Andy Katz reveals his way-too-early college basketball rankings after withdrawal deadline decisions

The 2026 NBA Draft withdrawal deadline has come and gone. That means that most college basketball teams now know the gist of their rosters next season.

Some programs won big time, such as Florida, which retained all three of its potential NBA Draft picks. Other programs, such as Arizona (Koa Peat) and Arkansas (Meleek Thomas), suffered the loss of players who many believed could have massively improved their Draft stock with another year of college basketball under their belts.

With months to go until the 2026-27 season tips off, Andy Katz has released his Power 44 Rankings. Unsurprisingly, Florida and Duke top the list.

1. Florida Gators (2025-26: 27-8)

If Denzel Aberdeen is indeed ruled eligible for the 2026-27 season, the Gators’ starting lineup will consist of four players from their 2025 National Championship team. Florida won big in the stay-or-go window, retaining all three of their potential NBA Draft picks (Haugh, Condon, and Chinyelu). Following a disappointing loss in the Round of 32 last season, the Gators have a massive chip on their shoulders heading into the season.

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2. Duke Blue Devils (2025-26: 35-3)

The Duke Blue Devils have once again reloaded in 2026-27, returning major contributors such as Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, and Patrick Ngbonga. They also won big in the Portal by hauling in Wisconsin transfer combo guard John Blackwell, along with bringing in the No. 2 ranked freshman class in the country. Head coach Jon Scheyer has yet to lead the Blue Devils to a National Championship, but that could certainly change in his fifth season.

3. Michigan Wolverines (2025-26: 37-3)

The reigning National Champions head into the 2026-27 season as one of the favorites to once again cut down the nets. It lost its big three of Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Morez Johnson Jr. to the NBA Draft, but did retain Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau. It also brought in three strong Power Four transfers (Estrella, Thiam, Jalen Reed), along with retaining guard Trey McKenney. McKenney, who averaged 9.9 points in 22.1 minutes off the bench last season, will look to take the next step to superstardom in a starting role next season.

4. Illinois Fighting Illini (2025-26: 28-9)

Fresh off its first run to the Final Four since 2005, Illinois has reloaded and looks to be one of the favorites to win the Big Ten Conference. The Illini retained a whopping five players who averaged at least 17.2 MPG last season, bringing back valuable experience to Champaign. Andrej Stojaković‘s decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft was the cherry on top for Brad Underwood‘s team. Illinois will certainly be one of the favorites to win its first National Championship in program history.

5. Tennessee Volunteers (2025-26: 25-12)

Heading into year 12 of the Rick Barnes era in Knoxville, the Tennessee Volunteers might have their best roster ever. They were one of the biggest winners of the offseason, hauling in their entire starting lineup through the Transfer Portal. This includes Juke Harris (No. 4 ranked transfer), Terrence Hill Jr. (No. 24 ranked transfer), and Jalen Haralson (No. 39 ranked transfer). Tennessee is seeking its first-ever Final Four appearance following three consecutive Elite Eight losses.

6. UConn Huskies (2025-26: 34-6)

UConn, which has made a run to the National Championship in three of the past four seasons, slots in at No. 6 on Katz’s list. The Huskies would likely have been higher had Solo Ball not been ruled out for the season with a hand injury. Dan Hurley‘s program won big this offseason by retaining their star guard duo of Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins, along with hauling in Duke transfer forward Nik Khamenia. UConn has become a mainstay in National Championship talks, and that will be no different this season.

7. Michigan State Spartans (2025-26: 27-8)

Michigan State‘s 2026-27 roster was wrapped up following Jeremy Fears‘ decision to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday. The Spartans return three starters from last season’s Sweet Sixteen team, and brought in four-star guard Jasiah Jervis (No. 35 ranked player in Class of 2026) to complete this year’s lineup. Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo is seeking his ninth Final Four and second National Championship next season.

8. Texas Longhorns (2025-26: 21-15)

Texas enjoyed a strong offseason in the Transfer Portal under Sean Miller, hauling in star players such as David Punch (No. 11 ranked transfer) and Isaiah Johnson (No. 13 ranked transfer) to pair with returning star big man Matas Vokietaitis. The Longhorns made a surprise run to the Sweet Sixteen last season and will look to parlay that into a deeper run into next season’s NCAA Tournament.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores (2025-26: 27-9)

Vanderbilt advanced to the Round of 32 last season for the first time since 2017, and returns All-SEC First Team guard Tyler Tanner. The Commodores hauled in four other transfers to round out their starting lineup, and will look to compile back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 2010-11/2011-12. Tanner will be one of the favorites to win SEC Player of the Year next season.

10. Louisville Cardinals (2025-26: 24-11)

Finally, the Louisville Cardinals round out Katz’s top-10. Louisville was a massive player in the Transfer Portal this offseason, hauling in the No. 1 overall ranked transfer, Flory Bidunga. Bidunga withdrew from the NBA Draft just days before the deadline, bringing a sigh of relief to Cards fans everywhere. Along with returning guard Adrian Wooley, head coach Pat Kelsey also hauled in three other well-known P4 transfers to round out the lineup. Louisville is desperate for its first Sweet Sixteen or further run this season for the first time since 2015, and it certainly has the roster to do so.

Teams 11-44 of Katz’s rankings

11. Arkansas Razorbacks
12. Arizona Wildcats
13. Virginia Cavaliers
14. Kansas Jayhawks
15. Houston Cougars
16. Alabama Crimson Tide
17. USC Trojans
18. Purdue Boilermakers
19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
20. Miami Hurricanes
21. Nebraska Cornhuskers
22. St. John’s Red Storm
23. Indiana Hoosiers
24. North Carolina Tar Heels
25. UCLA Bruins
26. Missouri Tigers
27. Iowa State Cyclones
28. Providence Friars
29. VCU Rams
30. Saint Louis Billikens
31. Ohio State Buckeyes
32. Texas A&M Aggies
33. BYU Cougars
34. Auburn Tigers
35. Iowa Hawkeyes
36. Xavier Musketeers
37. Wisconsin Badgers
38. Kentucky Wildcats
39. Ole Miss Rebels
40. Marquette Golden Eagles
41. TCU Horned Frogs
42. New Mexico Lobos
43. Maryland Terrapins
44. Baylor Bears