kansas opens Monday against Fordham with Tyran Stokes and Trey Kaufman-Renn expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 6 | Texas | The Longhorns finished 21-15 last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in Year 1 under Sean Miller. Texas opens Monday against Chicago State with Matas Vokietaitis and Davind Punch expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 7 | Arizona | The Wildcats have made five straight NCAA Tournaments under Tommy Lloyd after finishing 36-3 last season and advancing to the Final Four. Arizona opens Monday against UCLA with Caleb Holt and Motiejus Krivas expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 8 | Michigan St. | The Spartans have made 28 straight NCAA Tournaments under Tom Izzo after finishing 27-8 last season and advancing to the Sweet 16. Michigan State opens Monday against Quinnipiac with Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 9 | Louisville | The Cardinals have made two straight NCAA Tournaments under Pat Kelsey after finishing 24-11 last season and advancing to the second round. Louisville opens Monday against Chattanooga with Flory Bidunga and Jackson Shelstad expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 10 | Virginia | The Cavaliers finished 30-6 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Year 1 under Ryan Odom. Virginia opens Tuesday against Drexel with Thijs De Ridder and Chance Mallory expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 11 | Arkansas | The Razorbacks have made two straight NCAA Tournaments under John Calipari after advancing to the Sweet 16. Arkansas opens Tuesday against Arkansas Pine Bluff with Billy Richmond and Jordan Smith Jr. expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 12 | Iowa St. | The Cyclones have made five straight NCAA Tournaments under TJ Otzelberger after finishing 29-8 last season and advancing to the Sweet 16. Iowa State opens Monday against Memphis with Tamin Lipsey and Blake Buchanan expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 13 | Gonzaga | The Zags have made 27 straight NCAA Tournaments under Mark Few after finishing 31-4 last season and advancing to the second round. Gonzaga opens Monday against Purdue with Braden Huff and Davis Fogle expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 14 | St. John's | The Red Storm have made two straight NCAA Tournaments under Rick Pitino after finishing 30-7 last season and advancing to the Sweet 16. St. John's opens Monday against Monmouth with Tounde Yessoufou and Quinn Ellis expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 15 | Houston | The Cougars have made eight straight NCAA Tournaments under Kelvin Sampson after finishing 30-7 last season and advancing to the Sweet 16. Houston opens Monday against La Salle with Joseph Tugler and Mercy Miller expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 16 | Tennessee | The Vols have made six straight NCAA Tournaments under Rick Barnes after finishing 25-12 last season and advancing to the Elite Eight. Tennessee opens Tuesday against Wofford with Juke Harris and Terrence Hill Jr. expected to be among the biggest contributors. | -- | 0-0 |
| 17 | Texas Tech | The Red Raiders have made three straight NCAA Tournaments under Grant McCasland after finishing 23-11 last season and advancing to the second round. Texas Tech opens Monday against Jackson State with Darrion Williams and Donovan Atwell expected to be among the biggest contributors. | NR | 0-0 |
| 18 | Michigan | The Wolverines finished 37-3 last season while winning the NCAA Tournament and are now coached by Mike Boynton, who replaced Dusty May after he left for the Mavericks. Michigan opens Monday against Oakland with Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 19 | Miami | The Hurricanes finished 26-9 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Year 1 under Jai Lucas. Miami opens Monday against Florida with Malik Reneau and Acaden Lewis expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 20 | Kentucky | The Wildcats have made two straight NCAA Tournaments under Mark Pope after finishing 22-14 last season and advancing to the second round. Kentucky opens Tuesday against Manhattan with Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 21 | UCLA | The Bruins have made two straight NCAA Tournaments under Mick Cronin after finishing 24-12 last season and advancing to the second round. UCLA opens Monday against Arizona with Trent Perry and Nikola Kusturica expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 22 | Alabama | The Crimson Tide have made six straight NCAA Tournaments under Nate Oats after finishing 25-10 last season and advancing to the Sweet 16. Alabama opens Tuesday against Sam Houston State with Amari Allen and Brandon Garrison expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 23 | USC | The Trojans are still looking for their first trip to the NCAA Tournament under Eric Musselman after finishing 18-14 last season and failing to secure a spot in the bracket. USC opens Monday against Milwaukee with Rodney Rice and Christian Collins expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 24 | Missouri | The Tigers have made two straight NCAA Tournaments under Dennis Gates after finishing 20-13 last season and losing to Miami in the first round . Missouri opens Tuesday against Cleveland State with Mark Mitchell and Jason Crowe Jr. expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 25 | BYU | The Cougars have made two straight NCAA Tournaments under Kevin Young after finishing 23-12 last season and losing to Texas in the first round. BYU opens Monday against Ohio State with Rob Wright and Bruce Branch expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
| 26 | Purdue | The Boilermakers have made 11 straight NCAA Tournaments under Matt Painter after finishing 30-9 last season and advancing to the Elite Eight. Purdue opens Monday against Gonzaga with CJ Cox and Daniel Jacobsen expected to be among the biggest contributors. | 1 | 0-0 |
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