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The bigs are back
Forget small ball. The 2026 title contenders will flood the court with elite big men. Plus: old Southwestern Conference rivals are back at it, more scheduling news, 2026 commitments, Melo' HOF speech and much more.
Samuel Lance
September 08, 2025
In partnership with
Good morning! Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily. Today’s edition is written by San Lance. Follow him on X.com/Twitter @slancehoops.
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1. Are jumbo lineups the new wave in college hoops?
College basketball always changes. Each season, coaches create new strategies to navigate the shifting landscape. And it looks like big is back.
Bigger teams have found success in recent season, especially those who feature at two true big men in the lineup at once. Look no further than Florida, whose bruising and deep frontcourt helped it win a national title. Go back two years, and you had Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan, the two premier bigs in the sport, with their counterparts Trey Kaufman-Renn and Sampson Johnson competing for a national title.
This season, it’s much of the same story.
If you look at who will likely be the preseason top three teams in the country, they’re all huge. Purdue features veteran bruiser Kaufman-Renn and will pair either 7-footer Oscar Cluff or 7-3 Daniel Jacobsen with him. Florida has Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu back. Houston will play Jojo Tugler and Chris Cenac together, both whom have over 7-foot wingspans. And the list goes on.
We haven’t even mentioned Michigan, who may have 6-9 Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-9 Morez Johnson Jr. and 7-3 Aday Mara on the court at the same time frequently. Or Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington, who are all big up front as well and could play lineups featuring two bigs or more.
Is this a trend that’s here to stay? Is it good for college hoops? Rob Dauster, John Fanta and TO break it all down below.
As TO says, big have always won. And it looks like being big will be crucial to success in the 2025-26 season.
2. Old SWC rivals back at it + scheduling tidbits
One of college basketball’s classic rivalries is back this season.
