2025-26 CBS Sports Preseason All-America Teams: Purdue, Big Ten lead way with college basketball's top players

Only one college basketball program has multiple CBS Sports First Team All-Americans. It's not Duke or Kentucky, North Carolina or Kansas.

It's not Indiana.

It's actually Indiana's in-state rival and the preseason No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, Purdue, which is led by Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn, both of whom were voted First Team All-Americans this preseason by a panel of CBS Sports writers and analysts. They're joined on the First Team by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, UCLA guard Donovan Dent and Texas Tech forward JT Toppin. That means 60% of the CBS Sports First Team All-Americans play for Big Ten programs, which is among the reasons some believe this conference that hasn't won a national championship since Michigan State did it in 2000 could snap one of the sport's weirdest streaks in April.

The Second Team features two more Big Ten players — namely Iowa's Bennett Stirtz and Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg,

They and the others listed are among the players expected to star in what should be a fun season of college basketball, one that is now less than two weeks away from starting on Nov. 3 with a first-day schedule highlighted by No. 3 Florida against No. 13 Arizona inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Note: The 2025-26 CBS Sports Preseason All-America Teams were voted on by college basketball reporters at CBS Sports, 247Sports and analysts and on-air talent from CBS and CBS Sports Network. 

2025-26 CBS Sports Preseason All-America First Team

Braden Smith | Purdue | G | Sr. (unanimous)

Smith is the only First Team All-American from last season who is returning in the sport, and his three seasons at powerhouse Purdue – during which they have won 87 games, fourth-most in the sport – makes him the face of college basketball on a team that enters 2025-26 ranked No. 1. He is the only unanimous selection to the CBS Sports All-America First Team.

Expectations are high in West Lafayette and those expectations rest largely on the shoulders of his star-carrying shoulders. And the hype is not just a byproduct of Smith's association with Purdue, either. He led the sport last season with a 44.1% assist rate while logging the fourth-most minutes among qualifying players in college hoops. In those 1,333 minutes, he averaged a career-best 15.8 points and 8.7 assists per game for the Boilermakers, leading them to 24 wins and a Sweet 16 appearance.

No player means as much to their team as Smith to Purdue. The keys to the kingdom in the Big Ten and beyond are Smith's for the taking this season. — Kyle Boone

JT Toppin | Texas Tech | F | Jr.

Coming off consecutive Player of the Year seasons in his conference (at New Mexico in the MWC in 2023-24 and at Texas Tech in the Big 12 in 2024-25), Toppin is once again poised to leap into a different stratosphere this season in his second season at Texas Tech. The do-it-all big man averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game for the Red Raiders and led them to the Elite Eight and 28 total wins, second-most in a single season in program history.

Now there's even more wiggle room to elevate his game and the game of his Texas Tech team around him as they enter 2025-26 ranked No. 10 – the highest in the AP Top 25 preseason in program history.

Toppin is the leading returning scorer and rebounder in the Big 12 and the only major conference player in college basketball who averaged at least 18 points and nine boards last season – which he accomplished despite playing the fifth-most minutes per game on his own team.

The training wheels will be off for Toppin this season and it should mean wheels up for him and for the Red Raiders. Coach Grant McCasland has a system in place that will feature his star even more prominently than before, and Toppin has the talent and production to produce like a top-five player in the sport as a result. — KB

Darryn Peterson | Kansas | G | Fr.

Only two true freshmen over the last five years have earned Preseason First Team All-American nods from the CBS Sports team: Cooper Flagg and Paolo Banchero. So the inclusion of Peterson here is an indicator of the elite company we expect Peterson to keep this season while leading the Jayhawks.

Peterson finished as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2025 at 247Sports and edged out stars Cam Boozer and AJ Dybantsa for the top spot. He did so by averaging 30.4 points, 7.4 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game at Prolific Prep, earning McDonald's All-American honors and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year.

By all accounts this preseason he has met or exceeded even the loftiest of expectations in Lawrence, dazzling behind the scenes with his ability to command an offense as both a playmaker and scorer.

KU coach Bill Self earlier this year stunned some by leaning into expectations and saying Peterson is the best player he's recruited at Kansas – where he has recruited the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and others. We tend to believe Hall of Fame coaches when they make these types of declarations. He's going to be a star at Kansas and an All-American one-and-done season awaits him. — KB

Trey Kaufman-Renn | Purdue | F | Sr.

While Braden Smith is the face of Purdue and of college basketball, Trey Kaufman-Renn is an equally irreplaceable anatomical entity for the Boilermakers. Our vote to put two Purdue players on the First Team properly recognizes this dynamic.

Kaufman-Renn led Purdue last season in points, rebounds and field goal percentage, and he is the second-leading returning scorer in the Big Ten. He finished the season as the only player in the sport to average at least 20 points, six boards and two assists per game, and he had 19 games in which he scored 20 or more points.

Kaufman-Renn saved his best for when it mattered most, too, as he scored 20 or more points in 12 of his final 15 games – which included two 30-point eruptions late in the season. He was undeniably a top-15 player in the sport by the season's end and could launch himself into top-five status if he continues on that upward trajectory. — KB

Donovan Dent | UCLA | G | Sr.

Dent, a New Mexico transfer, finds himself in a new home and under a bright spotlight at UCLA after a career-best season with the Lobos in which he averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per game. He was the only player in college hoops last season to average at least 20 points and six assists per game, and Dent did so on a team that won 27 games, was top-10 in adjusted pace and won the Mountain West outright.

Dent made improvements to his game each of his first three seasons at New Mexico – from role player to starter to eventual star – and so his continual improvement should have Bruins fans champing at the bit for this season. He was top-five in league play last season in usage rate, assist rate and fouls drawn, and at UCLA his best ball may be ahead of him. That should spell good news for UCLA's offense that at times looked listless last season.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin has a way of squeezing the best out of the talent he has on his roster, and this may be his most talented player since star Jaime Jaquez Jr. With the ability to create, score and defend, Dent is situated to be a key piece – perhaps the key piece – that elevates UCLA from a good team last season to a great team this season. — KB

2025-26 CBS Sports Preseason All-America Second Team

Cameron Boozer | Duke | F | Fr. 

Replacing Cooper Flagg won't be the job of just one player, but Boozer is like Flagg in that he's a five-star freshman forward who will almost assuredly be a one-and-done talent. At 6-9, Boozer owns a physical frame, but his game extends to the perimeter as he can handle the rock, facilitate offense and shoot it from outside. He's more of a gritty winner than a flashy athlete and his maturity should make for a seamless transition to college basketball. — David Cobb

AJ Dybantsa | BYU | F | Fr.

Dybantsa landing at BYU as one of the most celebrated high school prospects of the past decade exemplifies how college basketball has changed in the NIL era. The deep-pocketed Cougars are poised to reap the benefits of a long, rangy wing whose athleticism portends unending potential. Dybantsa is skilled enough to score at all three levels, and if he can do it efficiently, he'll be one of the sport's top stars. — DC

Otega Oweh | Kentucky | G | Sr.

Amid a season of seismic transition at Kentucky, Oweh was a model of stability in 2024-25, as he reached double figures in 34 of 36 games. Now, after flirting with the NBA Draft, the bruising shooting guard is back for a final spin through the college game. Oweh is built like a running back and that physicality makes him an elite perimeter defender and unstoppable driver. — DC

Bennett Stirtz | Iowa | G | Sr.

Stirtz is bumping up a level for the second year in a row, as he follows coach Ben McCollum yet again. The two initially dominated Division II's Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association together at Northwest Missouri State for two seasons. Then they took over the Missouri Valley last season at Drake as Stirtz was named the conference's Player of the Year. Now, the savvy, sharpshooting  floor general is poised to reach similar heights in the Big Ten. — DC

Yaxel Lendeborg | Michigan | F | Gr.

The two-time American Defensive Player of the Year at UAB was a double-double machine for the Blazers and he's also a multi-dimensional offensive weapon. Now Lendeborg arrives at Michigan to play for a coach in Dusty May who boasts the schematic acumen to maximize his considerable talents. Lendeborg is quite possibly the most well-rounded big man in the country and he's poised to shine on the big stage. — DC

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2025-26 CBS Sports Preseason All-America Third Team

Zuby Ejiofor | St. John's | F |  Sr.

No one plays harder than Ejiofor. The burly forward is a lean, mean, double-double machine. He's the captain of a St. John's club that has lofty expectations for 2025-26, and his steadiness may prove to be just as important as the rugged offensive rebounding or stout defensive versatility. Ejiofor enters as the favorite to win Big East Defensive Player of the Year after being hosed a year ago, although his teammate, Dillon Mitchell, will give him a run for his money. — Isaac Trotter

PJ Haggerty | Kansas State | G | Sr.

Haggerty is instant offense, and he should add an immediate influx of scoring that Kansas State so desperately needed. Last season, Haggerty posted the best offensive season in AAC history (the league is only 12 years old, but it does sound cool), averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and an 113.2 offensive rating. Haggerty is just so dynamic in the paint with a barrage of floaters, runners and tough finishes through contact. Haggerty has worked hard to become a good 3-point shooter, but his magic sauce is in transition where he utterly evaporates defenders. With a huge usage rate on tap, Haggerty is in position to win the Big 12 scoring title. — IT

Graham Ike | Gonzaga | F || Sr.

Ike has become the best version of himself at Gonzaga. He is an utter mauler who overwhelms opposing big men with power and finesse in the paint. Even without the brilliant Ryan Nembhard to spoon-feed him good look after good look, Ike should still dominate offensively in this Zags' scheme. Oh, and he drilled a career-high 13 3-pointers, splashed 81% of his free throws and posted the best assist rate of his tenure last year. Ike feels like an utter lock for WCC Player of the Year. — IT

Milos Uzan | Houston | G | Sr.

Uzan is one of the premier do-it-all guards in the country. He's big, strong, diligent defensively and a perfect connect-the-dots offensive weapon. Uzan posted a 3-to-1 assist to turnover ratio last year, while shooting a sizzling 43% from downtown and dicing up drop coverage with his unguardable floater. Don't be surprised if Houston can play Uzan off the ball even more to weaponize his scoring knack. With a bigger piece of the pie being shifted his way, Uzan is primed to post the best offensive numbers of his career. — IT

Darrion Williams | NC State | G/F  | Sr.

New NC State coach Will Wade will center the offense around Williams, his prized portal acquisition. The pass-dribble-shoot wing can do a little bit of everything. He can play off the ball as a spacer. He can play on the ball as a pick-and-roll handler or bootyball specialist. Williams, dubbed D5, is a sharp playmaker who can decipher defenses and create advantages in his sleep. Oh, and he's tough as leather. Williams will be firmly in the mix for ACC Player of the Year if he has the season Wade expects. — IT