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DESTIN, Fla. — In the wake of a historic men’s basketball season that saw the conference land a record 14 teams in the NCAA tournament and Florida win the national championship, the SEC is looking to repeat history.

One interesting headwind for the SEC and other top conferences for 2025-26 was mentioned at the league meetings this week, and it’s a looming factor hovering over the next men’s basketball season.

When asked about the SEC’s quest to replicate history, first-year Texas coach Sean Miller pointed out that the latest numbers in the NCAA transfer portal essentially show “25 percent of the pie missing” in terms of quality veteran players because of a reduction in numbers of those with an extra year of eligibility from the COVID-19 eligibility rules.

He said that as “wild” as everyone considered this men’s basketball portal to set up the 2025-26 season, there was a missing notion.

“One thing that’s definitely going to change, and I don’t think it’s talked a lot about in basketball, is the no COVID year,” Miller said. “In our case, we had a number of players in my three years at Xavier that were exercising their fifth year. It’s a year that doesn’t exist right now.”

He said this probably will end up hurting the power conferences with the most to spend, as there’s simply less veteran, high-end talent available.

“I think just that alone, taking that one layer of talent, where you can convince an All-SEC player to return for a fifth year, and now that that’s not in play, I don’t think our league will remain as old,” Miller said. “So I think just with that alone, I don’t know if 14 of 16 [bids], I hope, but I can certainly see the effect of that moving forward.

“Even in the Final Four, when you looked closely at Auburn and Florida, two remarkable rosters, part of their greatness was that they had this gift of a blend of talent, but their older players, they were a big part of their success.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told ESPN in March that the conference’s season was a “unicorn.” He’s looking for another, as he said the goal for the league is to get 16 men’s basketball teams in the NCAA tournament.

“So that’s what I expect,” Sankey said. “Is it a failure that we only had 14? I thought it was pretty cool. Can we do that again? You walk in the room of coaches … we got a heck of a roster of men’s basketball coaches and I can say that about a lot of sports. And when you look back 10 years, [it’s a] very different dynamic as far as that roster of coaches. So I think there’s a chance to compete at a high level.”

Florida has fortified its roster with the return of star forward Alex Condon, and should be in the conversation to repeat as champion.

Gators coach Todd Golden said he was unsure if the league could get 14 bids again, but he was confident the SEC was primed for a run of overall dominance.

“I think the league will be very good again, this coming year, I do,” he said. “The teams have recruited well, and we’re the premier basketball conference right now. I think it’s pretty clear. So will it be as elite as it was this past year? I’m not sure … but I do think we have a chance to have another great year.”

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The decision deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft and return to college basketball has come and gone. All in all, most players who seemed on the fence on staying versus going ended up heading back to school, including several players you’d expect to be among the sport’s best players in 2025–26. 

Which teams had the best and worst deadline? Here’s a look at those who are smiling and those with work to do as the dust settles. 

The highest-rated draft prospect to stay in school was Yaxel Lendeborg, who’ll head to Ann Arbor, Mich., after garnering legitimate first-round interest. Lendeborg dominated the AAC last season at UAB, becoming just the fifth player in the last decade nationally to average at least 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game across an entire season. He quickly committed to the Wolverines in the transfer portal, but there were lingering questions of whether he’d actually make it to campus given how much interest he garnered from NBA teams. Spurning the NBA, where he’d almost assuredly have at least gotten a guaranteed contract, was a huge decision with the potential to shake up the Big Ten race. 

The fit at Michigan makes a ton of sense. Lendeborg is a different player than 7-footer Danny Wolf, but coach Dusty May can use him in similar ways as a jumbo ballhandler capable of making plays for others as a big. He’s physical enough to play some small-ball center, though the Wolverines have a pair of good ones already in Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara. He won’t be able to overwhelm opponents in the Big Ten with his size and athleticism as easily, but Lendeborg has the skill set and motor to be among the league’s best players. He lifts Michigan into a likely preseason top-10 team.

It had already been a strong offseason for Florida after Thomas Haugh elected to return for his junior season and star portal guards Xaivian Lee (Princeton) and Boogie Fland (Arkansas) committed to the Gators. That said, a huge part of Florida’s national title run in 2024–25 was its frontcourt, and Todd Golden will officially bring back the top four bigs from that squad with potential first-rounder Alex Condon returning to school. Condon will be the Gators’ leading returning scorer and rebounder as he continues his upward trajectory from former Australian Rules Football star into serious NBA prospect. His toughness, versatility and feel for the game make him one of the most effective bigs in the SEC, and as he continues to get more comfortable on the perimeter he could enter the All-American conversation. Condon’s return gives the Gators a legitimate chance to repeat as national champions and positions them as a likely top-five team in the preseason. 

The point guard position has been essential to Houston’s dominance over the last half-decade, so getting Milos Uzan back for his senior season is a huge lift as Kelvin Sampson chases that elusive national championship. Uzan was presumed to be turning pro for much of this process, with a replacement lined up by the Cougars in Creighton transfer Pop Isaacs. But after an underwhelming showing at the NBA draft combine, the door cracked open for a potential return for Uzan and he finalized those plans Tuesday morning. Isaacs, who’s represented by the same agency as Uzan, quickly rerouted to Texas A&M, but that’s a trade the Cougars will gladly make. Uzan was phenomenal a season ago, especially as the season wore on. Having three experienced starting-caliber guys in Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and JoJo Tugler back gives Houston the highest floor in the country and a veteran nucleus to help along a loaded freshman class. 

Auburn had to wait until decision day to get the final word on Tahaad Pettiford, but the dynamic point guard decided to return despite his strong NBA draft combine performance. After serving as the sixth man on a veteran Auburn team in 2024–25, he’ll step into the spotlight this season and figures to be among the highest-usage players in the SEC and a likely preseason all-conference player. Pettiford was Auburn’s third-leading scorer a year ago despite playing fewer than 23 minutes per game, and he could be positioned to explode as a sophomore with another year of seasoning. Auburn also added a key international piece Wednesday in Filip Jovic, a high-flying big who bolsters the Tigers’ frontcourt and likely is the final major piece of the puzzle for an Auburn team that has totally reshaped its roster this offseason. 

Jamir Watkins and RJ Luis Jr. were the two top uncommitted players in the transfer portal heading into the withdrawal deadline, and both players elected to keep their names in the draft. Both profiled as likely options for the Jayhawks to consider after missing on wing options Dame Sarr (Duke) and Darrion Williams (NC State) in recent days. Kansas clearly needs at least one high-level wing option to round out its roster, and options are dwindling. The international market could be an option, as could potential reclassifiers from the 2026 high school class. 

Penn State kept Yanic Konan Niederhauser out of the transfer portal after heavy pursuit from other college programs, but his stock surged in May at the G League Elite Camp and NBA draft combine enough for him to make the move to turn pro now. Losing Niederhauser is a massive blow to the Nittany Lions’ hopes of climbing up the Big Ten ladder, especially this late in the process with few options to replace him. The PSU staff’s best bet is likely to hit the international market, but finding a starting-caliber center option at this stage will be difficult (and pricey). 

Thomas Sorber had largely closed the door on a return to Georgetown by the time the NBA draft combine came around, but his departure is still a big blow for Georgetown’s hopes of ascending the Big East hierarchy in Ed Cooley’s third year. The Hoyas have upgraded their talent level this spring, especially on the wing, but now are unproven up front with center options like redshirt freshman Julius Halaifonua and St. John’s transfer Vince Iwuchukwu. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them attempt a late splash either in the portal or international markets, but options are dwindling.

It’s tough to call Arkansas a loser after getting Karter Knox back and overall having the most roster continuity in the SEC, but there was some late hope that perhaps star wing Adou Thiero might renege on his plans to turn pro and head back to Fayetteville, Ark. Had that happened, we might have been talking about the Razorbacks as SEC favorites and national title contenders. The Hogs’ roster is still in a good place, but they could use one more bigger wing to push them over the top and the main options available in the portal (Watkins and Luis) both also kept their names in the draft. Still, coach John Calipari will be pleased to have a breakout candidate in Knox back on the wing, as well as starting guard D.J. Wagner and a loaded high school recruiting class.