College basketball news, analysis, betting tips, rankings. Men's and women's NCAA hoops. - Hoops HQ

With key returning players, Houston and Purdue are set for big seasons. Who can keep pace in the country this year?

Seth Davis’ Preseason Top 25: Everyone Is Chasing Purdue and Houston

Florida has a legit chance to win back-to-back titles, and Duke has another stellar freshman class

By Seth Davis
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TOP STORIES

Tyran Stokes (left) and Bruce Branch III (right) are making headlines in this fall's Border League

Tyran Stokes, Bruce Branch III Take Over the Border League

The Border League has become the premier recruiting event of the fall. Last week, top high school stars showed out for over 100 high-major college coaches and NBA scouts.

By Krysten Peek
Dennis Gates claps his hands after a big victory

Why the Future Looks Brighter Than Ever at Missouri
By Alex Squadron
Thierry Dalran became the first player ever to obtain NCAA eligibility after competing in the NBA G-League

Inside Thierry Darlan’s Groundbreaking Move from the NBA G League to Santa Clara
By Alex Squadron
Bill Self has led Kansas to one of the strongest recruiting classes in the nation, including five-star guard Taylen Kinney

Recruiting Headlines: Big Week for Kansas, Mixed Results For UConn
By Sam Kayser
Welcome to Hoops HQ's data-driven player ranking for the 2025-26 college basketball season

The Top 100 Players In College Basketball: Part One
By Tristan Freeman
Rick Barnes "maniacal" attitude towards player development has placed him among the winningest active coaches in the NCAA

‘Maniacal’ Desire to Help Players Improve Has Fueled Rick Barnes’s Success at Tennessee

At 71, Barnes has a lifetime contract and one of his deepest teams. Could the Vols finally end their season on the last Monday night?
By Chris Dortch
Amarion Dickerson (left), Josh Dix (center) and Donovan Dent (right) are among the underrated hoopers likely to increase their NBA Draft stock this season

Underrated NBA Prospects Entering the 2025-26 Season

Every year, hoopers way off the draft radar play their way into first- or second-round picks. Hoops HQ pinpoints the future NBA stars no one is talking about.
By Jonathan Wasserman
NIL has changed, but success is more lucrative than ever

Football Players Are Cashing in on NIL. What Can Basketball Players Learn From That?

The rules governing Name, Image and Likeness have changed, but if a player can create moments and win, there is still a lot of money to be made.
By Kristi Dosh

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2025-26 Conference Power Rankings

Donovan Dent (left), Braden Smith (center) and Brad Underwood (right) are among the power players liable to shake up the Big Ten this season

Big Ten Power Rankings for the 2025-26 Season
By Tristan Freeman
Alex Karaban (left), Rick Pitino (center) and Chase Ross (right) are among the power players of the Big East headed into the 2025-26 season

The Definitive Big East Power Rankings
By Tristan Freeman
Cameron Boozer (left), Seth Trimble (center) and Will Wade (right) are among the power players of the ACC headed into the 2025-26 season

The Definitive ACC Power Rankings
By Tristan Freeman
Milos Uzan (left), Bill Self (center) and AJ Dybansta (right) are among the power players set to shake up the Big 12 this season

The Definitive Big 12 Power Rankings
By Tristan Freeman
Tahaad Pettiford (left), Nate Ament (center) and Todd Golden (right) are among the power players liable to shake up the SEC this season

SEC Power Rankings for the 2025-26 Season
By Tristan Freeman

NEW ON HHQ

The college basketball season is fast approaching. Here's what Seth Davis is keeping an eye on.

Five Burning Questions for College Basketball: Will Dan Hurley Change? Is Cinderella Dead?

How North Carolina coach Hubert Davis fares in this critical season is one of many burning questions in college hoops as the season draws nigh

By Seth Davis
Arizona Wildcats guard Jada Williams #2 during a basketball game between the BYU Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats on February 19, 2025.

Women's Basketball Breakout Candidates: Who Is Set to Take a Step Forward This Season?
By Eden Laase
Steve Forbes has excelled in the transfer portal the past few seasons. Now, he's piecing together a roster of bona fide Tournament contenders.

Can a New-Look Team End Wake Forest’s NCAA Tournament Drought?
By Alex Squadron
The SCORE Act stalled on Capitol Hill, raising questions regarding the legal future of NIL

Congress Was Fixing to Save College Sports. Now It’s Stuck.
By Kristi Dosh
Darrion Williams was an eleventh hour withdrawal from the NBA Draft. Now, he's the focal point of an NC State team set to stun the ACC.

“He Makes the Game Easy”: NC State Is Betting on Darrion Williams
By Brett Friedlander

RANKINGS FOR 2025-26 SEASON

With senior guard Otega Oweh in hand, Kentucky returns its leading scorer while picking up the strongest transfer class in the nation

Top 10 Backcourts for the 2025-26 Season
By Tristan Freeman
Houston returns three key starters, including Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Joseph Tugler

The Best Frontcourts in College Basketball
By Tristan Freeman
Isaiah Evans (left), Jaeden Mustaf (center) and Terrance Arceneaux (right) are among the top breakout candidates heading into the 2025-26 season

Top 10 ACC Breakout Players for the 2025-26 Season
By Tristan Freeman
A graphic with 2 college basketball players, Jayden Quaintance and Elliot Cadeau, on either side of Kentucky coach Mark Pope.

New Team, Next Level: From the Portal to Next Year's Top Breakout Candidates
By Tristan Freeman
Lauren Betts, Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd, Ta’Niya Latson and Madison Booker show incredible promise as Player of the Year candidates headed into the 2025-26 season

With JuJu Watkins Out, Who Are The Frontrunners for Player of the Year?
By Eden Laase
Tahaad Pettiford (left), Flory Bidunga (middle) and Isaiah Evans (right) are among our top candidates for a sophomore breakout this season

Top 10 Sophomore Breakout Candidates for the 2025-26 Men’s Hoops Season
By Alex Squadron
After a Final Four collapse, Jon Scheyer and Duke look to retool for a championship run

ACC Roster Reshuffle: Where Every Team Currently Stands
By Brett Friedlander
SEC coaches Todd Golden, Mark Pope, John Calipari and Bruce Pearl

Roster Reshuffle: Last Year's SEC Was Historically Good. Next Year's May Be Better.
By Chris Dortch
SEC Reshuffle Part 2

SEC Roster Reshuffle: The Current State of Every Team in the Conference’s Lineup
By Chris Dortch
A graphic of 3 Big East Conference basketball coaches: Rick Pitino of St. John's Dan Hurley of UConn and Kevin Willard of Villanova.

Roster Reshuffle: The State of Every Big East Team's Lineup, Right Now
By Tristan Freeman
Emanuel Sharp and JT Toppin

The State of Every Big 12 Team's Roster, Right Now
By Alex Squadron
DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 16: Head coach Buzz Williams of the Texas A&M Aggies reacts during the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 16, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Big Ten Roster Reshuffle: The Current State of Every Team’s Lineup, Part I
By Lindsey Willhite

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR

The cohort of players headed to the Mid-Majors includes a slew of superstars – and representatives from around the world

Top 10 International Players Bound for the Mid-Majors
By Oliver Fell
Baylor-bound Tounde Yessoufou is on track to become the first Beninese-born NBA player

Top 10 Big 12 Incoming Internationals
By Oliver Fell
Omer Mayer is set to bring his gritty two-way play to Purdue next season

Top 10 Big Ten Incoming Internationals
By Oliver Fell
Eric Reibe tops the list best international recruits in the Big East this season.

Ranking the Big East’s Top 10 International Recruits
By Oliver Fell
Australian-born Roman Siulepa waited to sign with Pittsburgh until late July, still toying with the idea of a career in rugby

The ACC’s Top 10 Incoming International Players
By Oliver Fell
SYLA SWORDS, HANNAH HIDALGO

Top 10 Summer Stars on the Women’s Hoops International Circuit
By Oliver Fell

PORTAL TO THE PORTAL

Bennett Stirtz and Yaxel Lendeborg are among the highest-value hoopers headed from the Mid-Majors to the Power 5

Moving on Up: The 10 Best Players Who Transferred from Low- and Mid-Major Programs

Their new high-major programs can expect important contributions from these newcomers in the 2025-26 season
By Drew Blouin
Transfer Portal Rankings: Top 25 Classes

Who's Winning the Portal?

UPDATED JUNE 8: There are some high-caliber players who still haven’t decided where they’re going, but these 25 teams already have done yeoman work in the portal.
By Tristan Freeman
Vasean Allette (left), Frank Mitchell (center) and Daimion Collins (right) all look to make an impact as they head from the Power 5 to Mid-Major programs

The 10 Best Players Who Transferred Down From Power-Conference Programs

Their mid-major programs can expect important contributions from these Power Conference newcomers in the 2025-26 season
By Riley Frain
Former HPU Panther Juslin Bodo Bodo is a ferocious rebounder and a prize pickup for Baylor this off-season

Crashing the Boards: The Top 10 Rebounding Transfer Classes

A look at which teams did the best at bringing in impactful rebounders
By Drew Blouin and Riley Frain

A Carousel of Coaches

Arizona Coach Tommy Lloyd added eight recruits this off-season. Seven of them are freshman.

At Arizona, What’s Old Is Young Again
By Seth Davis
Hubert Davis Isn’t Concerned About Pressure

Hubert Davis Isn't Concerned About Pressure
By Brett Friedlander
Nolan Smith's wayward career has carried him from Duke, through the NBA and now to his first Head Coaching position with Tennessee State

A Lifetime In Basketball Brings Nolan Smith to Tennessee State
By Aaron Cohen
NCAA Champion Wes Miller has struggled to bring his Cincinnati Bearcats to a single Tournament match in four seasons as head coach

Wes Miller Is Feeling the Heat in Cincinnati
By Mike Barber
Just six days after his Xavier squad eliminated Texas from the NCAA Tournament, Miller was introduced as the Longhorns' new coach.

Sean Miller Is Ready To Write His Next Chapter at Texas
By Seth Davis
Thanks to a hefty NIL budget, Dusty May signed four transfers and three freshmen to bolster his roster for his second season at Michigan.

Dusty May Is Still Winning
By Seth Davis
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson watching a game from the sideline with his arms folded.

Coach Kelvin Sampson's Long, Difficult Road to the Title Game
By Brett Friedlander
Half a century after first suiting up for Pennsylvania, Head Coach Fran McCaffery still has the fire

“I Just Feel Blessed”: It’s Been a Grueling Journey, But Fran McCaffery Is Finally Home
By Aaron Cohen
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo smiles and reaches out to hug one of his players

Tom Izzo Isn't Thinking About Retirement. "I Still Have the Fire"
By Seth Davis
St. John's coach Rick Pitino watches a game from the sideline with his arms folded.

My Day With Rick Pitino: Get Up, Show Up, Try to Keep Up
By Alex Squadron
Matt Painter

What’s the Key to Matt Painter’s Success? He Reads
By Seth Davis
The relationships like the one Shaka Smart has with point guard Kam Jones allow him to keep Marquette winning without using the transfer portal.

Shaka Smart Is the Only Major Coach Not Using the Transfer Portal. He's Still Winning.
By Seth Davis
Dennis Gates

Missouri Went 0-18 in the SEC Last Year. Now They're a Final Four Contender
By Seth Davis
UConn coach Geno Auriemma is surrounded by former players after becoming the all-time wins leader in college basketball.

For Geno Auriemma, Setting the All-Time Record Was Something to Be Celebrated and Shared
By Eden Laase
During his announcement that he was retiring from Auburn, Pearl suggested he was not going to run for the Senate, but he didn't quite rule it out.

What’s Next for Bruce Pearl?
By Seth Davis

BEST OF HOOPS HQ

Ken Pomeroy, founder of KenPom.com, college basketball's analytics guru

Ken Pomeroy Crunched The Numbers And Changed The Game
By Seth Davis
Basketball player Joe Grahovac and ex NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski

Woj Bomb! Ex-NBA Insider Lands a Big Recruit With a Wild Backstory
By Seth Davis
Duke center Mike Gminski rises for a jump shot.

Mike Gminski Has Lived a Hard Life. Now He’s Living His Best One.
By Alex Squadron
Images of Harmoni Turner throughout her life

For Harvard’s Harmoni Turner, There’s a Time to Play, and a Time to Heal
By Eden Laase
St. John's coach Rick Pitino watches a game from the sideline with his arms folded.

My Day With Rick Pitino: Get Up, Show Up, Try to Keep Up
By Alex Squadron
Greg Gumbel and Seth Davis at the 2018 Final Four.

Farewell to My Friend Greg Gumbel
By Seth Davis

STATE OF THE NCAA

The NCAA Tournament has not substantially expanded since 1985. It's time for the tourney to expand again.

It’s Time For the NCAA Tournament to Expand. But Will It?
By Seth Davis
Comissioner Tim Pernetti (left) announced Sunday that the AAC would rebrand to the American Conference, and adopt Soar the Eagle (middle) as a mascot

The American Conference Has A New Name and an Uncertain Future
By Seth Davis
Robinson and Obama are co-hosting “IMO," a new podcast with a focus on "everyday questions"

Craig Robinson on his Podcast With Sister, Michelle Obama, and His Role at the NABC
By Seth Davis
It hasn't been easy for House to stay focused on his swimming, but he is determined to compete at the World Championships later this summer and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

For Grant House, Being the Face of Radical Change Has Not Been Easy
By Seth Davis
NIL has changed, but success is more lucrative than ever

Chaos! Confusion! Conflict! The New Era in College Sports Is Off to a Rocky Start
By Seth Davis
revenue sharing big east

With Revenue Sharing on the Way, Is the Big East Sitting Pretty?
By Seth Davis

HOOPS HEADLINES

Tony Bland has been through a lot during his coaching career. This season, he gets the opportunity to work with Bill Self at Kansas, a huge career milestone.

“I Made It Through”: Tony Bland’s Road From FBI Arrest to Kansas
By Seth Davis
Yarden Garzon and Oluchi Okananwa highlight the transfer portal class for Maryland head coach Brenda Frese.

Can Transfers Help Frese, Maryland to Final Four?
By Eden Laase
Jazzy Davidson (left), Aaliyah Chavez (center) and Sienna Betts (right) are among the incoming freshman liable to shake up the NCAA in the 2025-26 season

Top 10 Freshmen for the 2025-26 Women’s Hoops Season
By Eden Laase
Sadiq White (left), JJ Mandaquit (center) and Mouhamed Sylla (left) are among the top under-the-radar freshmen to watch this season

Top 10 Under-the-Radar Freshmen for the 2025-26 Men’s Hoops Season
By Alex Squadron
At 7-feet tall, Henri Veesaar is a quality shot blocker, proven rebounder and the BIG change Hubert Davis needs to reverse UNC's fortunes

Henri Veesaar Is Fixing North Carolina’s Biggest Problem
By Brett Friedlander
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has given new life to a conference thought unsalvageable just two seasons ago

“Nothing Rattles Her”: How Teresa Gould Resurrected the Pac-12
By Seth Davis
Kelvin Sampson (left), Solo Ball (center left), John Calipari (center right) and Otega Oweh (right) headline some of the top storylines for the 2025-26 season

Five Burning Questions for the 2025-26 Men’s Hoops Season – Part 2
By Alex Squadron
Amael L'Etang (left), Aaron Bradshaw (center) and Mikey Lewis (right) are among the top mid-major breakout candidates this season

Top 10 Mid-Major Breakout Candidates for the 2025-26 Season
By Tristan Freeman
Chase Ross (left), Jaylin Stewart (center) and Finley Bizjack (right) are among the Big East's top breakout candidates this season

Top 10 Big East Breakout Candidates for the 2025-26 Season
By Tristan Freeman
Mykell Robinson dropped points and adjusted his stats so former teammates Steven Vasquez (right) and Jalen Weaver (center) could cash in

NCAA Issues Permanent Bans for Fresno State Basketball Players Who Bet on Themselves
By Aaron Cohen
Madsen's Golden Bears made four trips to the Eastern time zone in their final three months of regular season play

“Hard on the Body”: Coach Mark Madsen on Cal’s Travel Troubles
By Brett Friedlander
AJ Storr is starting his 2025-26 season with Ole Miss – his eighth team and fourth college since 2020

“The Ultimate Restart”: At His Fourth School in Four Years, AJ Storr Is Ready for the Next Chapter
By Alex Squadron