These college basketball rosters are still one piece away from 2026 title contention

New York Times

15-04-2025

If you're like me, you're still coming down from the euphoria of one of the best Final Fours we have ever seen. Three close games featuring comeback victories in each, complete with an all-time classic in Houston/Duke and an unforgettable ending to the Florida/Houston championship game, showed just how compelling and dramatic it can get on college basketball's biggest stage.
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A huge part of what made that weekend so tremendous was the quality of the four teams in San Antonio. Florida, Houston, Auburn and Duke all rank among the best teams we have seen in terms of separating themselves from the rest of the field. All four were complete squads.
We may not see such a loaded final weekend for a long time. However, that does not mean we cannot hope for a repeat next year. Below are five teams — including a couple of familiar faces — that appear capable of reaching the heights of this season's elite squads. Each team has a clear All-America candidate (or multiple), plus continuity and upside in the supporting cast. All could use one more crucial piece via the transfer portal, though, one that would complete the roster in such a way that would give them an immense ceiling.
One additional reminder: The transfer portal does not close to new entrants until April 22. That means the teams below could still lose a piece or two. It also means the perfect option to fill their current need may not yet be publicly available; the back-channels of player acquisition in 2025 are the wild, wild west.
Presumed core: PG Braden Smith, F/C Trey Kaufman-Renn, G Fletcher Loyer, C Oscar Cluff, G C.J. Cox, G Gicarri Harris, C Daniel Jacobsen
Hole to fill: Athletic wing scorer and defender
Portal candidates: Terrance Arceneaux, Cedric Coward, Tyrell Ward
Any team that returns the point guard and coach combination of Braden Smith and Matt Painter is going to be nationally relevant. Throw in another All-American in double-double machine Trey Kaufman-Renn and experienced guards in Fletcher Loyer, CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris, and Purdue is going to get plenty of preseason love.
The Boilermakers have already solved their biggest issue from last season: a lack of true interior size. With TKR frequently manning the center spot, Purdue did not have any rim protection. South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff is an enormous presence at the rim, and getting Daniel Jacobsen, who started the first two games of the season, back from a broken leg should dramatically improve the interior defense.
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However, the portal departures of Myles Colvin (Purdue) and Camden Heide (Texas) opened up a void for a versatile wing defender who can make shots. The Boilermakers saw Terrance Arceneaux (Houston) up close and personal in the Sweet 16, and he'd immediately check the necessary boxes. Cedric Coward (Washington St.) should also be in the mix despite an injury-shortened 2024-25, and Tyrell Ward (LSU) has the lethal shooting ability to bury defenses that help too much on Purdue's other scorers.
If the competition for those guys is too fierce, the Boilermakers could certainly dig a little deeper for a role piece from the mid-major ranks, as well. Someone like Josh Omojafo (Robert Morris) or Keshawn Williams (Colorado St.) could be more cost-effective additions.
Presumed core: F Cameron Boozer, G Isaiah Evans, G Darren Harris, F Maliq Brown, G Caleb Foster, C Patrick Ngongba, G/F Shelton Henderson, F Nikolas Khamenia
Hole to fill: Steady veteran ball handler with size
Portal candidates: RJ Luis Jr., Dan Skillings Jr., Mike Sharavjamts, Jeremiah Williams, Blake Harper
Duke's ability to dominate the high school recruiting trail allows it to construct elite teams in a slightly different way than its brethren. And last year's team had the advantage of a generational two-way talent in Cooper Flagg, who completely rewired what was possible for a team made up of mostly freshmen and carefully selected grad transfers.
Cameron Boozer is an immensely productive rookie who, along with his twin brother Cayden, did nothing but win in high school and on the AAU circuit. As outstanding as he is, though, he is not quite on Flagg's level, so Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils will need to carefully construct the roster to make sure it fits well together.
One edge the Blue Devils can repeat from last year is building a gigantic, switchable group that has an embarrassment of positional size riches. Cayden Boozer is listed at 6-4, 205 pounds, by 247 Sports; he could be the smallest player on the roster. Scheyer and his staff will be on the hunt for the next Sion James as a bulky perimeter piece who can shoulder some ball-handling duties. RJ Luis Jr. would be quite the coup as the reigning Big East Player of the Year, while Dan Skillings (Cincinnati) and Mike Sharavjamts (Utah) bring some intriguing skill packages from the Big 12. Jeremiah Williams is big but probably doesn't offer enough shooting. Blake Harper (Howard) is younger and would be taking a massive leap in competition, but he has the academic connection and oozes upside. Considering Duke's tremendous basketball resources, the Blue Devils could go in many different directions.
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Presumed core: F/C Alex Condon, F Thomas Haugh, C Rueben Chinyelu, C Micah Handlogten, G Denzel Aberdeen, G Isaiah Brown, G/F CJ Ingram, G Alex Lloyd, G Urban Klavzar
Hole to fill: Big-time veteran point guard
Portal candidates: Xaivian Lee, Duke Miles, Malachi Smith, Dylan Darling
As of now, the reigning national champion Gators return arguably the deepest frontcourt in the country. Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten all bring size and physicality, and Haugh's bubbling skill level means Florida has some spacing, as well.
The trick is replacing a star-studded backcourt trio (Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, Will Richard) that fueled Florida's meteoric rise from middling SEC squad to the pinnacle of the sport. Denzel Aberdeen should be all over preseason breakout candidate lists, and the Gators have younger options in sophomores Isaiah Brown and Urban Klavzar and top 50 freshmen CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd.
As talented as that group is, Florida badly needs a big-time veteran backcourt addition to boost its chances at repeating as champs. Xaivian Lee is the jewel of the remaining point guard group, a hyper-productive stat stuffer at Princeton who would slide into Todd Golden's scheme perfectly. The Gators are squarely in the mix for his services, but if they miss out, they'll have to identify a gem among other options like Duke Miles (Oklahoma), Malachi Smith (Dayton) and Dylan Darling (Idaho State).
Presumed core: G AJ Dybantsa, G Rob Wright III, F Richie Saunders, F/C Keba Keita, G Dawson Baker, F Mihailo Boskovic, C Xavion Staton
Hole to fill: Athletic 3-and-D wing
Portal candidates: Terrance Arceneaux, Cedric Coward, Mekhi Mason, Devan Cambridge
The infinite money tree in Provo has the Cougars set up to contend for a national title. From its branches, BYU has plucked the nation's top recruit in AJ Dybantsa, giving the Cougars a guaranteed star for 2025-26. He will form a devastating 1-2 scoring punch with Richie Saunders, who blossomed last season alongside an elite passer in Egor Demin.
Speaking of which, BYU swiped sophomore Rob Wright from Big 12 rival Baylor to fill its point guard need. With plenty of size, most notably rebounding monster Keba Keita, the Cougars are generally loaded in the paint, as well.
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However, the departures of Trevin Knell, Kanon Catchings, Trey Stewart, Mawot Mag and Dallin Hall cleaned out the Cougars' wing rotation. Coach Kevin Young needs to crack open the NIL war chest one more time to bring in a versatile wing who can fill in the blanks around Dybantsa, Saunders and shooter Dawson Baker. Terrance Arceneaux (Houston) would be a perfect fit, though he may be leaving Kelvin Sampson's teams for more shots, which he would not find in Provo. Cedric Coward (Washington St.) would be a steal after getting hurt last season, while Devan Cambridge (Texas Tech) also sat out most of the year. Mekhi Mason (Washington) is more of a bargain option who might be more content in a complementary role. Options abound for BYU at this spot, though.
Presumed core: F JT Toppin, G Christian Anderson, F LeJuan Watts, G Donovan Atwell, G/F Tyeree Bryan, C Federiko Federiko
Hole to fill: Additional ball handler/creator on the perimeter
Portal candidates: Duke Miles, Malachi Smith, Ahmad Nowell
The Red Raiders have fewer pieces back than some of the other teams on this list. But when two of the returners are All-American JT Toppin and potential all-conference guard Christian Anderson — yes, he's that good — the foundation is rock solid. That inside-outside duo will form a lethal ball screen pairing,
Coach Grant McCasland and his staff have quickly done a tremendous job reloading in the portal, most notably with LeJuan Watts, a mismatch forward with outstanding passing acumen who should slide perfectly into the void left by Darrion Williams. The Red Raiders also loaded up on shooting via Donovan Atwell (UNC Greensboro) and Tyeree Bryan (Santa Clara), two wings with size who combined to make 162 3s at a 41 percent clip.
Atwell and Bryan are not great on-ball creators, though. Coupled with the graduation of Elijah Hawkins plus Kevin Overton's decision to transfer, the ball-handling burden on Anderson would be immense in the current structure of the roster. Jazz Henderson, a tiny but mighty point guard who redshirted last year, is an in-house candidate for more minutes, but finding another piece is necessary. Duke Miles (Oklahoma) recently decommitted from Virginia and would be a great fit. Malachi Smith (Dayton) is a veteran option, while Ahmad Nowell (UConn) would be an upside swing.
Other top teams with near-complete rosters: Houston, Arizona, UConn
(Top photo of Duke basketball: Elsa / Getty Images)