Michigan Takes the Crown as Preseason No. 1 and Nobody Should Be Surprised
Michigan just won the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and it was absolutely dominant. A 37-3 record. A +37.90 net rating at KenPom.com, which is the highest for any national-title winner in their entire database going back to 1997. These Wolverines were genuinely special, and the good news for college basketball fans? They're about to be special again.
That's why Michigan opens the 2026-27 preseason rankings at No. 1 in CBS Sports' way-too-early Top 25 And 1. And honestly, it makes complete sense when you look at what's coming back.
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Here's the core that just won it all: Morez Johnson Jr., Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, and LJ Cason. Those are four of the top six scorers from a team that demolished the Big Ten's regular season by four games before blazing through March. They're all projected to stick around while Aday Mara heads to the NBA Draft. That's your foundation, and it's rock solid.
But Dusty May isn't just banking on nostalgia. Michigan's recruiting class ranks second nationally and it's stacked. Five-star point guard Brandon McCoy Jr. is headlining it, with four-star prospects Lincoln Cosby, Quinn Costello, and Joseph Hartman rounding it out. This team is going to be loaded.
The Rest of the Elite
Michigan isn't alone at the top. Florida sits at No. 2, returning five of their top seven scorers from a 27-8 team that made the second round. Illinois checks in at No. 3, bringing back an insane seven of their top 10 from a 28-9 squad that reached the Final Four. Michigan State is No. 4 with six of their top eight returning from a 27-8 team, and Duke rounds out the top five after going 35-3 and reaching the Elite Eight.
So yeah, Michigan's back at the top where they left off. The sport will be watching the Wolverines again next season, just like it did when UConn won it in 2023 and when Florida won it in 2025. Fair warning: these projections are going to shift constantly as players make their decisions and the transfer portal does its thing. But right now? Michigan is your preseason champion.
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