The College Basketball Entertainment Index for 2025 - 2026

Look No Further...

    Now that the conference play is set to begin this season, my deeply analytic brain is ready to start highlighting the teams you need to be watching to for an enjoyable season. There is a lot of couch science applied to this list and on this couch we respect three things; defensive efficiency, game control, and the Stan Sheriff Center at 11:30 pm. After four weeks of non-conference matchups and a satisfactory Feast Week, I have been able to digest my preseason outlooks with some early live observations and am ready to start tracking where the entertainment is located. Also how is the Players ERA effecting scheduling and MTE's. What conferences are brewing up intriguing conference matchups? Who at the top is worth devoting a TV to? There are gems in every conference, timeslot, and streaming service and your time is not worth wasting. If you're looking to know where your eyes should be this season this index is for you.

    To be considered for the weekly Top 25, you have to be an appealing watch any day of the week. Now what makes you an appealing watch? Quality play is your typical indicator, followed by points or national implication, but that is so short sighted in a sport filled to the brim every night at such micro levels that could only exists in college basketball. I have watched my fair share of USD Torero basketball (Proud NIL contributor, #FIRELavin), I know when a game is stinky and I'm here to show you the sports best is at. Quality play will sometimes take a back seat to a filled North Alabama home game against Lipscomb for first place in the ASUN. Catching a team dedicated to their playstyle year over year ensuring you know what kind of game your in for is chicken soup for a college basketball fan. Tracking these teams across the sport only stands to help enhance your March Madness experience and know where to catch an entertaining game every night of the week. Now this entire thing is bought and paid for by the WCC and Big West basketball, there is no denying that but I know where to sniff out a good game. These teams will point to the larger picture of some of these conferences and where your 13 through 16 seeds will be coming from. 

The Index Top 25 - 12/1/25

1. Arizona

2. Duke

3. Vandy 

4. Alabama

5. Gonzaga 

6. Illinois

7. Michigan 

8.Purdue 

9. St. Marys

10. UConn

11. Florida

12. Santa Clara

13. Tulsa 

14. Utah State

15. Wake Forest

16. VCU

17. Indiana 

18. Louisville 

19. BYU

20. Washington

21. Hawaii

22. Georgia

23. George Washington

24. Cal Baptist

25. UC San Diego

 Also Receiving Votes: MVSU, Chicago State, Yale, West Virginia, St. Bonna

        These are the 25 best teams you can get eyes on right now across the sport, once again we do not discriminate here you've good and ugly ball on here for your pleasure. There is no other list in the world that these 25 teams could be on and you should appreciate that. These teams because of their conference matchups and quality of ball on the court are producing the best watches day to day of the season. I am gonna highlight a few of these teams and give some reasoning as to how they have come to consume my nights. 

#9 St. Mary's
    The Gaels and Randy Bennett have become the class of the WCC and have been a thorn in the side of Gonzaga. The Moraga Marauders have not changed, they are going to control the tempo; they are going to control the clock; and they are going to control YOU. It is really something when a team just decides that you are done scoring for the night and the game is over. With a couple of 7 foot Aussies on the post, an endless rotation of athletic guards, and an efficient forward from a former soviet state the Gaels make you play their game. Offensively this team relies on efficient shooting to maintain their slow tempo, and so far this season they are nearly 50% from the field and over 40% from three. Mikey Lewis has taken a leap from his strong freshmen year, leading the team in scoring. The Gaels go as Mikey Goes and right now and the addition of Andrew McKeever in the paint has added a real issue for opposing teams offenses to deal with. If you want to know what game control looks like simple get some Randy Bennett basketball on the TV. 

#17 Indiana 
    It is like watching the greatest Men's League team in the country, and that is meant in the best way possible. The Hoosiers are gonna be outsized and out talented all year but will certainly catch a few big wins this season just by play style. Tucker Devries should be selling insurance or a pharm rep but instead he's getting buckets for the Hoosiers this year. The boys are gonna play some very appealing basketball at a high level this year but I will find it tough to guard the post and may be too reliant in the three ball. This will lead to some intense back and forth games the opportunity for a lot of big shots in Assembly Hall this winter. 

#21 Hawaii

    The Bow's are returning to the Eron Ganot standard this season after two down seasons in the Big West. After some rough rosters didn't pan out, Ganot hit the portal hard going after experience, size, and points. Isaac Johnson at center and Dre Bullock at guard, the Rainbow Warriors are proving to be a tough out this season. In the opener they took (A now terrible) Oregon to the edge and surrendered a late lead but showed their size and shooting are gonna stress defenses. Hawaii dropped a game to the eventual Maui champions Arizona State in a similar fashion. The Rainbow Warriors also secured their 17th Rainbow Classic in November through some dominate performances, proving you can't just walk into the Sheriffs Center and expect to get bailed out. Eron Ganot and company are going to host a flurry of GREAT Big West games on the Island this season as they push to get back to the Tournament again. 

#Cal Baptist

    Be prepared to consume WAC basketball this year as something is brewing in Riverside as the Lancers have crept up to a 7-1 record and taking on the Big West and WCC successfully. Their lone loss is to Colorado in the elevation by 8 points. They don't go out and fill it up, they don't lock you down, but they grind games out attack every possession. Dominique Daniels Jr. is carrying the offensive load with 18 points a game on a an efficient 43% shooting, but their biggest success in on the offensive boards. From guard to center the roster dominates the boards and has proven to be their difference maker early on as they struggle to find consistent offensive success. The added possessions from rebounding and their tough physical rotation are going to wear teams down over 40 minutes. 

Games of the Week 

Wed: 12/3
Cornell @ Towson 
Marshall @ UNC Wilmington
Austin Peay @ Kent State
Clemson @ Alabama 
Cal Baptist @ BYU 
Vermont @ Oregon State
Utah Valley @ SDSU
Ucla @ Washington

Thurs: 12/4
Utah State @ USF
Cal Poly @ Cal State Fullerton
UC Davis @ Hawaii - Stan Sheriff Center 

Fri: 12/5
Gonzaga @ Kentucky 
Cinci @ Xavier 
USD @ San Jose State 

Sat: 12/6
Duke @ Michigan State 
Dayton @ Virginia 
Louisville @ Indiana 
St. Bonaventure @ Buffalo 
Akron @ Tulane
Washington @ USC
Wake Forest @ West Virginia 
Illinois @ Tennessee 
Santa Clara @ New Mexico 
CSUN @ UC Irvine 

Sun: 12/7 
Missouri @ Kansas 
Austin Peay @ UT Rio Grande 
USF @ Mississippi State