Matt Norlander's Top 100 And 1 college basketball teams: CBS Sports' preseason rankings for 2026-27 — SkimNews
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- Florida opens the ranking at No. 1 with Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon returning from its title run; the Gators bring back 81.8% of last season’s scoring but finished 321st in three-point shooting.
- Duke ranks second and leads Florida at BartTorvik.com, EvanMiya.com and KenPom.com, posting a +34.42 preseason efficiency margin—the highest in KenPom’s history—before a Dec. 1 game in Gainesville.
- Illinois takes No. 3 after reaching its first Final Four in 21 seasons and delivering the program’s first national title in April; Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks and five-star guard Quentin Coleman join a returning core led by David Mirkovic, who will not be ready for the first couple of weeks.
- Arizona ranks fourth with a 148-36 record over Tommy Lloyd’s first five seasons that includes the program’s first Final Four since 2001; despite losing Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso, the Wildcats return center Mo Krivas and add five-star freshman Caleb Holt.
- UConn slots in at No. 5 with a 126-28 record and an 18-2 NCAA Tournament mark over the past four seasons, but trusted lieutenants Luke Murray and Tom Moore are no longer in Storrs.
- NCAA is resisting a blanket fifth-year waiver for 2026 graduates, leaving more than 100 players’ participation unresolved; more than 40% of the 101 ranked teams are involved in player-initiated lawsuits.
Why it matters: Florida's title case already includes a pending eligibility fight for Denzel Aberdeen, while more than 100 players across high- and mid-major hoops are suing for a fifth year and more than 40% of the 101 listed teams face lawsuits. The source identifies late rulings as a trigger for significant recalibrations, changing the title and Final Four picture after games begin.
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