College Basketball is back! This season is poised to be full of surprises, upsets, and a great March Madness tournament. So which programs are the favorites to win the NCAA championship in Indianapolis.
Purdue
Purdue are the early championship favorites, and are #1 in the preseason AP top 25. Coach Matt Painter has built an outstanding roster with an electric offensive game. Also, watch out for senior guard Braden Smith, who is one of the best players in the country. If this Boilermakers team is able to supplement their offensive talent with strong defense, they have a great shot to win it all.
Florida
The Gators are the defending champions and ranked #3 in the preseason AP top 25. They are looking to become back to back champions, after UConn did it in 2023-24. Over the offseason, Coach Todd Golden was able to strengthen his backcourt by adding guards Boogie Fland from Arkansas and Xaivian Lee from Princeton, via the transfer portal. Watch out for the Gators to repeat.
Houston
Houston looks to bounce back this season after losing to Florida on the last play of last year’s national championship. They are #2 in the AP’s preseason rankings. The Cougars bring back three starters from last year’s team: Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp, and Joseph Tugler. Houston also brings in three top 25 recruits.
BYU
All of the Cougar’s hype this season comes from #1 recruit AJ Dybansta, who is in contention to be the first overall pick in the next NBA draft. BYU also brings in guard Robert Wright III from Baylor. They are ranked #8 in the AP preseason poll after a Sweet 16 appearance last year.
Michigan
Michigan is the #7 in the preseason poll after bringing in major transfers. Those include guard Elliot Cadeau from North Carolina and big men Yaxel Lendeborg from UAB and Morex Johnson from Illinois. Coach Dusty May has a roster ready to make a push for the National Championship.
Duke
No “College Basketball Favorites” list can be complete without including the Blue Devils. Duke was able to bring in the #1 recruiting class headlined by #3 recruit Cameron Boozer. After losing 5 players to the NBA last year coach Jon Scheyer hopes to return to the Final Four with Duke this year.
With no true standout team to win this year, it is really any teams title for the taking.
