College Basketball Rankings: Preseason Coaches Poll Top 25 released

The 2024-25 college basketball season is quickly closing in, and the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll has been released. It’s a Top 25 chock full of exciting outfits heading into the season.

From a collection of the usual suspects to a handful of new strivers in the sport, the men’s side of college hoops has no shortage of top-flight teams competing for a shot at the NCAA Tournament and more. And 13 of the 25 teams are from the Big Ten or SEC, but only one in the Top 10 is from those leagues.

See the full preseason Top 25 from the coaches below.

Full preseason USA Today Coaches Poll

1. Kansas

Kansas returns one of the best rosters in the sport, headlined by the center-point guard duo of Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris. And Bill Self’s Kansas squads have consistently been among the premiere teams in the sport.

2024-25 is looking to be no different, and ideally a bounce back from falling short to win the Big 12 tournament and getting seen out of the NCAA Tournament in the Round of 32.

2. Alabama

Alabama had a historic run to the Final Four in the 2024 NCAA Tournament and head coach Nate Oats seemingly has built the Crimson Tide into a year-in, year-out contender, both in the SEC and nationally. It helps that veteran point guard Mark Sears is back for another season.

With Sears leading the way for what should be another highly-talented roster, Oats and Co. are banking on the 2023-24 season not being a one off. And the coaches voting in the poll seem to think the Crimson Tide is here to stay.

3. UConn

Danny Hurley has made UConn the class of college basketball, winning back-to-back national titles in generally dominant fashion. While the 2024-25 Huskies have a much different roster makeup than the last two squads, it should still be one of the best units in the country.

With a few key transfers and an infusion of freshman talent, there’s no doubt UConn can again be a force in the Big East and nationally. But there will surely be an uphill climb to complete the three-peat.

4. Houston

Since joining the Big 12, Houston has been something of an eye-to-eye peer for the Jayhawks, with Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars and their smothering defense consistently winning 20-plus games. And the latest iteration of the team seems to be just as dangerous.

Led by graduate players L.J. Cryer and J’Wan Roberts, Houston should once again contend for the Big 12 and a No. 1 seed.

5. Duke

With the top prospect in the Class of 2024 enrolled in the form of Cooper Flagg, Jon Scheyer and Co. are hoping to keep the Blue Devils rolling. Last year, they got to the brink of a Final Four, getting bounced in the Elite Eight.

In 2024-25, the hope is to break through that threshold and make it to the final weekend of the season for the first time since 2022. If Flagg and the other top-flight recruits are as promised, it should certainly be doable.

6. Iowa State

The Cyclones return one of the best all-around players in the sport in guard Tamin Lipsey. While he’ll be the focal point for T.J. Otzelberger’s group, there’s plenty of talent across the roster.

And while Kansas and Houston are both ranked ahead of Iowa State, the Cyclones are certainly a real threat to contend for the Big 12.

7. Gonzaga

Mark Few’s program hit a bit of a lull through the regular season last year, but reminded all how Gonzaga has still been a picture of consistency with a strong postseason run. The Bulldogs made a run to a Sweet 16, making it for a ninth-straight season.

Few’s roster is a veteran one this time around, and should be able to stave off any mid-season doldrums. And there’s a very good shot that Gonzaga makes it 10-straight Sweet 16s come March.

8. Baylor

Scott Drew has developed Baylor into a year-to-year national contender, hoisting a national championship trophy in 2021 after a 28-2 campaign. Entering his 22nd season at Baylor, Drew is looking to recapture that tournament magic for another deep run, having lost in the second round the last three seasons.

The 2024-25 Bears seem poised to contend, though, with a highly-touted crop of freshmen being accented with the likes of transfers such as former Duke guard Jeremy Roach. If it all coalesces, the Bears are as legit a contender as they come.

9. Arizona

Head coach Tommy Lloyd has been highly successful, mostly in the regular season, going 88-20 in three seasons at Arizona. However, he has yet to get past the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, despite his teams being seeded on the No. 1 line and then twice on the No. 2 line.

There’s little reason to think this Arizona team can’t keep up the strong play, albeit now competing in the Big 12 instead of the Pac-12. And with some luck, Lloyd might finally push this team deeper in to the tournament.

10. North Carolina

Much like Lloyd at Arizona, North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis has been very successful year-to-year leading the Tar Heels, but hasn’t cracked through for great success in March since running to the national championship game in his first season. But the roster in Chapel Hill is as talented as ever and capable of big things.

The biggest change for Davis and Co. this year is coaching without Armando Bacot playing in the middle. But with the array of new and returning talent on hand, North Carolina remains where it so often has: Among the best teams in the country on the hardwood.

Nos. 11 through 25

11. Auburn
12. Tennessee
13. Purdue
14. Creighton
15. Texas A&M
16. Arkansas
17. Marquette
18. Indiana
19. Texas
20. Cincinnati
21. Florida
22. UCLA
23. Kentucky
24. Illinois
25. Ole Miss