Jay Bilas unveils Top 68 college basketball rankings as 2025-26 season starts

Jay Bilas Unveils Top 68 College Basketball Rankings for 2025-26 Season

After an eventful offseason filled with coaching changes and Transfer Portal activity, the 2025-26 college basketball season officially began Monday night. The excitement is high as basketball returns to the spotlight.

Key Storylines to Watch

Can Florida become the second consecutive program to repeat as National Champions?
Will Kelvin Sampson lead Houston to its first-ever National Championship?
Can Duke overcome last season’s Final Four defeat to claim the first title under Jon Scheyer?

Jay Bilas' Top-Ranked Team

One game into the season, ESPN’s Jay Bilas ranked his top 68 college basketball teams. Purdue earned the top spot in Bilas’ rankings.

Purdue Boilermakers Overview

Head coach Matt Painter is entering his 21st season leading the team. Key players include star point guard Braden Smith, sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer, talented big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and transfer Oscar Cluff from South Dakota State. The Boilermakers aim to return to the National Championship Game for the second time in three years.

Season Opener Success

Purdue opened the regular season with a dominant 82-51 victory over Evansville. Fletcher Loyer led the team by scoring 30 points, including 7-of-10 shooting from three-point range.

Upcoming Matches

The Boilermakers have one more tune-up game against Oakland before traveling to Tuscaloosa for a rematch against a top-ranked opponent. This game will recreate last year's non-conference matchup, which Purdue won 87-78.

"Purdue opens the season tabbed as the best team in college basketball by Jay Bilas."

Author's summary: The 2025-26 college basketball season kicks off with high expectations, led by Purdue as the top-ranked team aiming for a national title amid fierce competition.

On3 — 2025-11-07