Latest Way Too Early Top 25s fairly similar

Good morning! Is today the day to challenge the status quo? Maybe not when it comes to Way Too Early Top 25s.

Let's get to Monday’s news.

1. Houston default team to beat (even if Purdue’s No. 1)

It’s June. The transfer portal has settled down, the deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft has passed, and we’ve got a pretty good idea of what the 2025-26 rosters will look like.

Time for an update for all those Way Too Early Top 25s.

There aren’t nearly as many projections for next season as there once the national title game ends, so this view captures most a view from the writers/analysts who regularly update their projections.

In this case, that includes Rob Dauster (Field of 68), Jeff Borzello (ESPN), Gary Parrish (CBS Sports), Kevin Sweeney (SI.com), C.J. Moore (The Athletic) and Jon Rothstein (College Hoops Today).

Those six guys agree that these 17 teams deserve to be ranked: Houston, Purdue, Florida, UConn, St. John’s, BYU, Michigan, Texas Tech, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, UCLA, Auburn, Arkansas, Arizona, Illinois and Gonzaga. They appear on everyone’s Top 25.

The handful of programs that appear on the consensus list, but didn’t make everyone’s Top 25? Alabama, Kansas, Iowa State, Michigan State, Creighton, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

That’s probably a little too much groupthink for this time of year. I’d expect to see more projections like SI.com, which included teams like Virginia, San Diego State, Baylor and Iowa. Those four don’t appear on anyone else’s Top 25. That kind of variety of thought is needed.

Especially when the top is largely the same.

Purdue’s No. 1 in four of those Top 25s, but Houston is the default team to beat because it’s either 1, 2 or 3 in the rankings. Florida and UConn were an easy 3-4. St. John’s got a big boost from CBS Sports, but The Athletic? Not so much.

Other notes:

• Nobody had Duke higher than 8th.

• Kansas did not appear on everyone’s Top 25. It’s 31st on College Hoops today.

• Alabama tied with Kansas for 18th. SI.com omitted the Tide.

• Louisville’s all over the place (as high as 5th, as low as 17th), which feels right for a team without an established frontcourt and lots of 3-point variance.

• UCLA was 6th in on projection, and as low as 19th.

• Creighton is never higher than 22nd.

• The Big Ten has the most teams (7) followed by the SEC (6) and the Big 12 (5).

2. Arizona, Penn State latest to add international players

Forget the transfer portal. June’s going to be all about which international player signs next.

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