College basketball rankings: Projected starting lineup for every Top 25 And 1 team heading into 2025-26 season
Summer workouts are over, rosters are nearly set and the battles for playing time will ramp up in earnest in short order with the college basketball season a mere 69 days away.
My CBS Sports colleague Gary Parrish, aka the King of the Top 25 and 1, has his 2025-26 rankings firmly in order. Reminder, these are his ratings, not mine! He may have a team ranked No. 1 that I do not have as the top dawg in its own league (I'm buying UConn as a massive bounce-back candidate), but we appreciate differing schools of thought to keep things spicy ahead of tipoff.
Let's dive into the projected starting lineups and the biggest preseason personnel battles on tap for all 26 teams.
1. St. John'sProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Joson Sanon, G Dylan Darling, F Ruben Prey, G Kelvin Odih
Biggest preseason battle: Four starting spots seem set in stone (Jackson, Hopkins, Mitchell and Ejiofor), but Sellers and Sanon are going to duke it out for that fifth and final slot. Both proven shot-makers will play plenty, but it's the little things like defense, motor and decision-making that will decide who's on the floor in crunch time.
2. HoustonProjected starting lineup
- G Milos Uzan
- G Emanuel Sharp
- G Isiah Harwell
- F Chris Cenac Jr.
- F Joseph Tugler
Top reserves: G Kingston Flemings, F Kalifa Sakho, G Mercy Miller, G Ramon Walker, G Chase McCarty
Biggest preseason battle: If everyone is healthy, Houston's starting lineup seems pretty self-explanatory. It'll be the three returners (Uzan, Sharp and Tugler) plus the two five-star recruits (Cenac and Harwell). While freshmen don't tend to start for Kelvin Sampson, these aren't typical diaper dandies. That said, both will have to earn their keep. Cenac will be pushed by Sakho, who is a long-armed, defense-first transfer out of Sam Houston State.
3. BYUProjected starting lineup
- G Rob Wright
- G Kennard Davis
- G Richie Saunders
- G/F AJ Dybantsa
- F Keba Keita
Top reserves: G Dawson Baker, F Dominique Diomande, F Mihailo Boskovic, F Xavion Staton, F Tyler Mrus
Biggest preseason battle: Can Davis ace his role? BYU's Big Four makes a bunch of sense, but Kevin Young's crew can't reach its ceiling without Davis becoming that 3-and-D whiz. The Southern Illinois transfer will be pushed by Baker for a spot in this starting lineup, but this job is Davis' to lose. He's got terrific measurables and real-deal defensive chops to help shore up a BYU perimeter defense that got shredded last year.
4. PurdueProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: C Daniel Jacobsen, G Omer Mayer, G Gicarri Harris, F Liam Murphy
Biggest preseason battle: All eyes are on the two-guard battle between Cox, Harris and Mayer. Cox enters as the favorite, thanks to his ability to pressure the basketball for 94 feet and add a splash of heat-check buckets. Harris is another stout defender with a sturdy frame and the ability to pressure the rim as a slasher. Mayer is the shiny new toy. The Israeli guard can go as an on-ball creator. How does his game complement All-American Braden Smith? Matt Painter has no bad options.
5. UConnProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: F Jaylin Stewart, G Malachi Smith, F Eric Reibe, G/F Jayden Ross, G Jacob Furphy
Biggest preseason battle: Stewart and Mullins are battling for that final spot, and they make UConn have two vastly different pitches. Mullins is a tried-and-true sniper who shreds nets for a living. There are high hopes for the 6-6, five-star freshman shooting guard. Stewart provides Dan Hurley with some jumbo lineups. The 6-7, 225-pound forward can stretch the floor and put the ball on the deck a bit, but UConn becomes a massive handful on the glass when Stewart is on the floor with Reed at the same time. Stewart can also guard those burly forwards. Mullins is the favorite to win the starting gig, but Stewart is going to play early and often.
6. FloridaProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G CJ Ingram, C Micah Handlogten, G Urban Klavzar, G AJ Brown
Biggest preseason battle: The Gators' starting lineup looks formidable, but Florida needs a guard to emerge off the bench as the no-doubt, second-unit dude. Ingram was a top-20 recruit in the Class of 2025, but Brown, an Ohio transfer, and a returner like Klavzar want to get tick, too. Florida's perimeter defense is going to be an area that could slip without Alijah Martin and Will Richard, so Ingram's athleticism, measurables and willingness to lock up give him a chance to earn serious playing time.
7. Texas TechProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Donovan Atwell, F Josiah Moseley, G Jaylen Petty
Biggest preseason battle: This is way more about how Grant McCasland wants to play. Does he want to stay big with Toppin, Watts and Bamgboye on the floor together? The rim protection would be nasty with that trio on the floor together. Would he prefer to start with a small-ball look that slides Atwell into the lineup and takes Bamgboye out? The shooting and spacing with that smaller lineup would be deadly. Texas Tech can shape-shift its lineup to counteract anything it sees. It's why the Red Raiders are a legitimate national championship contender in 2025-26.
8. MichiganProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: C Aday Mara, G Trey McKenney, F Will Tschetter, G LJ Cason, G Winters Grady
Biggest preseason battle: Cadeau's ability to get two feet in the paint will get him on the floor. Burnett's 3-point shooting will be vital. But that third guard spot is the dealer's choice for Dusty May. Gayle is back for his second year at Michigan after a rocky campaign where he endured an ice-cold stretch from downtown and shot under 50% on layups. When he's right, Gayle can be a two-way force. But McKenney is a big guard with a ready-made, college frame.
Cason showed flashes of being a total bucket, but his decision-making could drive a staff up a wall. Even Grady could crack his way into this lineup thanks to his ability to stretch the floor. This is going to be a battle that will very likely stretch into the season.
9. DukeProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Cayden Boozer, F Maliq Brown, F Nikolas Khamenia, G Darren Harris, F Sebastian Wilkins
Biggest preseason battle: Outside of Cameron Boozer and probably Isaiah Evans, Duke has built a roster with loads of options where no one's role is truly safe. Ngongba or Brown will sop up all the minutes at the 5 this year. Sarr, Khamenia and Wilkins will tangle for playing time.
Harris will try and push Evans to be that A1 shooter. But the point guard battle between Foster and Cayden Boozer may have the biggest impact on the actual team. Foster has shown moments of being a knockdown shooter who can really guard. Cayden Boozer just simply knows how to play and run a team, even if the jumper looks a tad wonky at times. Both will play, but Jon Scheyer would prefer one point guard to rise up and assert himself as the unquestioned dude that can't come off the floor.
10. UCLAProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Trent Perry, F Steven Jamerson II, F Brandon Williams
Biggest preseason battle: UCLA bet on Booker at the 5 is one of the biggest gambles from the 2025 portal cycle. In theory, the idea of a stretch big like Booker makes sense paired with a paint-touch menace like Dent. But if Booker couldn't find his footing under Tom Izzo, will he find it under Mick Cronin?
If this union does not work out, UCLA will have to get creative. Jamerson, a San Diego transfer, would be called upon for more minutes at the 5. UCLA may even have to go back to Bilodeau at the 5, which was excellent offensively but a trainwreck defensively last season. A helpful version of Booker makes everything else fall into place for this high-ceiling UCLA club.
11. ArizonaProjected starting lineup
- G Jaden Bradley
- G Brayden Burries
- G Anthony Dell'Orso
- F Koa Peat
- F Tobe Awaka
Top reserves: C Motiejus Krivas, F Ivan Kharchenkov, G/F Dwayne Aristode, C Sidi Gueye, G Evan Nelson
Biggest preseason battle: Tommy Lloyd has big battles at two spots to parse through. Can Dell'Orso hold off both Aristode and Kharchenkov? Who is the starting center, Awaka or Krivas? It's a first-world problem to have this much excellent depth. Arizona has a deep roster that is filled with physicality. You will feel the 'Cats this year and exit the floor with bruises galore.
12. KentuckyProjected starting lineup
- G Jaland Lowe
- G Otega Oweh
- G Denzel Aberdeen
- F Mo Dioubate
- F Brandon Garrison
Top reserves: C Jayden Quaintance (if healthy), G Jasper Johnson, F Kam Williams, G Collin Chandler, F Malachi Moreno
Biggest preseason battle: Kentucky has the deepest roster in college basketball, but there are some serious unknowns at the 5-spot. Mark Pope's best offenses have featured centers who can make sharp reads from the top of the key. Garrison knows the system, but his feel as a decision-maker wasn't a strength last year. Maybe that changes after a full offseason, but Garrison has serious competition for playing time. Can Quaintance get healthy and up to speed before SEC play heats up? Moreno, an impressive-looking freshman, is prepared to push hard for major minutes as well.
13. Iowa StateProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Nate Heise, G Dominick Nelson, F Dominykas Pleta, G Killyan Toure, G Cade Kelderman
Biggest preseason battle: Iowa State believes it landed a gem in Batemon. The prized freshman should help replace Curtis Jones' avalanche of shot-making, but two veterans in Heise and Nelson will push him. Heise is a good perimeter defender who can drain catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and is a sneaky-good cutter. Nelson is another solid defender who is at his best in the open floor. He'll help replace Keshon Gilbert's transition buckets. Only one of them can start, but Nelson, Batemon and Heise will be in T.J. Otzelberger's rotation all year.
14. AlabamaProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (when healthy), G Houston Mallette, C Noah Williamson, F London Jemison, G Davion Hannah
Biggest preseason battle: Wrightsell is working his way back from a gruesome Achilles injury suffered last November. When healthy, there aren't many more reliable deadeyes. But will Alabama coach Nate Oats choose to start Philon, Holloway and Wrightsell together? That's not the biggest backcourt at all.
Ultimately, Bethea's readiness will determine this race. The former five-star prospect had a dreadful year for a pitiful Miami club. Bethea went to the right system to get his career back on track. In an ideal world, Bethea lives up to the prospect hype and gives Alabama a little more positional size on the perimeter to go along with plenty of shooting. Remember, Bethea was regarded as the best shooter in the Class of 2024. In this system? There's major breakout potential.
15. LouisvilleProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Adrian Wooley, F Kasean Pryor, C Aly Khalifa, F Khani Rooths, F Vangelis Zougris, G Kobe Rodgers
Biggest preseason battle: Who is the go-to big man? Fru, a German import, is a big-time athlete who should add rim protection, rebounding thump and an efficient play-finisher. But Pat Kelsey can go a bunch of different ways. Now healthy, Khalifa provides a 5-out option who can whip backdoor dimes galore. Pryor needs to get healed up after a season-ending knee injury, but he's another 5-out skilled big man who wants to get 'em up from downtown. Offense won't be a problem for this Louisville group, so Fru's defensive impact gives him the leg up.
16. Michigan StateProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Kur Teng, F Cam Ward, G Divine Ugochukwu, F Jesse McCulloch, G/F Jordan Scott
Biggest preseason battle: Can Teng truly confiscate Fort's role? The offseason buzz with Teng is real. The sophomore guard has made a real jump and will push for major playing time after sitting behind Jase Richardson, Tre Holloman and Jaden Akins. But Fort, a 24-year-old Samford transfer, is the leader in the clubhouse for this massively important gunner role. With low-volume (or non-existent) shooters like Fears, Carr, Kohler and Cooper slated for major minutes, Michigan State needs a sharpshooter to bail this halfcourt offense out.
17. OregonProjected starting lineup
- G Jackson Shelstad
- G TK Simpkins
- F Devon Pryor
- F KJ Evans
- C Nate Bittle
Top reserves: C Ege Demir, F Sean Stewart, G Dez Lindsay, G Jamari Phillips
Biggest preseason battle: Can Simpkins and Pryor lock down starting roles? Oregon has a stud lead guard in Shelstad and the best center in the country in Bittle. Oh, and a two-way forward in Evans who can really play. But the wings will determine just how high the Ducks can fly. Simpkins is a solid shooter and scorer who can play on or off the ball. Pryor is an excellent athlete who has the mindset and physical tools to be a weapon defensively. But his offense is a work in progress. Can they hold off Lindsay, Phillips or someone deeper down the roster for tick?
18. KansasProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Elmarko Jackson, F Bryson Tiller, C Paul Mbiya, G Kohl Rosario, G Jamari McDowell
Biggest preseason battle: Jackson, Council and Dawson are tangling for two starting spots. Council is a good athlete who can play defense, run a team and is a total dawg. It sounds like Council will be very hard for Kansas to keep off the floor. Dawson is that high-volume sniper that KU needs to keep the floor spaced for what should be a tantalizing Peterson-Bidunga, pick-and-roll game. Jackson is the X factor after missing all of last year with a torn patellar. Has the jumper progressed? Can the athleticism return? How long until the cobwebs are gone after a missed season?
19. AuburnProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G/F Elyjah Freeman, G Kaden Magwood, C Emeka Opurum, G Abdul Bashir, F Sebastian Williams-Adams
Biggest preseason battle: Pettiford, Hall and Murphy will be Auburn's best three players. After that? It's a wide-open competition for minutes and shots. Freeman, an uber-athletic, Division II transfer, is certainly in the mix to earn a spot in the starting lineup, but he'll have to be more reliable than Jovic, who has some sharp offensive tools as a stretch 4. A bucket-getter like Magwood and a deadeye in Bashir will push Overton for that starting shooting guard spot, too. Auburn has a ton of talent and maybe even more questions entering 2025-26.
20. ArkansasProjected starting lineup
- G DJ Wagner
- G Darius Acuff
- G/F Karter Knox
- F Trevon Brazile
- F Nick Pringle
Top reserves: F Malique Ewin, G/F Billy Richmond III, G Meleek Thomas, G/F Isaiah Sealy
Biggest preseason battle: Arkansas' battle at center will be a constant all year. Pringle is an excellent defender on the perimeter who can bang with SEC big fellas and operate as a lob threat and voracious rebounder. Ewin is tantalizing. The Florida State transfer is a skilled driver who can really pass. His handles are a little different than the normal 6-11 center, but his defensive tape was shoddy and woefully inconsistent. Who earns the spot in John Calipari's closing lineup? Pringle's consistency and defense give him the slight edge, for now.
21. GonzagaProjected starting lineup
- G Braeden Smith
- G Adam Miller
- G/F Tyon Grant-Foster
- F Braden Huff
- F Graham Ike
Top reserves: G Mario Saint-Supery, G Emmanuel Innocenti, F Steele Venters, C Ismaila Diagne, G/F Davis Fogle
Biggest preseason battle: Gonzaga has a two-man race to replace brilliant point guard Ryan Nembhard. Smith, a transfer from Colgate, wisely sat out all of last year to learn the Zags' system. Saint-Supery is a dazzling guard from Spain who can put loads of pressure on the rim and plays with great pace. Mark Few and offensive coordinator Stephen Gentry will have two interesting options at PG1.
22. TennesseeProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: F Jaylen Carey, F JP Estrella, G Bishop Boswell, F DeWayne Brown, G/F Amari Evans
Biggest preseason battle: The Vols quietly have one of the deepest frontcourts in college basketball. Who is the starting forward next to Okpara? Phillips is a high-flying, high-energy option. Now healthy, Estrella is extremely skilled and could add some much-needed offensive pop. Vanderbilt transfer Jaylen Carey knows SEC wars and is a menace on the glass. Brown, a slightly underrated freshman, has been excelling in summer workouts. Rick Barnes has a stable of big fellas raring to go.
23. TexasProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G/F Camden Heide, G Chendall Weaver, F Lassina Traore, F Declan Duru, F Nic Codie, F John Clark
Biggest preseason battle: Pope, Mark and Wilcher are the three most talented guards on the roster, but do they complement each other? Don't be surprised if role players like Heide (a shooter) or Weaver (a menacing on-ball defender) crack this starting lineup to do the dirty work, and Texas shifts a piece like Wilcher to the bench to operate as that bucket-getting sixth man.
24. IllinoisProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: C Zvonimir Ivisic, F David Mirkovic, G Keaton Wagler, G Brandon Lee, F Jake Davis, F Ty Rodgers (when healthy)
Biggest preseason battle: Illinois has three options to start next to rising stud big man Tomislav Ivisic: Mirkovic, Humrichous or his twin brother, Zvonimir. Brad Underwood likes that all three options do something different. Zvonimir Ivisic is a big-time rim protector who has posted block rates that an Illinois big man has never accomplished during the KenPom era. He can splash 3-pointers, but his mobility and consistency is still a work in progress.
Mirkovic is a hard-playing Montenegrin banger who Illinois can use in high-low actions. Humrichous operates as a high-volume 3-point shooter with serious range, but he doesn't have a ton else in his bag of tricks. Let the tinkering begin.
25. North CarolinaProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: F Jarin Stevenson, G Derek Dixon, G Jonathan Powell, G Jaydon Young, F James Brown, G Isaiah Denis
Biggest preseason battle: UNC desperately needs a fourth ball-handling guard to emerge behind Evans, Trimble and Bogavac. They don't need to be a star, but it raises UNC's floor if they can be solid on both ends and play mistake-free basketball. Dixon has a smooth, well-rounded game and was battle-tested in high school. He'll compete with Young for that coveted role. The Virginia Tech transfer has a rock-solid frame, but he has to sharpen up his decision-making. Powell will provide some 3-and-D vibes, but he isn't much of a ball-handler. Maybe another fringe top-50 freshman (Denis) can jump into the fray?
And 1: WisconsinProjected starting lineup
Top reserves: G Braeden Carrington, G Jack Janicki, F Elijah Gray, G Hayden Jones, C Aleksas Bieliauskas, G Zach Kinziger
Biggest preseason battle: Wisconsin's interior defense is riding on Winter taking a huge step forward and becoming a defensive anchor. I'm buying all the Nolan Winter stock I can scoop up, but can anyone else emerge from Wisconsin's depth options to provide real rim protection? The Badgers' frontcourt depth is extremely unproven and rather shaky. Good thing this offense is going to go vroom-vroom.
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