Predicting AP Top 25 college basketball rankings: Florida edges Duke, Illinois for No. 1 in preseason poll

What we think the 2026-27 college basketball preseason AP Top 25 could look like when it is released on Monday One of the most difficult exercises to do every year before the start of the college basketball season is to predict what the preseason AP Top 25 poll will look like when it is dropped for the first time. The 2026-27 season is even more challenging because a majority of the teams on this list have at least one impactful player who may or may not be eligible due to pending five-for-five lawsuits. Keeping up with players who are eligible one day and ineligible the next this offseason has been a headache in itself.

Take a team such as Texas Tech. The Red Raiders could see Donovan Atwell, Darrion Williams and Jamichael Stillwell all suit up this season if they're granted a fifth year. If Texas Tech is at full strength, they should be a consensus top 10 team. Instead, I have the Red Raiders at No. 23 in the preseason projections because who knows how voters will decide whether to factor in those three players. Texas Tech certainly isn't alone. There are key players throughout the sport whose eligibility has a chance to swing a team at least a good half dozen spots in preseason projections. Here is what