Source: ESPN College Sports
Top 100 men’s NCAA basketball players ranked going into 2025-26playExperienced frontcourt and transfer guards make No. 3 Florida scary (3:50)SEC Network’s Dari Nowkhah, Daymeon Fishback and Pat Bradley dive into how the Gators have reloaded to go after another national championship with new high-level guards and dominating big men. (3:50)Jeff BorzelloCloseJeff BorzelloBasketball recruiting insiderJeff Borzello is a basketball recruiting insider. He has joined ESPN in 2014.Follow on XMyron MedcalfCloseMyron MedcalfESPN Staff WriterMyron Medcalf covers college basketball for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2011.Follow on XOct 23, 2025, 08:45 AM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe introduction of revenue sharing and the explosion of name, image and likeness have created a level of talent not seen in college basketball in a long time. Projected NBA first-rounders are returning to school because they can make significant money while trying to boost their draft stock; international pros are coming to the United States to play in college; and the top end of the 2024 and 2025 high school recruiting classes were loaded.So what is the pecking order of elite players entering the 2025-26 men’s college basketball campaign?ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf ranked the top 100 by creating their own lists and then deliberating a few dozen times to settle on the order below.Editor’s PicksBilas’ men’s NCAA basketball 2025 preseason All-America teamsJay BilasMen’s NCAA basketball conference player of the year picksMyron MedcalfRanking men’s college basketball impact newcomers: The top 50 transfers, freshmenJeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi2 RelatedHeading into last season, there was a clear debate at the top between Duke’s Cooper Flagg and North Carolina’s RJ Davis. We opted for Flagg given his enormous ceiling and his potential to produce a Carmelo Anthony-esque national championship run. Although he fell just short of the latter, leaning toward youth was the right call.There’s a similar argument this year. Purdue’sBraden Smithwas a consensus first-team All-American last season and is the lone member of that group to return to college. He’s also a unanimous preseason All-American leading the No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25. In most years, that combination would make him a shoo-in for the top spot — but there is a tremendously talented group of freshmen, led by BYU’sA.J. Dybantsa, Kansas’Darryn Petersonand Duke’sCameron Boozer. Throw in the second-half form of Texas Tech forwardJT Toppin, and there’s a real discussion.So who landed at No. 1? Let’s start at the bottom.Jump to:100-76|75-51|50-26|25-6|5-1100.Devin RoyalOhio State Buckeyes| F | Jr.Royal edges outXzayvier Brownfor the final spot in the 100. Royal, a 6-foot-6 forward, averaged 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds last season, showing the ability to rack up breakout performances: 29 points vs. Illinois, 31 points and 15 boards vs. Valparaiso, and 26 points vs. Michigan. If Royal can produce outings like …
Published: 2025-10-31T21:21:55
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