The 2025-26 college basketball season is almost here, so we at Hoops HQ wanted to do our part to get you ready by ranking the top 100 players in the country. We used a combination of data from our friends at The Portal Report, plus a variety of information and rankings from a host of analytics and ranking sites devoted to the sport. So consider this a scientific exercise mixed in with a dash of art.
The impact that each player has over the course of the season depends not only on his own potential and skill set, but also on how he fits with his team. So consider the primers below to be sneak peeks of the top individual pieces as well as a broader look at what all the puzzles look like. Basketball is a team game, and the main goal of each part is to contribute to the whole.
We are rolling out these rankings in five installments, continuing today with players 26 through 40. Don’t miss our previous installments featuring players 41-60, 61-80 and 81-100. Check back to Hoops HQ in the coming days for the rest of the rankings.
Previous Installments
Did your favorite player make the list? Did your team get snubbed? Leave us a comment below.
Alex Karaban
UConn
6'8" / 230
Forward
26. Alex Karaban, 6-foot-8 senior forward, UConn
2024-25: 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 43.8 FG%
Following a rocky regular season, Karaban reminded the nation of his skill and — maybe more importantly — his grit with a monster showing in the Big Dance. After finishing just 24-11 on the heels of back-to-back national championships, questions swirled around the Huskies and Karaban in particular. However, on the biggest stage, Karaban returned to form, averaging 13.5 points while showcasing his usual top-notch effort with 1.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per contest in two tournament games.
Tamin Lipsey
Iowa State
6'1" / 200
Guard
27. Tamin Lipsey, 6-foot-1 senior guard, Iowa State
2024-25: 10.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 48.4 FG%
The Cyclones will need Lipsey to increase his scoring output if they hope to replace the production of departed top scorers Curtis Jones (17.4 points per game) and Keshon Gilbert (13.4). Lipsey, a three-year starter in Ames, averaged 10.6 points last year after a career-best 12.4 per game as a sophomore. Lipsey sprained his right MCL on Sept. 23, but the senior is hopeful to be available for the Cyclones’ opener on Nov. 3.
Nate Bittle
Oregon
7'0" / 220
Center
28. Nate Bittle, 7-foot senior center, Oregon
2024-25: 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 51.1 FG%
A Hyperion among the trees displayed on the floor at Matthew Knight Arena, Bittle consistently performed as the Ducks top player a season ago. The 7-footer averaged a double-double in postseason play and started all 35 of Oregon’s games after an injury-riddled junior season.
Jeremy Fears Jr.
Michigan State
6'2" / 190
Guard
29. Jeremy Fears Jr., 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, Michigan State
2024-25: 7.2 points, 5.4 assists. 2.1 rebounds, 39.7 FG%
Tom Izzo has a history of developing outstanding point guards in East Lansing. In 2000, Mateen Cleaves led Izzo and his Spartans to their first national championship, and stars like Cassius Winston pushed Michigan State to memorable seasons. The Sparty faithful hold similar hope for Fears, the younger brother of the seventh overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Boogie Fland
Florida
6'3" / 185
Guard
30. Boogie Fland, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, Florida
2024-25: 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 83.3 FT%
Undoubtedly one of the top freshmen in the SEC a season ago, Fland left his mark at Arkansas despite suiting up for just 21 games due to injury. Starting in 18 of those contests, Fland displayed traits similar to the group of Gator guards that brought The Swamp its first national title since 2007.
Nolan Winter
Wisconsin
7'0" / 235
Forward
31. Nolan Winter, 7-foot junior forward, Wisconsin
2024-25: 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 56.4 FG%, 35.8 3FG%
Winter, who started all 37 games last season, led the Badgers in rebounding while finishing fifth in total 3-pointers with 34. He also shot 71.5 percent inside the arc.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie
Tennessee
6'1" / 188
Guard
32. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, 6-foot-1 senior guard, Tennessee
2024-25: 14.7 points, 4.8 assists, 45.3 FG%, 40.7 3FG%
Following Kevin Willard’s acceptance of the Villanova job, Maryland’s star-studded ‘Crab Five’ quickly ceased to exist. Gillespie, that squad’s second-leading scorer and top assist man, committed to Rocky Top and coach Rick Barnes via the portal. The Vols brought in a slew of young talent this offseason, including five-star forward Nate Ament, making Gillespie’s role as the point guard and leader on the floor all the more important. In the absence of longtime commander in chief and facilitator Zakai Zeigler, Barnes and his staff will need Gillespie to quickly assume that position in order to pick up where they left off a season ago.
Emanuel Sharp
Houston
6'3" / 205
Guard
33. Emanuel Sharp, 6-foot-3 senior guard, Houston
2024-25: 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 41.8 FG%, 40.7 3FG%
Sharp could only watch as the last seconds ticked away, helpless as the ball rolled towards Florida’s Alex Condon, and with it the Cougars’ hopes for a title. A key contributor to Houston’s postseason run, Sharp struggled mightily in the national championship game and committed the costly turnover. However, with his Cougars at No.2 in the preseason poll and Sharp set to return as the team’s number one option, the experienced wing has all the opportunity needed for a redemption campaign.
Nate Ament
Tennessee
6'10" / 207
Forward
34. Nate Ament, 6-foot-10 freshman forward, Tennessee
2024-25: N/A
Ament committed to the Vols over Arkansas, Louisville, Kentucky and Duke to become the third top-five recruit in program history. A force at Highland School, he earned Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year honors after averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds per contest as a senior. Joined by four-star commits Amari Evans and DeWayne Brown II, Ament and his class finished eighth in 247’s team rankings. The true freshman will likely have an immediate chance to start, with senior forward Felix Okpara being the sole returning frontcourt starter for Tennessee.
Zuby Ejiofor
St. John's
6'9" / 245
Forward
35. Zuby Ejiofor, 6-foot-9 senior forward, St. John’s
2024-25: 14.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 57.7 FG%
Ejiofor exploded for career-high numbers in nearly every major statistical category in his first season as a consistent starter. The big man put his full potential on display for the nation as the Red Storm steamrolled the Big East on their way to a regular season and conference tournament title. A transfer from Kansas after his freshman season, Ejiofor benefited from a strong portal class around him in 2024-25, and coach Rick Pitino and his staff appear intent on delivering the same for the upcoming season. Senior forward Bryce Hopkins (Providence), sophomore point guard Ian Jackson (North Carolina) and senior forward Dillon Mitchell (Cincinnati) committed to the Red Storm in the offseason.
Jackson Shelstad
Oregon
6'1" / 170
Guard
36. Jackson Shelstad, 6-foot-1 junior guard, Oregon
2024-25: 13.7 points, 2.7 assists, 45.1 FG%, 37.9 3FG%
Dana Altman and his Ducks will be without one of the Big Ten’s most clutch performers when their season opens on Nov. 4 at home versus Hawaii. Shelstad, who has added a pair of jaw-dropping game-winners to his resume in two seasons at Oregon, will miss four to six weeks due to a broken hand suffered in practice. The loss of Shelstad, who has drawn comparisons to Ducks legend Payton Pritchard, is a significant blow to an Oregon squad looking to make its mark in the Big Ten following a middle of the pack finish in 2024-25.
Solo Ball
UConn
6'4" / 200
Guard
37. Solo Ball, 6-foot-4 junior guard, UConn
2024-25: 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 43.9 FG%, 41.4 3FG%
Ball performed at a consistently high level throughout the regular season, but failed to get going in the team’s second-round NCAA loss to the eventual champion Florida Gators. A four-star recruit out of Brewster Academy, Ball contributed minimally to the 2023-24 championship team before starting each game for the Huskies in 2024-25. The addition of Silas Demary Jr. in the portal should relieve some ball-handling pressure for the junior, paving the way to further improvement in the scoring department for Ball.
Brayden Burries
Arizona
6'4" / 205
Guard
38. Brayden Burries, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, Arizona
2024-25: N/A
The California Gatorade Player of the Year, Burries highlighted a Wildcats recruiting class that finished second in the nation. Burries, an ultra-athletic wing, averaged 29 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals per contest as a senior. Burries and fellow five-star freshman Koa Peat will work toward starters’ minutes for the Wildcats as first-year players.
Cayden Boozer
Duke
6'4" / 205
Guard
39. Cayden Boozer, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, Duke
2024-25: N/A
For the second consecutive offseason, Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils acquired the No. 1 high school recruiting class, according to 247. Cayden, the twin brother of Cameron (and son of Duke legend Carlos), helped lead Christopher Columbus High School to four consecutive state titles. Scheyer and company will look to the freshman formula that led them to the Final Four last season to succeed again, as just a handful of contributors return from last year’s group.
Miles Byrd
San Diego State
6'6" / 190
Guard
40. Miles Byrd, 6-foot-6 junior guard, San Diego State
2024-25: 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 steals
Following a blowout First Four loss at the hands of North Carolina, Byrd returned to the Aztecs for his junior season. The California native will take the floor without his backcourt mate from a season ago, Nick Boyd, who transferred to Wisconsin.
