Candid Coaches: Who will be the best team this season?

[HooperScooper]

Who will be the best team in 2025-26?​

Purdue	32%
Houston	28%
Duke	8%
St. John's	8%
UConn	5%
Florida	5%

Of course Norlander points out that the coaches haven't been very good at predicting the champion in this informal poll of about 100 coaches they've done the last few years. Kansas was the pick last year. And in the 2023 poll. Epic fail. UNC was the pick in the 2022 poll. Even more of an epic fail! So I like where UConn is here. Just enough votes to be in the mix. But disrespected enough to have a chip on their shoulders.

UConn: "Love what Danny Hurley and his staff have done with their roster. They have an excellent blend of returners, homegrown, impact transfers, older, and incoming freshmen. Three out of four? Hope not!"

Candid Coaches: Who will be the best men's college basketball team this season?

In CBS Sports' annual survey of nearly 100 coaches across the sport, two schools rise above all others

www.cbssports.com

 

[bjc42]

Who will be the best team in 2025-26?​

Purdue	32%
Houston	28%
Duke	8%
St. John's	8%
UConn	5%
Florida	5%

Of course Norlander points out that the coaches haven't been very good at predicting the champion in this informal poll of about 100 coaches they've done the last few years. Kansas was the pick last year. And in the 2023 poll. Epic fail. UNC was the pick in the 2022 poll. Even more of an epic fail! So I like where UConn is here. Just enough votes to be in the mix. But disrespected enough to have a chip on their shoulders.

UConn: "Love what Danny Hurley and his staff have done with their roster. They have an excellent blend of returners, homegrown, impact transfers, older, and incoming freshmen. Three out of four? Hope not!"

Candid Coaches: Who will be the best men's college basketball team this season?

In CBS Sports' annual survey of nearly 100 coaches across the sport, two schools rise above all others

www.cbssports.com

I think this is pretty balanced and based on national opinions kind of to be expected. Maybe it's just me but I don't think Duke belongs in this group of teams. I think they will be top 10 but not quite good enough to get to the #1 slot.

 

[auror]

I think this is pretty balanced and based on national opinions kind of to be expected. Maybe it's just me but I don't think Duke belongs in this group of teams. I think they will be top 10 but not quite good enough to get to the #1 slot.

Duke has a lot of good players.

Cam Boozer could be All-American. Ngongba is very good (remember we desperately wanted him in recruiting), Evans can really shoot, people like Cayden and think he's actually underranked, Maliq Brown is one of the best defenders in the country. Sarr is a 1st round pick. Foster and Khamenia are good pieces off the bench, plus whatever Darren Harris gives them (I liked him in high school a lot).

They basically have 8 high major caliber starters with 1 of them being really elite.

 

[superjohn]

I think this is pretty balanced and based on national opinions kind of to be expected. Maybe it's just me but I don't think Duke belongs in this group of teams. I think they will be top 10 but not quite good enough to get to the #1 slot.

Agreed, Duke and Florida don't belong.

I think we have the best team but can see arguments for Purdue and Houston. St. John's is the wildcard. They probably have the most upside out of the top teams but they also probably have the most downside of the top teams.

 

[RichCTBB]

Duke is still looking to rely heavily on freshmen which hasn’t worked for anyone in the most recent era of the portal

 

[Iluvsuebird]

I wanna see Purdue. PG's rule college ball and they have a good one. Houston will be awesome until they face a hot shooting team in the tourney.

 

[bjc42]

Duke has a lot of good players.

Cam Boozer could be All-American. Ngongba is very good (remember we desperately wanted him in recruiting), Evans can really shoot, people like Cayden and think he's actually underranked, Maliq Brown is one of the best defenders in the country. Sarr is a 1st round pick. Foster and Khamenia are good pieces off the bench, plus whatever Darren Harris gives them (I liked him in high school a lot).

They basically have 8 high major caliber starters with 1 of them being really elite.

That's fair. I think Flagg> Boozer and the guys around Boozer aren't quite as good. I could be wrong though.