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College Basketball Rankings: ESPN shakes up Top 25 in a big way

With a month behind us since the end of the college basketball season, ESPN is looking ahead to the 2025-26 campaign. Jeff Borzello has updated his early Top 25 rankings in a big way. The sport is in a fascinating place, with the transfer portal having a gigantic impact on the Top 25 after March […]

Published

2 weeks ago

May 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

With a month behind us since the end of the college basketball season, ESPN is looking ahead to the 2025-26 campaign. Jeff Borzello has updated his early Top 25 rankings in a big way.

The sport is in a fascinating place, with the transfer portal having a gigantic impact on the Top 25 after March Madness came to a close. While it’s certainly subject to change, Borzello has a pretty good idea regarding which teams will be contending for it all next season.

With that in mind, let’s dive into ESPN’s latest Top 25 rankings. Expect them to fluctuate over the next couple of months, but Borzello has provided a nice baseline for where we stand in May.

Purdue made a bit of a run during the 2025 Men’s NCAA Tournament. While they fell short of their ultimate goal, they have the team to make some major noise this coming season, and it’s evident ESPN is a believer in the Boilermakers at the moment.

Borzello: “There’s a chance Purdue has the preseason Wooden Award favorite and two All-Americans on its roster next season. Braden Smith will start the season as the best guard in the country after taking the next step in his development this past campaign, while Trey Kaufman-Renn is a dominant paint force.”

Connecticut took Florida to the brink during the 2025 Men’s NCAA Tournament. The Huskies fell short of a three-peat, but they have nothing to hang their heads about. They’re slated to return with a vengeance this coming season.

Borzello: “UConn’s national championship streak ended at two, but Dan Hurley and the Huskies have reloaded to make another run. … If Tarris Reed Jr. can stay on the floor consistently, UConn is as loaded as any team in America.”

St. John’s were the darlings of college basketball for much of the 2024-25 season. However, an unceremonious exit during the Round of 32 shocked the world. Rick Pitino has reloaded his team once again though, and the Red Storm don’t seem to be going away ahead of a new campaign.

Borzello: “The Red Storm’s NCAA tournament run ended earlier than expected, but Rick Pitino guided them to the Big East regular-season and tournament titles and has them back in the national discussion. … Pitino has one of the best portal classes in the country, led by five top-100 additions.”

Houston was heartbreakingly close to winning the national title this past season. Now, the Cougars have to get back on the horse and try, try again. Don’t bet against them getting over the hump, as they’ve made some major moves since their demoralizing defeat to Florida.

Borzello: “Milos Uzan declared for the NBA draft last month, but we might not know his final decision until the withdrawal deadline on May 28. If Uzan returns, there’s a strong case to put the Cougars at No. 1. If he doesn’t, Kelvin Sampson has already recruited an experienced guard to help replace Uzan, landing Creighton transfer Pop Isaacs, a scorer who can create opportunities for others.”

5. BYU (+2)

Richie Saunders, BYU — Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

BYU couldn’t stop a nose bleed during their defeat at the hands of Alabama in the Sweet 16. What’s changed? Well, the top recruit in the nation in A.J. Dybantsa chose the Cougars. 2026 could be special, and ESPN is confident Provo’s team will be a contender.

Borzello: “All eyes will be on Provo, Utah, next season, as No. 1 recruit A.J. Dybantsa arrives in college to suit up for the Cougars. How has Kevin Young built around Dybantsa? Teaming him up with high-level scorer Richie Saunders on the wing was a great start, and landing Robert Wright III at point guard was a boost. That trio should be one of the country’s most explosive on the offensive end.”

Jon Scheyer and company couldn’t get the job done with generational talent Cooper Flagg in 2025. The faith many have in Duke winning another title might’ve been shaken, but they’ve made some key moves that are flying a bit under the radar. We’ll see if it all pays off for the Blue Devils after a tough Final Four loss last month.

Borzello: “Isaiah Evans‘ decision to forgo the NBA draft and transfer portal to return to Durham gives the Blue Devils a significant perimeter boost, as did beating out Alabama for Washington State transfer Cedric Coward, a legitimate NBA prospect with size and shooting ability on the wings. Jon Scheyer also brings in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, which he might need to start multiple freshmen again next season if Coward opts to stay in the draft.”

Louisville received a face-lift this offseason. They had a tremendous regular season, but a forgettable performance in the NCAA Tournament after many picked them to make a run as an under-seeded team. There will be a chip on the shoulder of the Cardinals this time around.

Borzello: “Pat Kelsey had as strong an offseason as any coach in the country so far, landing impact transfers Ryan Conwell (Xavier), Isaac McKneely (Virginia) and Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State) to go with top-10 recruit Mikel Brown Jr. in the backcourt. … (His) first NCAA tournament win isn’t far away.”

JT Toppin — Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Tech gave Florida all they could handle in the Elite Eight, after a legendary comeback in the Sweet 16 against Arkansas. While it ended up not being enough, they have the talent to make some noise once again in 2026. ESPN certainly believes in them.

Borzello: “Grant McCasland’s team had the biggest rise from the first iteration of our rankings on championship Monday to the mid-April update. The biggest move was the return of JT Toppin, a preseason All-American who dominated the second half of the season.”

Dusty May has made a habit of replenishing his teams via the transfer portal, and Michigan made some major additions once again this time around. The Wolverines had Auburn on the ropes in the Sweet 16, but they couldn’t finish the job. That’ll be the bare minimum in 2026 for the reigning Big Ten Tournament victors.

Borzello: “Dusty May hit the portal early in the cycle, landing three potential starters for the next season in Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina) and Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois). Lendeborg is a borderline first-round pick, so there is a chance he’ll remain in the NBA draft instead. But Cadeau is an incredibly gifted passer and Johnson is primed for a big jump down low.”

What a rollercoaster ride of a season John Calipari took Arkansas on in Year 1. What’s in store for Year 2? He’s hoping the Razorbacks will go even further than the Sweet 16, after falling just short of the Elite Eight due to a furious comeback by Texas Tech.

Borzello: “Arkansas surged down the stretch of the season, earning an NCAA tournament bid then making a run to the Sweet 16 before losing to Texas Tech in overtime. Can John Calipari carry that momentum over to next season? Four of the Razorbacks’ top six minute-getters from the postseason run should be back next season.”

ESPN’s early Top 25 ranking — Nos. 11-25:

11. Kentucky (-1)
12. Arizona
13. Iowa State
14. UCLA (+2)
15. Auburn
16. Wisconsin (+1)
17. Illinois (NR)
18. Florida (+1)
19. Creighton (NR)
20. Tennessee (-4)
21. Kansas (-3)
22. Gonzaga (+1)
23. Michigan State (-3)
24. Alabama (-3)
25. North Carolina (-3)

Next in line: Ohio State, Texas, San Diego State, USC, Oregon

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The Architect Behind Penn State Football

In this episode of Next Up, Adam Breneman sits down with the man behind the curtain at Penn State Football—general manager Andy Frank. For years, Andy has played a critical but often unseen role in building one of the top programs in college football. He’s been Coach Franklin’s right-hand man going all the way back […]

Published

32 minutes ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In this episode of Next Up, Adam Breneman sits down with the man behind the curtain at Penn State Football—general manager Andy Frank. For years, Andy has played a critical but often unseen role in building one of the top programs in college football. He’s been Coach Franklin’s right-hand man going all the way back to their time at Vanderbilt, and now he’s overseeing everything from roster construction and recruiting strategy to navigating the chaos of NIL (name, image, and likeness), the transfer portal, and revenue sharing.

With revenue sharing on the horizon and college football entering a new era, this conversation is a rare look at how top programs are preparing for massive change — and how Penn State is positioning itself to win big. Andy is one of the most thoughtful minds in the sport, and this conversation is packed with insights you won’t get anywhere else.

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2025 NBA Draft: Florida’s Alex Condon headlines list of five declared prospects who should return to school

The NIL era of college basketball comes with drawbacks, but it also means players who previously would have declared for the NBA Draft are returning to school — either with their original teams or new ones via the transfer portal. Only 106 players declared early for the 2025 NBA Draft — the fewest since 2015, […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Only 106 players declared early for the 2025 NBA Draft — the fewest since 2015, when just 91 elected to forgo their remaining eligibility to turn pro. That trend has played out this offseason with players like Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, who bypassed the draft process entirely thanks to a lucrative NIL deal.

Several players in this year’s class still have a decision to make ahead of the May 28 stay-or-go draft deadline. One of them is Florida starting center Alex Condon, who played a key role in the Gators’ run to the national title. Condon is a borderline late first-round pick, and his return would likely solidify Florida as a preseason top-five team.

Here are five players who should bypass the 2025 NBA Draft and return to school.

Alex Condon, Florida

2024-25 season stats: GP: 37 | PPG: 10.6 | RPG: 7.5 | APG: 2.2

Another college year could do wonders for Condon’s long-term draft stock. The 6-foot-11 forward/center is projected to go at the end of the first round in several mock drafts, but he could easily slide into the second round if he stays. That’s why returning to school — where he would reinforce the deepest frontcourt in the country — is the wise decision.

Condon started all but two games during a magical 2024-25 season and recorded at least 10 rebounds in 10 regular-season games last year. Florida’s star big man didn’t match that production in the NCAA Tournament. He suffered an ankle injury against Maryland in the Sweet 16 but was able to return for the stretch run. If Condon stays and plays well, he could become a lottery pick in 2026.

2024-25 season stats: GP: 30 | PPG: 12.3 | RPG: 4.4 | APG: 2.7

The lengthy 6-foot-7 wing is coming off a breakout 2024-25 campaign, but he still needs more time in college to maximize his stock. Byrd started 30 games and averaged career-highs in points, steals, blocks, assists and rebounds.

Byrd is a volume 3-point shooter who connected on 30.1% of his 5.9 attempts per night. The SDSU star projects as a second-round pick, so it would be wise for him to return to build off a standout season where he showed flashes of being a two-way talent at the next level. Returning to school and being “the guy” at San Diego State should put him in the middle of the first round in 2026. NBA teams will buy into his length and the projectability of his shot if he chooses to stay in the NBA Draft.

2024-25 season stats: GP: 36 | PPG: 16.2 | RPG: 4.7 | APG: 1.7

It makes sense for Oweh to return to school for multiple reasons. It’s doubtful Oweh will sneak into the end of the first round. If he returns to school, Oweh can build off a standout 2024-25 season, which saw him finish as UK’s leading scorer in Year 1 of the Mark Pope era.

Oweh is a true two-way talent, so getting him back in the fold would be a huge win for Pope and his staff. He averaged a career-high 16.2 points and 1.6 steals during his first season with the Wildcats. Kentucky has rebuilt its roster this offseason mostly through the transfer portal, but members of last year’s team running it back include Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler and Trent Noah. Oweh would be the best player on Kentucky’s roster and a potential SEC Player of the Year candidate if he runs it back. The pros of returning to school outweigh the risk of sliding in the second round.

Kentucky basketball recruiting: Braydon Hawthorne’s commitment marks latest offseason win for Mark Pope

Cameron Salerno

2024-25 season stats: GP: 38 | PPG: 11.6 | RPG: 2.2 | APG: 3.0

The door is open for Pettiford to return to Auburn if he doesn’t get a first-round guarantee. Pettiford did have a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month, but it still seems more likely than not that he won’t get that first-round promise he is looking for.

The other reason why Pettiford running it back would be the right decision is he’s a potential All-American if he returns to Auburn. Last year, he was a true microwave scorer off the bench. There were multiple instances when he took over down the stretch to help the Tigers pull away. If he returns for his sophomore season, he will be the focal point of Auburn’s offense. Getting the keys handed to him and improving his all-around game would do wonders for his draft stock in 2026.

2024-25 season stats: GP: 40 | PPG: 11.4 | RPG: 3.1 | APG: 4.3

Uzan took a significant step forward during his first year at Houston. He was the Cougars’ best 3-point shooter, connecting on 42.8% of his shots from beyond the arc, but outside of Uzan’s performance against Purdue in the Sweet 16 — which saw him score a game-winning bucket to help the Cougars advance — he didn’t have his best showing in the NCAA Tournament.

Uzan running it back would be a perfect marriage for both parties because, at this moment, he’s a second-round pick if he stays in the draft.

Houston projects as a preseason top-three team heading into the 2025-26 campaign. Getting Uzan back would help the Cougars make the case for preseason No.1. He can also shake off a lackluster showing at the NCAA Tournament, which saw him shoot just 5 of 19 against Duke and Florida during the final weekend of the college basketball season.

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2025 NCAA Softball Tournament Bracket: Updated Super Regional matchups, scores, schedule

The Super Regionals are underway during the 2025 NCAA Tournament following an action-packed Regional weekend. Now, each team are two wins away from qualifying for the 2025 Women’s College World Series. Matchups in the 2025 NCAA Softball Super Regionals kicked off with two top-16 matchups on Thursday. That includes the Tallahassee Super Regional between Florida […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Matchups in the 2025 NCAA Softball Super Regionals kicked off with two top-16 matchups on Thursday. That includes the Tallahassee Super Regional between Florida State and Texas Tech, as well as the Austin Super Regional between Texas and Clemson. After that, the six other series will begin on Friday.

The second stage of the tournament will feature eight best of three series between the Regional champions crowned last weekend. These matchups will begin play on May 22 and conclude on May 26, if a game three is necessary. The winners of these two cities will meet for the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City at the WCWS later this month. Here’s how those series shape up:

Eugene Super Regional: Liberty vs. No. 16 Oregon

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Norman Super Regional: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Alabama

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 5:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 3:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Gainesville Super Regional: No. 3 Florida vs. Georgia

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 11:00 a.m. ET | ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 11:00 a.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Fayetteville Super Regional: No. 4 Arkansas vs. Ole Miss

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 8:00 p.m. ET | ESPNU
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 9:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Austin Super Regional: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Clemson

Knoxville Super Regional: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Nebraska

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 5:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

Columbia Super Regional: No. 8 South Carolina vs. No. 9 UCLA

Game 1: Friday, May 23 | 1:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, May 24 | 1:00 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, May 25 | TBD

All times ET.

2025 Women’s College World Series

May 29 through June 5 or 6 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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Texas A&M QB, former MBA star Marcel Reed has NIL deal with jet company

Texas A&M football quarterback and former Montgomery Bell Academy player Marcel Reed has just landed an NIL deal with private jet charter company ENG Aviation Group. According to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos, Reed will be an ambassador for the ENG’s organ donation services, as well as have access to the company’s private jets. […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Texas A&M football quarterback and former Montgomery Bell Academy player Marcel Reed has just landed an NIL deal with private jet charter company ENG Aviation Group.

According to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos, Reed will be an ambassador for the ENG’s organ donation services, as well as have access to the company’s private jets.

The Texas-based aviation company, which has been offering premier private charter flights for businesses and individuals for over 30 years, has recently begun signing high-profile college football players to name, image, and likeness deals to promote their brand. Reed joins former Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, former Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart and Miami quarterback Carson Beck as ambassadors for ENG.

A post on Reed’s instagram account puts an emphasis on the deal’s organ donation awareness.

“ENG runs a premium charter jet service, but when those jets aren’t in the air with private clients, they’re flying something far more important: life-saving organ transplants,” the caption reads.

Reed, a former four-star recruit out of Montgomery Bell Academy, signed with the Aggies in 2023, backing up then-starter Max Johnson. During his sophomore season with the Aggies in 2024, Reed threw for 1,864 yards with 15 touchdowns and rushed for 547 yards with seven touchdowns.

Reed is the son of former Tennessee State head coach Rod Reed. Reed coached the Tigers to a 57-60 record over 11 seasons, but his contract was not renewed in 2021.

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex atjdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.

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President Trump Halts Plans To Create Anticipated NIL Commission on College Sports

Just as quickly as things can be formed, they can dissipate in the continually evolving state of college sports in the NIL landscape. Things appear to be on hold when it comes to action on the future of college athletics, as the House v. NCAA settlement has yet to earn final approval, and the NCAA […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Just as quickly as things can be formed, they can dissipate in the continually evolving state of college sports in the NIL landscape.

Things appear to be on hold when it comes to action on the future of college athletics, as the House v. NCAA settlement has yet to earn final approval, and the NCAA is no longer in the business of enforcing college amateurism, instead deflecting power to the individual conferences.

While approval by Judge Claudia Ann Wilken is expected to transform college football and basketball in the revenue-sharing era, so was the potential for oversight by a presidential commission that will, at this time, not move forward.

Pete Nakos with On3 Sports reported Thursday that President Donald Trump put his plans for a presidential commission on college athletics on an indefinite pause.

“Donald Trump’s presidential commission on college sports has been paused,” Nakos wrote on X. “Expectation is commission will eventually be formed, but is being delayed as U.S. Senator Ted Cruz works to push through federal legislation.”

The proposed presidential commission was put together rather quickly and perhaps haphazardly, and Cruz has pushed for Trump to halt efforts to form one while he works on federal legislation regulating NIL.

The commission’s intent was to evaluate the role of NIL in college sports, but it lacked substantial details beyond identifying its members.

Former Alabama Crimson head football coach Nick Saban was expected to spearhead the commission as co-chair alongside Texas Tech billionaire booster Cody Campbell, and the two reportedly were talking behind the scenes.

Saban has come out since initial reports surfaced of the commission and his purported role to declare that he isn’t sure one is necessary.

“I know there’s been a lot of stuff out there about some commission or whatever,” Saban said. “I don’t think we need a commission. I’ve said that before. I think we know what the issues are; we just have to have people that are willing to move those and solve those and create some solutions for some of those issues.”

Nakos further reports that Campbell is expected to continue his quiet work on the commission until it’s ready to come to fruition, though again, the details are scarce on what that means.

Perhaps the best move is to simply wait until the impending July 1 date of the settlement’s approval and assess the state of college sports thereafter.

For now, the state of athletics remains in limbo, with no plan for oversight via an executive order.

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Bluefield State hires coach Luke D'Alessio from CIAA rival FSU

Published

2 hours ago

May 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Bluefield State hires coach Luke D'Alessio from CIAA rival FSU

Fayetteville State men’s basketball will face off against its former coach next season.In what turned out to be a swap, Bluefield State announced Thursday, May 22, that Luke D’Alessio had been hired as head coach after leading FSU to a CIAA championship and first-ever NCAA D2 Tournament win in his five seasons in Fayetteville.”We are thrilled to welcome Coach D’Alessio to the Big Blue family,” said Dr. Darrin Martin, Bluefield State University President, in a school-issued press release. “His extensive experience and proven track record of developing competitive programs make him an ideal leader for our men’s basketball team.”The Broncos didn’t renew D’Alessio’s contract; instead, they hired Devin Hoehn away from Bluefield State after the Big Blues’ CIAA tournament runner-up finish.

The move came as a surprise on the heels of D’Alessio being named CIAA Coach of the Year and earning national recognition as the HBCU All-Stars Clarence “Big House” Gaines NCAA Division II Coach of the Year. He compiled a 103-52 record at FSU, winning 69% of the Broncos‘ conference games and going 53-11 at Capel Arena.

Hoehn’s Big Blues knocked FSU out of the CIAA semifinals this season before falling to Virginia State in the championship game. With that win over the Broncos, the Blues played their way into the NCAA tournament field as an at-large bid for their first appearance since 1996.

Hoehn had a 51-63 record (45%) in four active seasons at Bluefield State after the 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19. He’s bringing a chunk of his Bluefield State roster to FSU, where he’ll implement the up-tempo, full-court-pressure system learned under the tutelage of two-time national championship-winning coach Jim Crutchfield. Hoehn played for Crutchfield, a coaching guru with a career .867 winning percentage, at West Liberty and then served on his staff at Nova Southeastern.

Nine Bluefield State players and five from Fayetteville State have entered the transfer portal, including FSU’s Jayden Beloti, Jordan Foster, Anthony Latty, Myles Pierre and Isaiah Sutherland. All-CIAA guard Ezekiel Cannedy has withdrawn from the transfer portal and will return to Fayetteville.

D’Alessio brings nearly 40 years of coaching experience to West Virginia, ranging from high school to JUCO to Division II, Division I, and professional staffs including Siena, Loyola-Maryland, NC Central and Bowie State — another CIAA program he led to a league tournament title and NCAA D2 Final Four.