Michigan's National Title Team Opens Way-Too-Early Rankings at No. 1, and the Transfer Portal Chaos is Already Here
Michigan just won the national championship on Monday, beat UConn to do it, and now coach Dusty May gets to try something wild: running it back. The Wolverines finished 37-3, won 29 games by double digits this season, and set multiple NCAA tournament records in the process. So yeah, they earned the top spot in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings. But here's the thing: whether they actually stay loaded depends entirely on what two guys decide to do in the next six weeks.
The Frontcourt Decision That Changes Everything for Michigan
Aday Mara (12.0 PPG) and Morez Johnson Jr. (13.4 PPG) are both projected in the late first round of the NBA draft. That's the sweet spot where guys have to make a real choice: cash out now or chase another ring with the Wolverines. Going into the tournament, both were borderline. But then they showed up big on the tournament stage, and now they could legitimately leave. If they stay, Michigan has a real shot at back-to-back titles. If they go, well, that's a different story.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiThe good news for May: Elliot Cadeau (10.1 PPG) and Trey McKenney (9.5 PPG) are locked in to return. Five-star recruit Brandon McCoy is coming in on the perimeter too. So Michigan isn't going to fall off a cliff. But losing Mara and Johnson Jr. would definitely change the math.
Duke and Florida Right Behind, But the Portal Opens Today
Duke sits at No. 2 with Cameron Williams and Deron Rippey Jr. headlining yet another elite recruiting class under Jon Scheyer. Caleb Foster (8.5 PPG) is back, and Dame Sarr (6.4 PPG) and Patrick Ngongba (10.5 PPG) could stay depending on their draft stock.
Florida checks in at No. 3, with Todd Golden trying to keep the frontcourt duo of Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu together for a third straight season. Condon is projected in a similar range to last year when he opted to return, which is the real tell here.
But here's the wild part: these rankings are about to go haywire. The transfer portal officially opens in hours, and we're 209 days away from the first game of 2026-27. Buckle up.
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