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Jeff Borzello
Multiple Authors
We’re only 10 days into the 2026-27 college basketball season, but there have already been seven matchups between ranked teams. That has led to plenty of movement for our first edition of Power Rankings.
The biggest risers since our preseason rankings are Kansas and UCLA, both of which landed notable early-season wins. The Jayhawks added former Purdue star Trey Kaufman-Renn and then blew out Kentucky at the Champions Classic in Chicago, while the Bruins knocked off Arizona on opening night and have a legitimate burgeoning star in freshman Nikola Kusturica.
UConn and Michigan State are squarely in the top tier of national championship contenders after their stellar starts to the season, while Duke and Illinois aren’t going to be at their best until later in the season, with the Blue Devils adjusting to new go-to players and Illinois suffering multiple injuries.
It also wouldn’t be the 2026-27 season without early ramifications following a summer of lawsuits. Arizona is still awaiting a decision on forward RJ Godfrey, while Kansas’ and Texas Tech’s big wins were keyed by players who suited up based on injunctions or temporary restraining orders.
Next week highlights include the Players Era 8 tournament in Las Vegas and on-campus showdowns featuring Illinois at Duke, Michigan State at Tennessee and UConn at Arizona. More changes to the Power Rankings likely loom.
Preseason ranking: 1
Recent results: W vs. Miami 77-67 (Nov. 2); W vs. Jacksonville 88-57 (Nov. 5); W at Florida State 81-72 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. Merrimack (Nov. 13); vs. Notre Dame in Las Vegas (Nov. 17)
What stands out about the Gators from the first three games of the season is how quickly Todd Golden has settled into an eight-man rotation. His five starters as well as reserves Urban Klavzar, Domen Petrovic and Isaiah Brown combined for 199 of a possible 200 minutes in the season-opening win over Miami and all 200 minutes in Tuesday’s victory over Florida State. Some of the deeper bench players saw time in the blowout over Jacksonville, but it’s clear Golden has already decided on his rotation.
Preseason ranking: 5
Recent results: W vs. Gardner-Webb 86-46 (Nov. 2); W vs. Michigan in Boston 85-77 (Nov. 6); W vs. Wagner 83-41 (Nov. 9)
Upcoming games: vs. Ohio State (Nov. 13); at Arizona (Nov. 18)
After UConn’s win over Michigan in Boston last week — a game in which Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins thoroughly outplayed counterparts Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney — Demary said he felt like he and Mullins were the best backcourt in the country. Ten days into the season, it’s hard to argue with the senior guard. Fully healthy after struggling through an ankle injury during the NCAA tournament, Demary is averaging 14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.7 steals this season. Mullins hit the 20-point mark in each of his first two games.
Preseason ranking: 6
Recent results: W vs. Quinnipiac 96-59 (Nov. 2); W vs. Toledo 91-61 (Nov. 5); W vs. Duke in Chicago 79-73 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. Northern Iowa (Nov. 13); at Tennessee (Nov. 17)
It was hard to come away from Michigan State’s Champions Classic triumph over Duke not thinking that sophomore forward Jordan Scott was the Spartans’ second-most important player. That the performance came after a game in which he scored just five points and shot 2-for-7 was telling. Scott put on a defensive performance for the ages against Duke, posting nine defensive rebounds, blocking six shots and notching two steals. He single-handedly stifled the Duke offense in the first half. “He just really impacts winning,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after the game.
Preseason ranking: 19
Recent results: W vs. Fordham 95-65 (Nov. 2); W vs. Middle Tennessee 89-45 (Nov. 6); W vs. Kentucky in Chicago 89-69 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. UNLV in Las Vegas (Nov. 17)
Kansas was already going to move up significantly in the rankings because our preseason top 25 was released before the arrival of Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn. Then came Tuesday’s 20-point demolition of Kentucky, a performance that suggested Bill Self might have his best team since the title-winning 2021-22 outfit, if everyone is eligible and healthy. The Champions Classic win was a clinic offensively, both in transition and in the half court, highlighted by 24 assists on 32 made baskets and a 22-0 edge in points off turnovers.
Preseason ranking: 24
Recent results: W vs. Arizona 84-75 (Nov. 2); W vs. North Florida 114-63 (Nov. 6); W vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff 106-37 (Nov. 11)
Upcoming games: vs. Long Beach State (Nov. 16); vs. Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 18)
Early signs point to Mick Cronin having his best team since the 31-win group of 2022-23, and perhaps the best offense of his career. Serbian freshman Nikola Kusturica had an eye-opening, 29-point performance against North Florida, shooting 10-for-12 from the field. Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty has hit the ground running in Westwood, averaging 17 points and 4.3 assists through three games, shooting nearly 48% from 3. Those two have combined with returnees Trent Perry and Eric Dailey to form an attack that can beat teams in different ways while not sacrificing the toughness and defensive intensity Cronin demands.
Preseason ranking: 2
Recent results: W vs. Army 84-50 (Nov. 2); W vs. Coastal Carolina 113-52 (Nov. 5); L vs. Michigan State in Chicago 79-73 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. SIUE (Nov. 13); vs. Illinois (Nov. 17)
The Blue Devils’ 79-73 loss to Michigan State was the first time since the 2023-24 season that they weren’t leading or within one possession in the final minute of a game. The Spartans — particularly Jeremy Fears Jr. — controlled the game from start to finish. Following the game, Jon Scheyer bemoaned his team’s poor pick-and-roll defense and inability to run efficient offense against Michigan State’s physical defense. The 26% the Blue Devils shot in the first half was the worst first-half shooting percentage of the Scheyer era, and Duke’s 41.9% 2-point shooting for the contest was the team’s worst since the 2025 Final Four loss to Houston.
Preseason ranking: 13
Recent results: W vs. Drexel 89-60 (Nov. 3); W vs. Northeastern 97-72 (Nov. 6); W vs. Arkansas 91-72 (Nov. 8); W vs. Bucknell 95-61 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: at Maryland (Nov. 13); vs. Old Dominion (Nov. 17)
Entering the season, four of Virginia’s starting five were clearly locked into place. Thijs De Ridder, Sam Lewis and Johann Grunloh all returned from last year’s lineup, while point guard Chance Mallory was one of the best sixth men in the country last season. Nolan Adekunle, a Germany native, has grabbed the fifth spot and given coach Ryan Odom a perfect 3-and-D option with toughness and experience. Over his past two games, Adekunle is averaging 13.5 points and shooting 6-for-11 from 3.
Preseason ranking: 9
Recent results: W vs. Jackson State 76-42 (Nov. 2); W vs. Bethune-Cookman 76-58 (Nov. 5); W vs. Illinois 84-78 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. Stonehill (Nov. 14); vs. LSU New Orleans (Nov. 18)
With all the attention surrounding JT Toppin’s injury status and the eligibility of Tech’s trio of five-for-five hopefuls, the Red Raiders’ incoming portal backcourt of Cruz Davis and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn flew under the radar entering the season. After three games, it clearly shouldn’t have. The two guards combined for 35 points and eight assists in the 84-78 win over Illinois on Tuesday, one game after totaling 40 points and five assists in a victory over Bethune-Cookman. That Tech was able to beat Illinois despite getting next to nothing offensively from Darrion Williams — the former All-Big 12 player is averaging 3.7 points and has made a field goal in just one game this season — is a good sign for its March potential.
Preseason ranking: 3
Recent results: W vs. Fairleigh Dickinson 120-45 (Nov. 2); W vs. Penn 112-70 (Nov. 5); L at Texas Tech 84-78 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. Sam Houston State (Nov. 13); at Duke (Nov. 17)
Illinois’ high-flying offense didn’t necessarily come to a screeching halt in Tuesday’s loss at Texas Tech, but it certainly hit some turbulence. The Illini’s 1.05 points per possession would have been their third-lowest mark last season, ahead of only their two games against UConn. They were remarkably efficient inside the arc, shooting nearly 77% on 2-pointers, but they struggled to make shots from the perimeter and turned the ball over 16 times. Here’s a trend worth monitoring moving forward.
Preseason ranking: 7
Recent results: W vs. Chicago State 109-59 (Nov. 2); W vs. Gardner-Webb 98-50 (Nov. 5); W vs. Grambling 93-62 (Nov. 9)
Upcoming games: vs. Baylor in San Antonio (Nov. 15)
Could Matas Vokietaitis pick up where he left off toward the end of last season? That was one of the questions for the Longhorns entering the 2026-27 campaign, and while their competition has been subpar, the answer so far has been a convincing yes. Through three games, the 7-foot Lithuanian is averaging 21.3 points and 7.3 rebounds and shooting better than 79% from the field. He’s doing it in just over 22 minutes per game. The schedule stiffens, beginning this weekend against Baylor.
Preseason ranking: 10
Recent results: W vs. Monmouth 78-63 (Nov. 2); W vs. Iona 104-65 (Nov. 8); W vs. Colgate 90-59 (Nov. 11)
Upcoming games: vs. Syracuse (Nov. 15); vs. Siena (Nov. 18)
Quinn Ellis had huge expectations placed on him entering the season, given the circumstances surrounding his recruitment — the Johnnies beat out the likes of Duke and Louisville — and his professional résumé in Italy. And through three games, he is showing why Rick Pitino invested so much into him. After Wednesday’s nine-assist, six-rebound, four-steal, zero-turnover performance against Colgate, Ellis has now totaled 27 assists, 12 steals and just two turnovers in his first three college games.
Preseason ranking: 15
Recent results: W vs. Chattanooga 84-70 (Nov. 2); W vs. Morehead State 107-57 (Nov. 7)
Upcoming games: at Memphis (Nov. 15)
If Louisville is going to hit its ceiling this season, freshman center Obinna Ekezie Jr. might be the biggest reason. He broke out in an October exhibition game against Kansas, raising expectations for the top-10 recruit entering the campaign. In the regular-season opener, however, he played just nine minutes off the bench, scoring five points. Against Morehead State over the weekend, Ekezie bounced back to the tune of 25 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and three made 3s on six attempts. According to EvanMiya.com, Ekezie has played alongside Flory Bidunga for only 11 possessions through two games, but that’s a formidable interior duo if Pat Kelsey opts to use it for longer stretches moving forward.
Preseason ranking: 4
Recent results: L vs. UCLA 84-75 (Nov. 2); W vs. Cal Poly 104-84 (Nov. 5); W vs. Northern Arizona 90-59 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: at Auburn (Nov. 13); vs. UConn (Nov. 18)
The All-America campaign has already begun for Ivan Kharchenkov, who has emerged as one of the most productive players in college basketball through three games. He was one of the stars of the sport’s opening day, posting 38 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to UCLA. He followed that with 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists against Cal Poly, then had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists against Northern Arizona on Tuesday. It’s early, but Kharchenkov sits at No. 2 in KenPom’s Player of the Year standings.
Preseason ranking: 8
Recent results: W vs. Wofford 90-59 (Nov. 3); W vs. Radford 70-47 (Nov. 9)
Upcoming games: vs. Tennessee State (Nov. 13); vs. Michigan State (Nov. 17)
For all the offensive talent Rick Barnes has assembled in Knoxville this season, the attack hasn’t quite clicked. That he has started eight different players through two games lends credence to that idea. The Volunteers were held to 0.98 points per possession against Radford on Monday; the Highlanders had allowed 1.14 points per possession in their previous two games against San Francisco and California. Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris, who ranked in the top 20 nationally last season with 21.4 points per game, has totaled 13 points through two games.
Preseason ranking: 18
Recent results: W vs. La Salle 94-55 (Nov. 2); W vs. Cal 86-68 (Nov. 8); W vs. Jacksonville State 92-46 (Nov. 11)
Upcoming games: vs. Rutgers in Las Vegas (Nov. 17)
Dedan Thomas Jr. was one of the most sought-after point guards in the transfer portal, even though an injury limited him to just 16 games as a junior at LSU. Through three games in a Houston uniform, he’s looking like the next great guard under Kelvin Sampson. He is averaging 17.7 points and 6.7 assists, committing just three total turnovers. And Thomas is helming an offense that has scored at least 85 points in each of its first three games. Per ESPN Research, that has happened only one other time during Sampson’s tenure.
Preseason ranking: 17
Recent results: W vs. Milwaukee (Nov. 3); W vs. Wichita State 93-86 (Nov. 9); W at Cal 77-65 (Nov. 11)
Upcoming games: vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff (Nov. 15)
The explosiveness of the Rodney Rice-Alijah Arenas backcourt has been the story of USC’s opening 10 days, with Rice averaging 21.7 points and seven assists and Arenas posting 23.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. Those two give the Trojans a chance against anyone on a given night. But it was Jacob Cofie’s performance against Cal on Wednesday that should give Eric Musselman real optimism for the season. After being hampered by an injury during the first two games, Cofie had 13 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, three blocks, two steals and played all but 28 seconds of the game.
Preseason ranking: 14
Recent results: W vs. Purdue 78-72 (Nov. 2); W vs. New Mexico State 109-68 (Nov. 7)
Upcoming games: vs. LSU (Nov. 14); vs. Montana State (Nov. 17)
A breakout season from sophomore wing Davis Fogle was easy to predict entering the season. Fogle, a former top-100 recruit, barely got off the bench during the first half of last season but was thrust into an extended role following Braden Huff’s injury. He responded with double figures in eight of his final 16 games. He has carried over that momentum to this season, scoring 22 points in each of Gonzaga’s first two games. He also distributed six assists in the win over New Mexico State.
Preseason ranking: 20
Recent results: W. vs. Ohio State 94-83 (Nov. 2); W vs. Omaha 108-67 (Nov. 6); W vs. Queens 98-82 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. Montana State (Nov. 12); vs. Northern Colorado (Nov. 18)
While we’re not quite ready to say Kevin Young has his best offense since taking over in Provo, it’s certainly his best shooting group — and therefore has the potential to be better than the previous two iterations. Point guard Robert Wright III has been sensational, averaging 25 points (including a 35-point outing) and four assists with just two total turnovers. Bruce Branch III looks like a lottery pick, Jaxon Kohler is an inside-outside weapon who can rebound, and Collin Chandler is averaging 15 points. But the surprise has been Tyler Betsey, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Syracuse who is shooting 12-for-19 from 3 through three games.
Preseason ranking: 11
Recent results: L vs. Florida 77-67 (Nov. 3); W vs. Wagner 83-57 (Nov. 6); W vs. North Florida 89-51 (Nov. 9)
Upcoming games: vs. North Alabama (Nov. 13); vs. Rider (Nov. 17)
It will be interesting to see if Jai Lucas sticks with the jumbo lineups he has leaned into for the first three games of the season. Not only have Acaden Lewis, Shelton Henderson, Caleb Gaskins, Malik Reneau and Somto Cyril started all three games, they’ve also been on the floor for 49 more possessions than any other five-man combination for the Hurricanes, per EvanMiya.com. They struggled to create clean half-court looks against Florida in the opener and have made just 14 3-pointers in three games at a 22.2% clip (No. 337 in the country). On the flip side, they’ve been fantastic defensively, which allows Lucas to get his five most talented players on the floor together.
Preseason ranking: 21
Recent results: W. vs. Sam Houston State 96-74 (Nov. 3); W vs. Arkansas State 101-86 (Nov. 6); W vs. Oakland 109-68 (Nov. 9)
Upcoming games: vs. Seton Hall (Nov. 13); vs. Kennesaw State (Nov. 17)
Unsurprisingly, 3-point shooting has been the theme of Alabama’s opening three games (although it’s certainly worth noting the Crimson Tide missed just one 2-pointer in Monday’s win over Oakland). They’re averaging 16.3 made 3-pointers after burying 24 shots from beyond the arc against the Golden Grizzlies, and they lead the country in 3-pointers attempted (42.3) per game. On the other side, the Crimson Tide have looked susceptible to the 3, allowing Sam Houston State and Arkansas State to make 15 3-pointers.
Preseason ranking: 23
Recent results: W vs. Bellarmine 93-47 (Nov. 2); W vs. Wake Forest 74-51 (Nov. 5); W vs. Memphis 105-81 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. Prairie View A&M (Nov. 13); vs. Eastern Illinois (Nov. 17)
While Jeremy Fears Jr. staked his claim as the best point guard in the country on a major stage at the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Tyler Tanner has been making his case. His perimeter shot hasn’t been falling yet this season (he’s just 2-for-10 from beyond the arc after shooting 37% from 3 last season), but he’s still averaging 18 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals, with just two turnovers total in three games. Washington State transfer Ace Glass has done a tremendous job replacing Duke Miles as Tanner’s backcourt mate, averaging 17 points and shooting 42.3% from 3.
Preseason ranking: 12
Recent results: W vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff 106-61 (Nov. 3); L vs. Virginia 91-72 (Nov. 8); W vs. Robert Morris 76-53 (Nov. 11)
Upcoming games: vs. Central Arkansas (Nov. 13); vs. Indiana in New York (Nov. 17)
Arkansas’ defensive performance against Virginia on Sunday was one of the worst of the John Calipari era in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks allowed the Cavaliers to score 1.34 points per possession — the third-highest single-game total since Calipari took over, behind only last season’s games against 1-seeds Florida and Arizona. Virginia rebounded 47.5% of its misses and made 12 3s, two more categories in which Arkansas was worse just twice all of last season. The Razorbacks looked far more competent against Robert Morris, but Indiana next week might be a better test.
Preseason ranking: NR
Recent results: W vs. Lehigh 92-67 (Nov. 2); W vs. Missouri 90-84 (Nov. 6); W vs. Northern Kentucky 125-63 (Nov. 10)
Upcoming games: vs. High Point (Nov. 15)
Despite receiving a preliminary injunction last week, Robbie Avila has been held out of the past two games because of a roster-limit issue, but the Billikens haven’t shown any sign of struggling without their former star. They picked up one of the more impressive victories of the opening week in a rivalry game over a talented Missouri team, scoring 90 points and leading by as many as 14 in the process. In SLU’s past two wins, it has made 32 3-pointers, shooting better than 56% from beyond the arc.
Preseason ranking: 22
Recent results: W vs. Oakland 84-68 (Nov. 2); L vs. UConn 85-77 (Nov. 6); W vs. Marquette 84-70 (Nov. 11)
Upcoming games: vs. William & Mary (Nov. 15)
Since Mike Boynton arrived at Michigan, first as an assistant under Dusty May and now as the Wolverines’ head coach, he has had plenty of success with frontcourt additions via the portal. Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin in 2024-25, then Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara last season. And he’s hoping J.P. Estrella and Moustapha Thiam keep the tradition going this season. Thiam struggled in his debut in Michigan’s loss to UConn but bounced back with nine points, 12 rebounds and three blocks against Marquette. Estrella is averaging 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds. Boynton also has a new jumbo lineup to cause problems. Against Marquette, he went to 6-foot-10 freshman Quinn Costello early in the game, alongside Thiam and Estrella, and Costello responded with five 3s. According to Basket Under Review, that trio played 10 minutes, 20 seconds together alongside Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney against Marquette and finished plus-22 during that stretch.
Preseason ranking: NR
Recent results: W vs. Le Moyne 106-64 (Nov. 2); W vs. Providence 67-58 (Nov. 7); W vs. Lindenwood 94-60 (Nov. 11)
Upcoming games: vs. Boise State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Nov. 15); vs. South Dakota (Nov. 18)
The Cornhuskers were just outside our preseason top 25, but after three straight wins — including a convincing victory over Providence in which they led by as many as 16 points in the second half — they round out the first in-season edition of the Power Rankings. Pryce Sandfort entered the season as the team’s star, and he’s certainly been every bit of that through three games. Sandfort is averaging 22.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He has scored at least 20 points in all three contests and went 6-for-12 from 3 against Lindenwood Wednesday night.
Dropped out: Missouri Tigers (No. 16), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 25)
