The transfer portal and NIL have completely changed the landscape in college basketball. These days, superstars jump from team to team and show little loyalty to the program that recruited them. However, there are also more collegiate veterans running the sport than there had been for years before. Talent in college basketball will run deep in 2025-26, but there also aren't as many household names as there had been in years prior. There isn't a consensus best player in the nation, nor is there a clear-cut number one NBA Draft pick like there was last year. The regular season and March Madness are far from predictable at this point, too.
With that said, here are the 25 best college basketball players this season.
25. Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State, G
The undersized Josh Hubbard has the heart of a lion. His short stature doesn't stop him from attacking the rim with ferocity, nor does it prevent him from launching a barrage of 3-pointers on a nightly basis. The Mississippi State guard has been one of the best scorers in the nation for two years now, and that won't change during his junior season.
Hubbard's defensive shortcomings and lack of playmaking abilities prevent him from ranking higher on this list, but he deserves to be mentioned among the best players in college basketball. He actually did improve as an assist man last season, so perhaps he will show further growth this year. Jayden Quaintance also deserves a shout-out. The former Arizona State player transferred to Kentucky and is expected to be a lottery pick next year. He'd surely be one of the best players in college basketball this year if fully healthy, but it is unclear how much time he will miss while recovering from a torn ACL. Quaintance found success as a freshman despite being just 17 years old.
24. Isaiah Evans, Duke, G
Duke had a surplus of talented freshman last season. Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, and Kon Knueppel led the team all season long and were rewarded by becoming top 10 draft picks. It was a veteran guard in Tyrese Proctor who balanced out the team, though. The Blue Devils may end up with a similar situation this year.
Cameron Boozer, Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer, and Nikolas Khamenia are all poised to get drafted early after their freshman season. Duke will need a veteran to step up, though, and sophomore Isaiah Evans could be that player. Evans only played 13.8 minutes per game last season, but he showed off that he is a prolific 3-point shooter. Evans hit 41.6% of his deep balls, and despite not seeing much court time, he was able to launch 4.1 shots off per game from beyond the arc. With more volume and opportunity, Evans could be in for a huge year.
23. Boogie Fland, Florida, G
A thumb injury derailed Boogie Fland's freshman season at Arkansas. He returned late in the year, but he was clearly limited by the injury. Before the injury, though, Fland looked like a special player for John Calipari's team. After learning from the coach who is best at developing NBA talent, Fland will now be joining the defending champions.
With Walter Clayton Jr. off to the NBA and Fland's thumb fully healed, the Arkansas transfer will have a chance to fill the void as the best scoring guard on the team that just won March Madness. If he is to do so, though, Fland will need to improve his efficiency.
22. Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois, G/F
Andrej Stojakovic has NBA bloodlines, and his father, Peja, clearly passed down some good basketball genetics. Like his dad before him, Stojakovic is a solid shooter, but he is also capable of putting the ball on the ground and scoring in isolation. Stojakovic will be playing for his third team in 2025-26, as the Stanford-turned-California product will now be suiting up for Illinois.
21. Graham Ike, Gonzaga, C
Graham Ike already seems like a shoo-in to win the WCC Player of the Year award. Ike has a chiseled frame and uses his athleticism to dominate in the painted area. He collects rebounds and blocks shots at will, but he can also score in a number of ways inside. Gonzaga has won the WCC 11 of the last 13 seasons, and this year will likely be no different. Ike will be front and center during the Bulldogs dominance.
20. Nate Ament, Tennessee, F
There is a big three of freshmen vying for the number one pick in the 2026 NBA Draft this year. The first-year collegiate player just on the outside looking in of that big three right now is Nate Ament, but the Tennessee forward has the talent to improve his draft stock and make a run for the first overall selection.
Ament has drawn some Kevin Durant comparisons as a tall yet skinny and silky smooth shooter. Durant, of course, was the first freshman to win National Player of the Year honors, so perhaps Ament's shooting will take him to greater-than-expected heights right away. A freshman won the Player of the Year honors last season, too. This isn't to say Ament is the next Durant or Cooper Flagg, but he has the raw talent to become a superstar.
19. Nick Martinelli, Northwestern, F
Nick Martinelli is a rare breed in the era of NIL and the transfer portal. He started his career at Northwestern in 2022-23 as a bench player who only scored 2.6 points per game, but he has stuck with the Wildcats and is entering his fourth season with the program, now as one of the best players in college basketball.
Martinelli has gotten better each season. He went from 2.6 points to 8.8 points before erupting to an average of 20.5 points last season. Martinelli improved across the board, and he could be even better this year.
18. Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn, G
Tahaad Pettiford showed flashes of superstardom last season despite coming off the bench for Auburn. This year, Pettiford will make the transition from sixth man spark plug the best player at Auburn. Pettiford is confident and well-poised and should put up big numbers this season.
17. Darrion Williams, NC State, F
Darrion Williams started his career at Nevada before playing for Texas Tech. He will now have the chance to prove himself as a top option because he transferred to NC State. Williams can do a little bit of everything. He is a solid defender, rebounder, playmaker, and interior scorer. His 3-point shooting slipped last season, but he does have a season to his name in which he shot 45.8% from deep.
16. Milos Uzan, Houston, G
Houston has become a basketball powerhouse in recent years. They've particularly thrived with older guards, and Milos Uzan could be next in line to lead the team from the backcourt. The senior guard has been an elite 3-point shooter his entire collegiate career, and he has improved every season at every other aspect of the sport. A big scoring increase could be in the makings this year for Uzan.
15. Otega Oweh, Kentucky, G
Long known for their high school recruiting ability, Kentucky has transitioned to hoping on the transfer train in recent years. They landed one of the best players from the transfer portal last year in the form of Otega Oweh. Oweh averaged 16.2 points in his first season with the Wildcats, and he got better as the season went on.
Kentucky will have a much different-looking roster this year, but Oweh will still be the top option. Oweh is an elite slasher who is impossible to stop if defenders give him a step. He has blazing speed and incredible leaping ability. The one hope Kentucky has for the guard is that he improves as a playmaker and can, therefore, be given more primary ball-handling duties.
14. Alex Condon, Florida, F/C
The defending champion Florida Gators will return a handful of their core players. Perhaps the best is Alex Condon. Condon wasn't the March Madness darling that somebody like Walter Clayton was. He even had a couple of bad shooting games during the NCAA Tournament. That doesn't change the fact that he is a very solid player, though.
Florida's frontcourt is big and talented, and Condon will lead the way. He rebounds effectively and can hold down the paint on defense. Condon has shown flashes of shooting touch, too.
13. Donovan Dent, UCLA, G
Last year, college basketball fans saw JT Toppin become one of the best players in the nation after transferring out of New Mexico. Donovan Dent was already fantastic for the Lobos last season, but perhaps he will get a boost in production as well now that he has moved on to UCLA.
The 2024-25 Mountain West Player of the Year averaged 20.4 points per game last season. The question remains if he will still thrive while playing against superior competition?
12. Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama, G
Mark Sears consistently led Alabama to be one of the best teams in the nation. The Crimson Tide will need Labaron Philon Jr. to step up as the team's new best guard. Philon can really stuff the stat sheet and could become a triple-double threat this season.
11. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan, F
Yaxel Lendeborg is a jack of all trades. Not only is he an elite scorer and rebounder, but he has a surprising playmaking knack for a 6-foot-9 forward, too. Lendeborg spent three seasons playing Juco ball before bursting onto the scene with UAB over the last two years. Now he is trying his hand at Power 5 ball for Michigan.
The sixth-year senior has plenty of experience to thrive against greater competition. He will likely push for a triple-double or two this season.
10. Cameron Boozer, Duke, F
Cameron Boozer continues a long line of elite freshman suiting up for Duke. Boozer had one of the most productive high school careers ever, and he has a play-now skill set for the collegiate game. Boozer thrives both inside and outside and on defense, and he could have a freshman season eerily similar to Cooper Flagg before him.
Having his twin brother, Cayden, on Duke's roster will only increase Boozer's ceiling, too. The two obviously have great chemistry together. Duke roster oozes with NBA talent, but Boozer is the best of the bunch.
9. Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois, C
Tomislav Ivisic is a sleeper pick to win the National Player of the Year award this season. He stands 7-foot-1 and can both rebound and score inside. He also showed impressive shooting touch from deep last year, a rarity for someone his size. Ivisic will be joined by his brother, Zvonimir, on Illinois' roster this year. Zvonimir also surpasses the 7-foot threshold, and together, they will form a scary and huge frontcourt that opposing teams will struggle to score on inside.
8. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue, F
Purdue has a big man fetish, and Trey Kaufman-Renn is the current paint beast in West Lafayette. After two seasons learning behind Zach Edey, Kaufman-Renn burst onto the scene with 20.1 points per game as a junior. Life is easy on Kaufman-Renn because he plays with the best point guard in the nation, but more on that later. Purdue is the preseason top-ranked team, and that is largely because of Kaufman-Renn's scoring prowess and defensive expertise.
7. Tucker DeVries, Indiana, F
Tucker DeVries was making quite a name for himself as one of the best scorers in the nation at Drake. Unfortunately, an injury while with West Virginia last season stunted his momentum and caused a down season. Now with Indiana, DeVries should bounce back and remind everybody of the caliber of player that he is.
DeVries will again be coached by his father, Darian DeVries, who was at the helm during his son's time at both of his previous stops. The coach knows how to best utilize his son on the hardwood, and it will likely result in a return to high-scoring totals.
6. AJ Dybantsa, BYU, F
AJ Dybantsa shocked the world when he committed to BYU, a program that has been on the uprise in recent years. While the former number one player in his recruiting class is just a freshman, Dybantsa doesn't look like the average 18 year old. He has a grown man frame and is already a freak athlete who much older players will struggle to defend when he has a head of steam.
Dybantsa is in a position where he can put up big scoring numbers right away, but BYU also has the talent on the roster to win a lot of games, so Dybantsa's production will be substantial and not full of empty calories.
5. Darryn Peterson, Kansas, G
The best freshman and the projected 2026 number one pick is not Boozer or Dybantsa, it is Darryn Peterson. The Kansas star has defensive acumen and offensive abilities to be an All-American in what will likely be his lone season of college basketball before he is off to the pros. A lot of great draft prospects have donned the Jayhawks' red and blue colors, but Peterson could very well go down as one of the best.
4. PJ Haggerty, Kansas State, G
PJ Haggerty will be playing for his fourth team in as many years, making him a poster boy for the transfer portal era. Things didn't work out at TCU, but Haggerty has been an unstoppable scoring machine since at both Tulsa and Memphis. Haggerty seems like a lock to surpass 20 points per game again and turn Kansas State's luck in the transfer portal around.
3. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa, G
After DeVries left Drake, Bennett Stirtz took over as the guard who stuffed the stat sheet. Stirtz followed his coach and transferred to Iowa this offseason. He will still be the centerpiece of Darian McCollum's offense. Stirtz almost never sat last season, evidenced by his nation-leading 39.4 minutes per game. He does everything at a high level and will surely have some jaw-dropping box scores this year.
2. Braden Smith, Purdue, G
Braden Smith is the ultimate floor general. The Purdue point guard who averaged 8.7 assists per game last season is the lone returning player to the college basketball scene from last season's First-Team All-American squad. Purdue, a team that typically has a big paint presence and a number of 3-point shooting role players, is heavily reliant on Smith creating for his teammates.
Smith is no slouch as a scorer, either. If he were to win National Player of the Year honors, it would be the third time in four years in which that award went to a Boilermaker.
1. JT Toppin, Texas Tech, F
The best player in college basketball this season will be JT Toppin. The Texas Tech star was a Second-Team All-American last year. He is a double-double machine who averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game last season. His numbers will likely only go up with Darrion Williams no longer stealing touches.
Toppin is a ferocious athlete who plays with a high motor. It was shocking that he returned to college after testing the NBA waters, but that decision could result in Toppin's draft stock skyrocketing.
