2025-26 College Hoops Thread

[cheesesteak]

I didn't see this yet and assume it's okay for me to create it. A thread for the 2025-26 college bball season.

Season already started and I'm watching G'town vs Maryland as I type this! I love early matchups between big programs. And as much as I like Buzz Williams, I like Ed Cooley and the tradition of Georgetown more and am rooting for them tonight. No more ESPN for me anymore (Thanks, greedy Disney!), so I'll be missing UNC v KU tonight. 😕

Who do y'all like to make the Final Four? Surprise sleeper teams for the season? Overrated teams for the season?

I'm actually quite surprised a lot of programs w/ new, big name coaches are being overlooked in the rankings, particularly programs that still had good transfer/freshmen classes too (Maryland, Indiana, NCSU, Texas, etc). I think this was the case last season, too, with programs with new coaches and good rosters (Michigan, Kentucky, L'ville, etc) not getting much love in pre-season polls except for Arkansas, being ranked high probably just due to Calipari. In this new era of TP+NIL, will this be a trend of newly rebuilt program under new, YOUNGER coaches not getting much preseason love?

Anyway, each year I pick 2 groups of Final Four predictions. Since my picks can be completely flubbed by bracket regions, I like having backups to at least say "well, that team was in my backup picks, so..." And I promise, these picks were made before opening night last week!

true Final Four picks - Purdue, St. John's, Illinois, Kansas
backup picks - Houston, UConn, Texas Tech, Oregon

I have a formula to follow. I won't go into all details, but I like to include a pre-season #19 or lower ranked team (since at least one has always made it since 2013), no coaches in their 1st or 2nd year of a program unless promoted from assistant (new non-promoted rookie HC made FF last in 1989. I didn't check for a 2nd year coach, but that hasn't happened in this TP+NIL era), and I pick Bill Self every even year but separated by 4 years since that is his actual FF appearance pattern (and he last made the FF in 2022, so...he's due for 2026 or 2028). I try to avoid returning FF teams, but I just like Houston too much over the other eligible candidates. So I put them in my backup picks.

Plus I'm pretty big on the Big Ten and Big 12 this season. I think the Big Ten will be like the SEC of last year - sending 12+ teams to the dance.

Anyway, here's to a new season!

[cheesesteak]

Arkansas v Mich St was a really good game. Arkansas looked better than I expected as a team.

A really good lineup tonight with UK v L'ville, WF v Michigan, FSU v UF, Creighton v Zags, and TTech v Illinois (2 teams I picked above!)

[l3ulvl]

WF v Michigan dragged. I haven't been keeping up and didn't realize the 7'3" guy from UCLA is at Michigan now. Michigan was up 13 at the half, then trailed by 7, it was sloppy, and Michigan couldn't shoot at all, it was ugly but they got the win in OT. It was weird because I wanted to see Lendeborg, never heard of him tbh until I saw he was preseason all american, and Mara ended up stealing the show

[jasontoddwhitt]

I knew Kentucky was cooked the second I saw Pope walking into the arena like somebody kicked his puppy. We are having some MAJOR chemistry issues.

[cheesesteak]

Does anyone know how the Players Era Festival MTE is allowed to potentially have the same-conference opponents play each other in the consolidation/champions games?

[jasontoddwhitt]

In the spirit of buyout season...Mark Pope's buyout is $13 million.

[Lunchpail]

$13M doesn't sound like a lot for a school like Kentucky. They have looked awful this year, imo.

[cheesesteak]

In the spirit of buyout season...Mark Pope's buyout is $13 million.

I think UK will be fine, as long as they can get healthy by season's end.

Gonzaga is really balanced and deep. Kentucky is just banged up. They had 3 starters out? Can't blame Pope for that.

[jasontoddwhitt]

I think UK will be fine, as long as they can get healthy by season's end.

Gonzaga is really balanced and deep. Kentucky is just banged up. They had 3 starters out? Can't blame Pope for that.

Considering that was the most heartless, gutless performance I have seen since the Gillispie days, I can blame Pope for it. It's one thing to lose a game if you're trying, but with that performance and with the amount of money these players make today, they absolutely deserved to get booed out of Bridgestone Arena as they did.

Now, tonight, it was nice to see Pope show a little fire. Kentucky was going through the motions for the first 13 minutes of the game. After Garrison had that turnover and showed zero effort to get back in transition, Pope called a timeout, met Garrison about halfway on the court, and told him to "GO SIT DOWN," and he never came back in the game. Then he also reportedly shattered a clipboard in the huddle.

Kentucky came out of that timeout with an 18-2 run and never looked back. They played with more effort, more energy, and seemed more willing to make the extra pass. It was nice to see Jasper Johnson take a step forward in his development. Oweh is seemingly getting back in the flow after missing most of the summer with turf toe. Moreno has surpassed Garrison, and Garrison is likely the one to exit the rotation once Quaintance returns.

[cheesesteak]

Well, we'll see how UK does tonight vs IU. IU is good, but even a banged up UK at home should beat them.

KU had a good win vs NCSU tonight. Williams missed 2 game winners for NCSU and Peterson had to sit out late game + OT for a leg injury it looked like, smh.

On another note, an interesting stat came out a few days ago - 2002-03 was last season a team NOT in the AP Top 12 in Week 6 won the NC.

So we got 3 streaks going on for the NC:
- undefeated through Thanksgiving, none since 2004-05
- ranked in Top 12 AP Poll in Week 6, none since 2002-03
- head coach in at least 3rd year at program, none since 2001-02

Only 5 programs this season fit all the criteria above - Duke, Arizona, Iowa St, Mich St, Purdue. So, I'll be picking one of those 5 comes March lol.

[TripleCrown9]

It's been a few days, but Texas Tech with a massive win against then-undefeated Duke at MSG.

[Lunchpail]

It's been a few days, but Texas Tech with a massive win against then-undefeated Duke at MSG.

A big-time win for the Red Raiders! I stopped keeping up when Duke went up 12, mainly to watch my Eagles play. I was surprised to see that Tech had come back and actually won the game.

On a lesser note... boy, did my Hokies avoid an embarrassing home loss. Trailed freaking Elon by 19 in the first half, and somehow got it together and won by a single point in OT. Would've been our first loss at home this year, and would've severely damaged what little leeway we have in terms of an NCAA resume.

[l3ulvl]

Michigan looking decent, surprised to look at Gonzaga and see they're 15-1 and the one loss was by 40 against Michigan

Nebraska stayed undefeated with a win over Sparty, we'll see how good Michigan really is when they play Nebraska and Sparty back to back... but not for 3 weeks

22 point favorite against USC was the most a team was favored against a top 25 team in 30 years, and they won by 30 anyway

someone will figure them out, but for now I'll just enjoy

(also I probly just jinxed it)

edit: the B1G is strong, there's UM, Purdue, Sparty, Nebraska, Ill, plus a game against Duke thrown in, should be fun

[l3ulvl]

Almost jinxed it! 2 point win at 0-3 in the conference penn state, whew, a buzzer beater away from the first L and an official jinx

[illwill10]

A lot of star power this year. That Peterson game last night was one of the best shot making games I've seen from a college player. 11-13 FG on high efficiency shots. Dybantsa can control and take over games. Cam Boozer and Koa Peat are true physical skilled PFs. Caleb Wilson will be a force in a few years once his body matures. Eubuka Okorie is a dawg.

A lot of talent spread throughout the nation and should be a good NBA draft class