Ncaa Basketball 2025-26 Predictions: From Sarah Strong To Darryn Peterson, The Names You’ll Know By March

5 days ago

What are you astir looking guardant to, connected aliases disconnected nan court?

I’ll spell pinch the St Thomas–Minnesota men’s team, eligible for nan NCAA tourney for nan first clip after making an unprecedented jump from Division III to Division I. They participate arsenic Summit League favorites and now boast a $175m arena that’s fixed them a awesome recruiting pull. A March tally could cement nan Tommies arsenic nan Gonzaga of nan midwest. Bryan Armen Graham

Beyond nan excitement of opening night, I’m eager to spot how Tennessee’s Kim Caldwell steers nan vessel successful her 2nd season – and wherever Notre Dame lands aft Olivia Miles’ departure to TCU. Honestly, Miles herself is 1 of nan apical storylines I’ll person my oculus connected this year. Stephanie Kaloi

Can nan Duke men repetition occurrence pinch freshman starring nan way? In nan property of nan transportation portal and pinch teams being older and much knowledgeable than ever, tin five-star freshman Cameron Boozer lead nan Blue Devils to a Final Four nan measurement Cooper Flagg did? Nicholas Levine

The astonishment package of nan play will beryllium …

Kansas women. The Jayhawks return 5 starters led by S’Mya Nichols and adhd 2 five-star freshmen. A Sweet 16 tally isn’t retired of nan question. BAG

Living successful Nashville, I’m particularly funny astir Vanderbilt’s women’s team – they’ve softly built thing special. Miami besides deserves attention: nan Hurricanes person been making dependable sound and could easy move that momentum into a breakout 2025–26 campaign. SK

San Diego State men. While they’re classed extracurricular of nan preseason apical 25, nan Aztecs return a bully chunk of past year’s squad which made nan NCAA tournament. Miles Byrd and Magoon Gwath are imaginable early NBA players and Reese Waters (former Pac-12 Sixth Man of nan Year astatine USC) returns aft a twelvemonth disconnected owed to injury. A halfway returning group who understand what nan Aztec civilization is each about, mixed successful pinch immoderate talented newcomers, SDSU will beryllium a reliable retired for anyone successful March. NL

Can Sarah Strong lead nan Connecticut Huskies to a 2nd consecutive nationalist championship?

Which squad successful either preseason apical 10 will struggle?

St John’s men. Rick Pitino cycled done options astatine constituent defender earlier settling on Stanford transportation Oziyah Sellers, a profession off-ball shooter pinch minimal playmaking experience. Without a existent level general, nan Red Storm’s top-10 talent could sputter early against a whale of a non-conference schedule. BAG

Regretfully, I’d thin toward either NC State aliases Maryland connected nan women’s side. Not because they’re sitting astatine No 9 and No 10, but because it’s difficult to ideate immoderate of nan different apical teams unraveling capable to miss nan field. SK

BYU men. The Cougars are playing successful nan ultra-competitive Big 12 wherever they are picked to decorativeness third. They person nan astir talented freshman successful nan state successful early lottery prime successful AJ Dybantsa. Can nan 18-year-old lead them done a rugged schedule against (much) older players pinch consistency? Time will tell. NL

The men’s nationalist subordinate of nan twelvemonth will beryllium …

I for illustration Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg to prehend nan throne pinch his all-round power connected a top-five team. BAG

It’s difficult to stake against Purdue’s Braden Smith. The Big Ten preseason subordinate of nan twelvemonth is poised for different leap, and each eyes will beryllium connected really he commands nan Boilermakers’ discourtesy from commencement to finish. SK

Braden Smith. The champion subordinate connected nan champion team, Smith averaged complete 8 assists per crippled past twelvemonth and has conscionable arsenic much, if not more, talent surrounding him this season. An hold of Matt Painter connected nan court, Smith has an elite consciousness for really to tally a team. NL

AJ Dybantsa of nan Brigham Young Cougars has drawn NBA comparisons to RJ Barrett.

The women’s nationalist subordinate of nan twelvemonth will beryllium …

UConn’s Sarah Strong is poised, powerful and now nan focal constituent of Geno Auriemma’s latest juggernaut. Look for nan ace soph to make nan leap from prodigy to Storrs legend. BAG

If she stays healthy, Sarah Strong is nan clear favorite. Just a sophomore, she’s already playing successful a convention of her ain and looks fresh to predominate astatine each level. SK

UCLA’s Lauren Betts was a stepping double-double for nan Bruins past season, averaging 20 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Coming disconnected a program-first Final Four tally past season, Betts will look to proceed her ascendant play and this lead nan Bruins to nan nationalist title. NL

The hottest NBA imaginable is …

Darryn Peterson, Kansas. The 6ft 6in freshman’s blend of NBA-ready size, fluid athleticism and precocious changeable creation makes him 1 of nan astir complete defender prospects successful years. He scores effortlessly astatine each 3 levels, defends pinch power and processes nan crippled for illustration a pro already. BAG

The sanction to cognize is Darryn Peterson. The Kansas freshman projects arsenic 1 of nan astir complete guards successful years: a existent one-and-done talent who tin score, create and lead. SK

AJ Dybantsa, Brigham Young. The 6ft 9in freshman has a batch of unit to unrecorded up to nan hype that has surrounded him for years now. The diversion helping has nan assemblage and consciousness for nan crippled that should let him to make an contiguous effect successful nan league. One area he will person to amended will beryllium shooting from range. NL

UCLA’s Lauren Betts has Bruins fans dreaming of a 2nd consecutive Final Four appearance.

The hottest WNBA imaginable is …

Lauren Betts, UCLA. The 6ft 7in frontcourt anchor, who dominates some ends pinch power, touch and consistency, pairs elite footwork and rim protection pinch emerging mid-range and passing skills. BAG

Spanish teen Awa Fam is apt adjacent year’s No 1 pick, but among US assemblage players, UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Texas’s Rori Harmon guidelines out. Both person grown tremendously since their freshman seasons and look afloat pro-ready: impervious that staying pinch 1 programme tin refine a player’s crippled arsenic overmuch arsenic earthy talent ever could. SK

I americium going to instrumentality pinch nan 6ft 7in halfway Lauren Betts. Her size and touch astir nan rim makes her fresh to lend from time 1 successful nan W. NL

One bold prediction

A No 16 seed will upset a No 1 squad successful nan men’s tournament. It took much than 3 decades for it to finally hap a first time, until Fairleigh Dickinson made it doubly successful 5 years backmost successful 2023. It won’t beryllium agelong earlier we spot it again for a fewer reasons, chiefly really nan transportation portal is redistributing talent toward nan fringes while nan accepted superpowers proceed to trust connected one-and-done players. BAG

The USC women could beryllium nan season’s biggest surprise. Even without JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, nan Trojans person nan grit and cohesion to overachieve. Think of an Indiana Fever–style run – a young squad that conscionable refuses to discontinue and keeps uncovering ways to win. SK

Eric Olen and New Mexico will triumph nan Mountain West convention tournament. The agelong clip UCSD coach has a proven strategy that wins, but pinch 14 caller players connected nan team, it will return immoderate clip for nan Lobos to gel. UNM person bully positional size which will let them to move 1-5 and beryllium 1 of nan much disruptive defenses successful nan league. Come tourney clip that will beryllium reliable for moreover immoderate of nan much talented MWC teams to hole for. NL

Emanuel Sharp (21) and Milos Uzan (7) are among nan returning players for a Houston Cougars squad that came thisclose to winning it each past year.

Men’s Final Four

Connecticut, Houston, Kentucky, Tennessee. BAG

Duke, Houston, Michigan, Purdue. SK

Gonzaga, Michigan, Purdue, St John’s. NL

Men’s nationalist champion

Houston. The Cougars look built to decorativeness wherever they fell truthful cruelly short successful April. Kelvin Sampson returns 3 starters and 7 cardinal contributors from nan squad that astir won past year’s title game, including prima guards Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan and protect anchor Joseph Tugler. To that battle-tested halfway they’ve added a top-five recruiting people headlined by five-star phenoms Chris Cenac Jr and Isiah Harwell, positive elite constituent defender Kingston Flemings. The unpredictability of March Madness is correct location successful nan sanction but Houston are nan safest stake connected nan board. BAG

Houston. The Cougars came agonizingly adjacent past year, and that unfinished business still burns. With their chemistry, defense and experience, they person each constituent to decorativeness nan occupation this time. SK

St John’s. The Johnnies are led by arguably nan top assemblage hoops coach of each clip successful Rick Pitino. When Pitino has talent, and a group of guys who lucifer his personality, he wins. They return past year’s Big East POY successful Zudy Ejiofor and they person nan apical transportation people successful nan country. Look for nan Johnnies nonstop Pitino disconnected to status by cutting down nan nets successful Indianapolis. NL

Women’s Final Four

Connecticut, LSU, South Carolina, UCLA. BAG

Connecticut, South Carolina, Texas, UCLA. SK

Connecticut, Notre Dame, South Carolina, UCLA. NL

Women’s nationalist champion

Connecticut. UConn person nan correct operation of size, shooting and acquisition to trim down nan nets successful Phoenix. Even without Paige Bueckers, these Huskies mightiness beryllium better: Sarah Strong is poised to go nan nation’s champion player, Azzi Fudd is patient and Wisconsin transportation Serah Williams adds depth. Geno Auriemma’s 13th title feels awfully adjacent to a fait accompli. BAG

Connecticut. This year’s roster is deeper and much balanced than past season’s. Adding Serah Williams was a cleanable fit, and pinch size, shooting and title experience, nan Huskies are built to reclaim nan throne. SK

South Carolina. Dawn Staley reloads pinch different talented group led by Florida State transportation Ta’Niya Latson who led nan state successful scoring a twelvemonth ago. Last year’s runners-up, nan Gamecocks will avenge their embarrassing nonaccomplishment to UConn and get Staley her 4th nationalist title trophy. NL