As the college basketball regular season comes to a close, teams are preparing for yet another clash in the most chaotic tournament in all of sports. The Florida Gators are preparing to defend their crown against a loaded freshman class that fills many opposing talented rosters. With selection Sunday less than a week away, here’s everything you need to know about the top contenders for the 2026 College Basketball National Campionship.
Favorites
Duke:
The Duke Blue Devils are looking to win their first national championship since 2015. Lead by star freshman and player of the year favorite Cameron Boozer, the Blue Devils are ranked as the #1 team in the country. At 28-2, Duke is playing their best basketball of the year at the right time.
Following a buzzer beating defeat to arch rival UNC, Duke has rattled off seven straight wins, the most important of which came in an out of conference showdown against the previous #1 Michigan Wolverines. Duke came out on top in this game 68-63 with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists from Boozer. The one thing holding Duke back is the fact that the Blue Devils are inexperienced, with 4 freshmen playing more than 20 minutes per game.
Michigan:
The Michigan Wolverines have had quite the impressive jump from last season due to the addition of star transfers Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara. The Wolverines pride themselves on their defense while also putting up 8 games with at least 100 points. Johnson and Mara have been the stars of the defense. Johnson’s physicality allows him to fight in the post against taller offensive threats. Mara’s height has allowed him to rack up 2.6 blocks per game which is good enough to land him at 4th in the country in that category.
Hingham High School senior Jack Germain says, “They are such a balanced team. You rarely ever see it in college. They can defend, rebound, and score at such a high level.” Michigan didn’t lose a game until January 10th where they lost to Wisconsin in one of the biggest upsets in college basketball this season. With just one game remaining in the regular season, Wolverine fans believe that this is the year that they come home with a national championship.
Arizona:
The Arizona Wildcats spent the majority of the season at the #1 spot after finishing their gauntlet of an out-of-conference schedule undefeated. The Wildcats have been electric against the top competition, defeating 10 ranked opponents throughout the season. Arizona sits at 28-2 with one game remaining in the regular season. Their two losses came back to back in the month of February against two ranked opponents. Arizona balances their scoring with 4 players scoring more than 10 points per game.
The true leader of this team is senior Braden Bradley. Bradley is a true point guard who leads the team in assists and steals while scoring the second-most points on the team. He uses his smooth mid-range jumper to score on key late game possessions for Arizona. The Wildcats will enter the tournament as one of the favorites and will look to win their first championship since 1997.
Sleepers
Florida:
The Florida Gators are the defending national champions, yet fans are still doubting their ability to compete for a national championship this year. Despite being ranked #5 in the country, the Gators have been overlooked due to their early season struggles. Florida opened the season at 5-4, but has since gone 19-2, winning each of their last 10 games. The issue with the Gators early in the year was their lackluster guard play which has since taken a big leap. Princeton transfer Xavian Lee and Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland have played to their fullest potential in the past month.
Hingham High School Junior Matt Stratton says, “Lee was highly sought after in the portal. It was only a matter of time before it clicked.” In addition to Lee and Fland, Florida has some of the best big men in the country with Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Reuben Chinyelu.
Alabama:
The Alabama Crimson Tide are a sleeper purely because of their offensive firepower. They average 92 points per game as a team with five guys averaging at least 10 points per game. Alabama is ranked #16 in the country, but has played like a top five team at certain times. Before losing to Georgia in their last outing, Alabama fired off 8 straight victories. Labaron Philon Jr. is the star of the show in Tuscaloosa averaging 21.5 points per game on just under 40% three point shooting.
The down side for the Crimson Tide is their defensive struggle. Head coach Nate Oats has always coached an offensive team. Historically the better offensive teams tend to come out on top by the end of March, which gives Alabama the edge.
