Storylines shaping the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season

Only 50 days remain until the NCAA tournament bracket is finalized on Selection Sunday.

In the past 80-plus days since the 2025-26 college basketball season commenced, we’ve uncovered a wealth of insights, particularly as conference play escalates. Freshmen are leaving their mark, scoring is soaring to historic levels, and teams like Nebraska and Miami (Ohio) remain unbeaten. This is just the beginning.

Whether you’re catching up or seeking a comprehensive overview, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf outline the eight most significant storylines shaping the season thus far below.

The most surprising developments so far

The Indiana Hoosiers, historically the most challenged program in college football, have captured the national championship. Could a similarly miraculous story be unfolding in college basketball?

Undefeated Nebraska is executing one of the most impressive turnarounds we’ve seen. Miami (Ohio) also remains perfect. Clemson’s surprising start in ACC competition (6-0) stands out, while Kevin Willard has elevated Villanova into an elite offensive and defensive force in the Big East during his inaugural season.

Vanderbilt deserves mention as well. Prior to a current three-game losing streak, they amassed 16 consecutive wins, and Tyler Tanner (17.1 PPG, 39% from three) is projected to be a first-round NBA draft pick in ESPN’s latest mock. in the same way, Georgia and Virginia, both of whom were predicted to finish lower in their respective preseason conference polls, are now early contenders for league titles due to their surprising performances. — Myron Medcalf

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Miami (OH) maintains their perfect record after Luke Skaljac ties game and forces overtime against Kent State.

Skaljac’s incredible layup in the final seconds sends the game into overtime, leading to Miami’s victory over Kent State.

The biggest letdowns thus far

A variety of teams and players have surprisingly underperformed.

Donovan Dent, who was among the top transfers after being named Mountain West Player of the Year last season, has struggled at UCLA, shooting only 17% from three on this bubble team.

While Kentucky is on a winning streak, they aren’t looking like the national title contenders they were expected to be, especially considering they’ve invested $20 million in their roster. in the same way, Oregon’s disappointing lineup has been further hindered by injuries.

Baylor sports two projected lottery picks, yet they stumbled into Big 12 play with a 1-5 record. Tennessee, boasting five-star freshman and projected lottery pick Nate Ament, is struggling as well despite previous success defensively, now ranking eighth in SEC play.

Several teams in the Big East, such as Marquette, Providence, and Georgetown, are also failing to meet preseason expectations.

especially, Memphis might lead this unfortunate list, sitting at a mere 9-9 after enjoying the best season under Penny Hardaway in 2024-25 (29-6). — Medcalf

Scoring continues to rise

A blend of factors—including NBA prospects returning to college, a historically strong freshman class, and the arrival of elite European players—has resulted in an influx of talent, leading to some of the most dynamic offenses we’ve seen in years. As of last weekend, Division I teams averaged 77.2 points per game this season, marking the highest average since 1971-72, when teams averaged 77.7 points.

Teams also entered last weekend shooting 45.4% from the field, the highest collective shooting percentage since the 1991-92 season when teams shot 45.7%.

Last season, only one team averaged over 90 points per game (Alabama at 90.7 PPG). Currently, 15 teams have surpassed that threshold.

Efficiency is on the rise as well, with 11 teams now holding an adjusted offensive rating of 125.0 or better at KenPom, compared to just five teams last season. — Jeff Borzello

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Highlight: No. 20 Arkansas excels at home against No. 15 Vandy

The Razorbacks see six players reach double digits as they shoot 57.8% from the field and 40.9% from beyond the arc, defeating the Commodores 93-68.

Star players dealing with injuries

When active, Kansas freshman star Darryn Peterson is among the finest players in college basketball. The potential No. 1 NBA draft pick could rank among the top 10 in scoring, averaging 22.2 points per game—if he had played enough games to qualify. With just nine games played due to a hamstring issue and a recent ankle sprain, his immediate future remains uncertain.

Peterson isn’t alone; Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. has also been sidelined with a lower back injury and has missed the past nine games. Head coach Pat Kelsey stated he expects Brown to return at some point this season, but the timeline remains unclear.

Meanwhile, Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance missed the first 11 games recovering from a torn ACL suffered last February. even if he returned in December, he has struggled to find his form and has now been absent from Kentucky’s last three games. — Borzello

More former pros in college basketball

Have we checked on Tom Izzo lately? The alarm was raised in October when the NCAA approved the eligibility of G League players (Thierry Darlan and London Johnson) to play college basketball for the first time. Further, James Nnaji, the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft, is now eligible to compete for Baylor despite not having played in the NBA.

On Wednesday, an Alabama judge granted former Crimson Tide player Charles Bediako—who has a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs—a temporary restraining order allowing him to participate in college basketball for 10 days. If successful in his upcoming preliminary injunction hearing, it could pave the way for numerous young two-way and NBA players to obtain NCAA eligibility. — Medcalf

The strongest freshman class in recent years

The 2025 recruiting class has garnered attention from college coaches and NBA scouts for several years, and these freshmen have not disappointed.

Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, and Duke’s Cameron Boozer entered the season as the standout names of the class; they have distinguished themselves as top players, with Boozer and Dybantsa leading most discussions for National Player of the Year. but, there’s more to the class than just these three.

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Cam Boozer guides Duke to a comeback victory against Louisville

Boozer scores 27 points, grabs 8 rebounds, and dishes out 4 assists during Duke’s thrilling win.

Nine freshmen made it to the Wooden Award midseason top 25 watchlist, including Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Tennessee’s Nate Ament, Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Arizona’s Koa Peat, and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson.

This list doesn’t even factor in UConn’s Braylon Mullins and Arizona’s Brayden Burries, who are currently starting for the nation’s top two teams. Breakout players include Illinois’s Keaton Wagler and Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie, along with former European pros classified as freshmen, such as Virginia’s Thijs De Ridder and Washington’s Hannes Steinbach. — Borzello

Strength of power conferences

The 2025-26 season is being highlighted by a robust field of contenders from the major leagues. The Big Ten has ten teams ranked in the top 40 on KenPom, featuring top-15 squads like Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Nebraska, and Illinois.

The Big 12 boasts star talent this year: AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State), Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Kingston Flemings (Houston), JT Toppin and Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), as well as Koa Peat (Arizona), all of whom have the potential to guide their teams to the Final Four and national recognition.

The ACC is also regaining respect with a strong season. Naturally, Duke leads the way, but North Carolina, Clemson, and Virginia have contributed to the depth of the conference with promising starts.

Nevertheless, the SEC continues to hold the top spot in KenPom a year after its record-setting 14 NCAA tournament bids. While they may not replicate that number, reigning champion Florida is positioned well to defend its title. Alabama remains a powerhouse defensively, Kentucky shows signs of improvement, and John Calipari might have the nation’s best point guard at Arkansas. Vanderbilt also boasts six top-50 KenPom wins. — Medcalf

Large lineups trending

Not long ago, three-guard lineups were the go-to for high-level teams—think about Villanova’s perimeter-driven championship squads in 2015 and 2017, or Baylor’s title team in 2021, which featured four players 6-foot-5 or shorter. In 2021, only four NCAA tournament teams were among the top 20 for average height according to KenPom.

This season, the top three averaging height teams are all represented in the AP poll, and six other top-25 teams are close behind.

Take a look at this week’s top four AP poll teams: Arizona’s rotation includes six players 6-6 or taller. UConn has no starter below 6-4. Michigan begins games with three players 6-9 or taller. Duke, ranking second in average height, has no players shorter than 6-4 in its rotation.

The trend in the NBA towards valuing positional size is increasingly influencing college basketball as well. — Borzello