College Basketball Rankings: St. John’s Storms Into Top 10, Kentucky Enters Top 25

Florida retained the top position in an updated preseason men’s college basketball ranking for 2026-27, while St. John’s climbed into the top ten and Kentucky entered the poll for the first time following a series of transfer portal additions and NBA Draft withdrawal decisions. The movement came after the withdrawal deadline clarified rosters across the sport.

St. John’s, coached by Rick Pitino, moved up after securing Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou, a guard who averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds per game last season. The Red Storm had previously held the No. 11 position. Kentucky, unranked in the prior edition, earned entry after landing Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic – described as the top-ranked transfer available in May – and retaining forward Malachi Moreno, who averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds per game last season after withdrawing from the NBA Draft. Florida’s hold on first place rests on the return of frontcourt contributors Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, alongside guards Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar.

Several other programs recorded notable movement. Illinois climbed to second after Andrej Stojakovic withdrew from the NBA Draft, giving the Illini a frontcourt that also includes David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic. Michigan, ranked third, must replace three projected first-round draft picks up front but returns a backcourt of Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney after winning the national title the prior season under head coach Dusty May. Louisville entered the top five, bolstered by center Flory Bidunga, Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras and Oregon transfer Jackson Shelstad. Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., who led the nation with 9.4 assists per game, will return after withdrawing from the draft, keeping the Spartans firmly in the top ten.

With transfer portal activity and draft decisions now largely settled, the focus shifts to preseason workouts and conference play schedules. Several rosters still carry questions around player development and depth integration, and the rankings are expected to shift further once teams take the floor in the early weeks of the 2026-27 season.