October 30, 2025
College Basketball is Now Here
The 2025 - 26 men's college basketball season is set to begin on November 3rd, with defending national champion Florida taking on Arizona in Las Vegas. Florida, ranked No. 3 in the preseason polls, returns its entire frontcourt including potential first-round NBA draft picks Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh. The Gators are positioned as strong contenders to repeat as champions, which would make them only the second program after UCLA to win back-to-back titles more than once.
Preseason Rankings and Storylines
The Associated Press Preseason Top 10 Features:
- Purdue - Coach Matt Painter seeks his first national title
- Houston - The Cougars are 0 - 7 in Final Four appearances despite six trips
- Florida - Attempting to repeat as champions
- UConn - Could win three titles in four seasons
- St. John's - Rick Pitino could become the first coach to win championships at 3 different schools
- Duke - Led by one-and-done recruits in a throwback approach
- Michigan - Coach Dusty May looking to build on last year's turnaround
- BYU - Ranked in preseason top 10 for the first time in school history
- Kentucky - Mark Pope's first season with the Wildcats
- Texas Tech
Key Early Season Matchups
November 7:
Kansas at North Carolina - A critical game for Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis, who is under pressure after missing the NCAA tournament in 2023.
November 8:
Alabama at St. John's - Rick Pitino's loaded roster faces an early test
Arkansas at Michigan State - Tom Izzo vs. John Calipari
Oklahoma at Gonzaga - First of the Bulldogs' tough non-conference schedule
November 11:
Kentucky at Louisville - The Battle of the Bluegrass features both programs near the top of college basketball again, with Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey leading their respective teams
Feast Week Tournaments
(November 24 - 27)
Maui Invitational - Features Arizona State, Texas, NC State, and others. Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley is on the hot seat after back-to-back losing seasons
Players Era Festival (Las Vegas) - An 18-team tournament featuring many of the nation's best programs including St. John's, Houston, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Alabama, and Iowa State
SEC Dominance Continues
The SEC is expected to remain the nation's deepest conference after sending a record 14 teams to the NCAA tournament last season. While the conference may not have as many elite teams at the very top, it could still send 13 - 15 teams to March Madness.
High School Basketball
North Carolina: Carmel Tip-Off Classic (November 7 - 8)
The high school basketball season begins next week with the Carmel Tip-Off Classic at Carmel Christian High School in Matthews, North Carolina. The tournament will feature 11 North Carolina programs, with 10 of them ranked in the state's top 25.
Headliners:
No. 3 Combine Academy
No. 4 Winston Salem Christian
No. 6 Concord Academy
No. 8 Greensboro Day
Top Matchups:
Friday, November 7 (8:00 PM):
Carmen Christian vs. Caldwell Academy
Saturday, November 8 (6:00 PM):
Concord Academy vs. Combine Academy
Saturday, November 8 (7:30 PM):
Carmel Christian vs. Greensboro Day
The tournament will showcase 14 ranked prospects across the 2026, 2027, and 2028 recruiting classes, including:
2027 4-star PG King Kendrick (Caldwell Academy)
2027 4-star SG RJ Moore (Ambassador Christian)
2026 3-star CG Yohance Connor (Combine Academy)
2026 3-star PF Elhadji Diallo (Combine Academy)
Other High School News
Montverde Academy announced its inaugural "Hoops Mania" celebration on November 8, highlighting the program's continued prominence in national high school basketball.
Key Themes
- The Transfer Portal Era: Programs like St. John's and Florida are thriving with portal additions
- Coaching Pressure: Several high-profile coaches face make-or-break seasons
- Young Talent: High school basketball continues to showcase elite prospects who will shape the college game
- Conference Realignment Impact: The SEC's depth and the Big East's resurgence are major storylines
Source: Borzello, J., Lunardi, J., Medcalf, M., & Paine, N. (2025, October 29). Men's NCAA basketball megapreview, predictions for 2025 - 26. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/46750393/mens-ncaa-basketball-predictions-2025-2026
Lopresti, M. (2025, October 29). What's at stake for each team in the men's basketball preseason top 10. NCAA.com. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2025-10-29/whats-stake-each-team-mens-college-basketball-preseason-top-10
Shelton, H. (2025, October 30). North Carolina high school basketball: Carmel Tip-Off Classic to feature 10 ranked teams. On3/Yahoo Sports. https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/north-carolina-high-school-basketball-001707639.html
Young, R. (2025, October 29). Men's college basketball games to watch: Early matchups of note featuring Florida, UNC, Duke and more. Yahoo Sports. https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/mens-college-basketball-games-to-watch-early-matchups-of-note-featuring-florida-unc-duke-and-more-141716631,html