The 2025-2026 College Basketball season is off to a hot start with Arizona dominating the rankings, having an 18-0 undefeated record through 11 weeks. Additionally, there have been some very surprising changes from last year, such as Florida dropping from the first-ranked team to the 16th. John Holland ‘29, a die-hard Gators fan, discussed what he thought happened to make the Gators significantly drop in the rankings. He said, “They lost their top three players, and in college basketball, the winning recipe is athletic shooting guards, not big men. Every year, the team with the best guard does the best, and the Gators lack skill at the guard position. Our transfers were also not as good as they were last year.”
Throughout the season, there have been a good number of upsets, such as the #38 Wisconsin team beating the third-ranked Michigan team. This was Michigan’s only loss this season. Another upset was Cincinnati beating second-ranked Iowa. Day Day Thomas was a huge factor in Cincinnati winning this game. He led the team in scoring with 18 points, providing a huge impact on the team. Iowa’s Milan Momcilovic had an astonishing 34 points, but clearly that wasn’t enough to carry them to the win.
A player who has had a great 2026 season so far is Duke’s Cameron Boozer, with many saying he is currently the best player in College Basketball. Zion Williamson, a former Duke player who had one of the most notorious seasons in college basketball during the 2018-19 season, is close to being passed up by Boozer in terms of Duke impact. Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. Cameron Boozer isn’t far off from those stats this season as he is currently averaging 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. Boozer has Williamson beat in points per game, rebounds per game, and assists per game so far this season, signaling a higher game-to-game impact than Williamson. This demonstrates the type of year Cameron Boozer is having in comparison to a historical all-time individual season.
Another standout player so far this season is Braden Smith, who is in his fourth year at Purdue. He is the veteran of the team, and he is clearly showing his veteran impact. He plays very selflessly, averaging 9.4 assists per game. Smith is not only known for his amazing skills but also for his leadership, teamwork, and character. “He’s special, he’s elite. He has what it takes to go past college and be professional,” Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter said after the game. Painter also said, “He passes better than anybody in college basketball. Amazingly, he didn’t have another high-major offer, because he’s a winner.”
The University of Connecticut is also having a much better year than in years prior, with many great results. UConn is led by its well-known Head Coach Dan Hurley, who is regarded as one of the most disciplined coaches of the past decade. His hard work and grit are clearly shown in this team’s success throughout this season. Obviously, Hurley couldn’t do it alone, so let’s take a look at who else is contributing to UConn’s success thus far. Solo Ball and Silas Demary, Jr. are two key contributors to this team. Ball leads the team in points per game, averaging 14.5. Demary leads the team in assists and steals, demonstrating that Demary can effectively play both defense and offense. UConn is currently 18-1 with the second-best record in College Basketball.
Honor Huff, an up-and-coming prodigy, is getting comparisons to NBA legend Stephen Curry. His tough shot-making ability is one of the best seen. “All year long, Honor has been our most consistent player on a night-in, night-out basis,” said West Virginia Head Coach Ross Hodge. Not only can Huff shoot the ball extremely well, but he can also see the court better than most. Huff is very good at passing the ball and setting up good opportunities for his teammates.
This season has shown how quickly college can change, with new stars, major upsets, and shifting team success. Strong guard play, leadership, and coaching have been the biggest factors separating top teams from the rest, making the 2025-2026 season one of the most exciting so far.
Sources:
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/stats
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings
