Michigan's Back and Ready to Repeat: The Way-Too-Early Top 25 Is Here

Michigan just won a national championship, and now they get to do it all over again. The Wolverines finished 37-3 this season, won 29 games by double digits, and set multiple NCAA tournament records on their way to the program's first title since 1989. Coach Dusty May is reloading for a repeat run, and ESPN's way-too-early rankings have them locked in at No. 1 heading into the 2026-27 season.

The Reigning Champs Could Actually Go Back-to-Back

Here's the thing: Michigan's got a real shot at repeating, but it depends entirely on two guys. Frontcourt stalwarts Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. entered the tournament as late first-round prospects, but their tournament performances could push them to actually leave for the NBA. If they stay, you're looking at something special. The projected starting lineup has Johnson (13.4 PPG) and Mara (12.0 PPG) in the frontcourt, with Elliot Cadeau (10.1 PPG) running the point and Trey McKenney (9.5 PPG) on the wing. Five-star recruit Brandon McCoy is coming in on the perimeter. Both Cadeau and McKenney are expected to return.

Duke and Florida Right on Their Heels

Duke is at No. 2, and per usual, their roster is in flux. Cameron Boozer is gone. Maliq Brown is gone. But Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba II (10.5 PPG), and Dame Sarr (6.4 PPG) are all late first-round or early second-round guys who could swing either way. Jon Scheyer has the nation's best recruiting class again, headlined by five-stars Cameron Williams (No. 3 in SC Next 100) and Deron Rippey Jr. (No. 13 in SC Next 100). Caleb Foster (8.5 PPG) should return as a starter.

Florida comes in at No. 3 with Todd Golden trying to run it back for a third straight season. The question is whether frontcourt duo Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu both return. Condon is in a similar draft range to last season when he opted to stay, and Chinyelu hit his offensive stride in SEC play.

Everything Changes in Six Weeks

Here's the wild part: these rankings are already going to look different. The transfer portal is opening, the NBA draft decisions are coming down, and coaching changes are happening. ESPN's rules used to be simple: top-50 NBA draft picks are gone. But with NIL and revenue share agreements changing the game, that's out the window. Now, late first-round guys could go either way, and everything is speculation. We're 209 days from the first game of 2026-27. Dive in now, because this list is about to go haywire.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.