Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- With the 2026-27 season on the horizon, several programs are already positioning themselves as title contenders despite upcoming transfer portal uncertainties.
- Key rosters will see the return of impactful upperclassmen and highly-touted recruiting classes, while coaching stability remains a critical factor.
- These teams' ability to navigate player departures and portal additions will determine if they can maintain their championship aspirations next spring.
The confetti might not be completely cleaned up yet at Lucas Oil Stadium, but college basketball fans have already turned their attention to the 2026-27 season after watching the Michigan Wolverines win the national championship. Don't get me wrong: It was cool seeing Michigan cut down the nets for the first time since 1989, but even though it just ended, fans already miss watching the sport.
The transfer portal is bound to change the equation in one way or another, but for now, let's go over the teams in the best position to win it all next season.
Michigan Wolverines
I know the odds; it's incredibly hard to win one national title, and it's a lot harder to win back-to-back. The UConn Huskies were able to do so rather recently, but only nine programs have ever repeated, and it's only happened twice since the Duke Blue Devils pulled it off in 1991 and 1992. Even getting to the tournament's second weekend can be a challenge, as the Florida Gators learned this year. Still, while it's rare for teams to win two in a row, we cannot rule the Wolverines out.
Yes, Yaxel Lendeborg has played his last game with Michigan, and there's a pretty decent chance that Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara will follow him to the NBA. But Final Four MVP Elliot Cadeau should be back, and the program's recruiting class, led by five-star guard Brandon McCoy, is awfully strong. And most importantly, Dusty May isn't going anywhere; frankly, as long as May is in town, the Wolverines will always have a chance, and assuming he does damage in the portal, Michigan might be the frontrunner to win it all once again in 2027.
Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils haven't cut down the nets in over a decade, they've choked their way to heartbreaking eliminations in each of the last two years and they're going to lose Cameron Boozer (and potentially Patrick Ngongba and Isaiah Evans) to the NBA Draft. But there's still reason to believe in this team.
Sure, Duke hasn't executed down the stretch in the last two years, but Jon Scheyer is a good coach, and he has arguably the best recruiting class in the country coming in, led by three five-stars in Cam Williams, Deron Rippey and Bryce Howard. There's a good chance that Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr will be back as well, and as is always the case, expect Duke to land some big-name transfers. They're always in the hunt, and 2027 could be the year they finally put it all together under Scheyer.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators' early exit was extremely disappointing, but don't sell all of your stock because of that one subpar run. This Gators team was as good as any in the regular season, and while guard Xaivian Lee won't be back and there's a chance Thomas Haugh won't be either, Florida is in a good spot moving forward.
The backcourt is set with Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar announcing their intentions to return. There's a good chance Alex Condon and Reuben Chinyelu will be back as well. Much of the roster that earned a No. 1 seed will be back in Gainesville, and I haven't even mentioned head coach Todd Golden yet. Their prep recruiting class isn't great on paper, but Florida could thrive in the transfer portal, making their roster even more loaded.
UConn Huskies
Not many people gave the UConn Huskies a chance in the national title game, and while they fell short in the end, they were in the game really from start to finish. They're going to lose Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr., and there's a chance Braylon Mullins will be gone too, but can we really overlook this program anymore?
I mentioned above how rare it is for a college basketball team to win back-to-back national titles, but UConn did just that in 2023 and 2024. Just two years after wrapping up their second straight national title, they were back in the championship game with a chance to cut down the nets for the third time in four years. Who am I to deny Dan Hurley? The Huskies deserve respect and should be among the way-too-early favorites.
Arizona Wildcats
It's easy to forget this since Michigan thoroughly outplayed them in the Final Four, but the Arizona Wildcats were seen as potential favorites to win the national title entering the tournament. They had arguably the deepest team in the field, and depth can carry you a long way in college basketball. It can also give programs a chance to remain competitive even if they lose a lot of talent.
Arizona is going to lose Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley, and there's a good chance Koa Peat will declare for the NBA Draft, but there's a ton of depth coming back, led by Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov. Perhaps the most important returnee, though, is Tommy Lloyd, one of the best head coaches in the country. As long as he's in town, the Wildcats are going to compete.
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