Dick VitaleJun 4, 2025, 09:00 AM ET
- Dick Vitale, assemblage basketball's apical expert and ambassador, joined ESPN during the 1979-80 season. His thorough cognition of the crippled is brought distant successful an enthusiastic, passionate style. Vitale besides contributes columns to ESPN.com.
Hoops fanatics, it's clip to get pumped up, baby!
The 2025-26 assemblage hoops play is astir 150 days away, and the men's transportation portal has been sizzling hotter than a Tampa summer.
I've got my latest preseason rankings arsenic we participate summer, loaded with superstars, Diaper Dandies and PTPers (Prime-Time Players). Check retired Dickie V's Dazzling Dozen squads that look acceptable to stone the hardwood.
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Coach Matt Painter has his Boilermakers acceptable to roll. They instrumentality 5 of their apical six scorers, including Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith, positive large transfers Oscar Cluff and Liam Murphy. Watch out, baby, this squad's Sweet 16 tally past twelvemonth was nary fluke.
2. Houston Cougars
Coach Kelvin Sampson's Cougars are roaring again. Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler pb a halfway caller disconnected a title appearance. Keep an oculus connected five-star Chris Cenac Jr. -- he's Diaper Dandy Deluxe.
3. Florida Gators
The defending champs from Gainesville are chomping for more. Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh are back, joined by transportation stars Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland. Can they repeat? They person the talent, baby.
4. UConn Huskies
The Huskies are howling again. Solo Ball and Alex Karaban return, bolstered by transfers Silas Demary Jr. and Malachi Smith. This squad has Final Four imaginable written each implicit it.

5. St. John's Red Storm
Rick Pitino's Johnnies are loaded. They person transfers similar Ian Jackson and Bryce Hopkins. They person anchor Zuby Ejiofor. They're acceptable to tempest the Big East and beyond. They're going to marque large sound again.

6. Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Red Raiders are acceptable to raid again. JT Toppin and Christian Anderson are back, reinforced by transportation endowment similar LeJuan Watts and Josiah Moseley. They made it to the Elite Eight past year; could a Final Four beryllium next?

7. BYU Cougars
BYU has a squad that's hotter than Provo successful July. Richie Saunders returns, alongside mega transfers Robert Wright III and five-star A.J. Dybantsa. Watch out, Cougars fans, this team's legit.

8. Arkansas Razorbacks
Coach John Calipari's Razorbacks instrumentality D.J. Wagner and Trevon Brazile, paired with sensational freshmen Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas. Woo Pig Sooie, they're stacked.

9. Duke Blue Devils
Coach Jon Scheyer has different blockbuster people astatine Duke. Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster return, joined by five-star phenom Cameron Boozer. This squad screams Final Four contender.

10. UCLA Bruins
Mick Cronin's Bruins support grinding. Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr. header a squad loaded with talent, including transfers Donovan Dent, Steven Jamerson II and Xavier Booker. Look out, Big Ten; this squad is coming strong.

11. Kentucky Wildcats
Mark Pope reloads again, folks. Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison volition beryllium looking to pb an unthinkable radical of transfers including Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe and Mouhamed Dioubate. The Wildcats are roaring large successful Lexington.

12. Michigan Wolverines
Go Blue, baby! Michigan returns cardinal players Roddy Gayle Jr. and Nimari Burnett, and adds transfers Elliot Cadeau and Morez Johnson Jr. The Wolverines are Sweet 16 veterans bare for more.
So, hoops junkies, fasten your seatbelts. It's going to beryllium a play filled with Slam Jam Bam excitement! It's awesome, baby!