Best of the Rest 2025-26 Preview: Top teams, players and storylines beyond college basketball's Power Five

One of the everlasting charms of college basketball is that it's played in arenas that can fit more than 17,000 people ... but also in gyms with a capacity of less than 2,000. On a fundamental and by-definition-possible level, Duke, Kentucky and Kansas are vying for the same championship as Radford, Siena and Weber State. I'd concede that Division I is probably 50-or-so schools too large, but there is still widespread appeal over the topography that brings college hoops' 365 teams across 49 states together.

And as always here at CBS Sports, we make the time and the space to give the players and programs outside the power conferences some attention and acclaim in advance of the season. We've got one week until the 2025-26 campaign tips off, so let's look at who outside of the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC are well-positioned for strong regular seasons. 

My annual vow on behalf of our team: We'll write and talk about the mid-majors as the season moves along. This isn't some box to check in October. Because mid-majors will be responsible for eye-opening upsets in November just as they will in March. Some of the best stories and surprises emanate from the Atlantic 10 and the Ivy League and the Missouri Valley and SoCon and Big West and the MAC and the MAAC and beyond. 

College basketball rankings: Houston, Purdue, Kentucky, Duke and more headline 2025-26 Top 100 And 1 teams

Matt Norlander

Can't wait to see who authors some of the can't-miss storylines in what is going to be a telling season for mid-major hoops. The transfer portal has seemingly caused a chasm between the high-majors and most schools outside of those five leagues. How big is that gap? This should be a revealing year in that regard ... and I wonder if it has a broader impact on at-large bids, especially after there were only four at-larges handed out to non-power-conference teams.

Despite the widening talent gap, you'll still see All-American candidates, NBA Draft picks and March Madness heroes emerge from these ranks. No matter how much the system tilts against the small schools, some coaches and players always work their way onto the main stage. That's why I'll always love college basketball.

Ten players to know

These aren't necessarily the 10 best players outside of the Power Five leagues, but they are certainly 10 guys you should be following over the next five months. Some of them will surely be involved in the NCAA tourney. A year ago on this list, we gave you studs like Donovan Dent, Tyrese Hunter, Xaivian Lee — and even future lottery pick Cedric Coward.

1. Graham Ike, Gonzaga

Probably the best and/or most reliable player outside the Power Five. Ike has played 115 games between his time at Wyoming and Gonzaga and has career averages of 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 57% shooting. This will be his fifth season of college, and in teaming up with Braden Huff (who also could have made the list), Gonzaga figures to again easily rank as a top-25 team.

2. Robbie Avila, Saint Louis

Remember all the hype heading into last season? Avila missed the initial portion of the season but wound up having a good year; his PR took a hit because the Billikens failed to win 20 games. "Larry Nerd" (his best nickname) averaged 17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and shot 36% from 3. SLU will be better this season — and Avila's numbers probably uptick all the more. Dark horse All-American.

3. Miles Byrd, San Diego State

The Aztecs' senior wing had a breakout season (12.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.1 spg) and is ready to be the next great SDSU product — provided he puts together a better jump shot. Byrd has a lot of tremendous tools, and his defense should continue to be a lethal weapon when paired with another 'Tec who could be on the list: sophomore center Magoon Gwath. 

4. Dug McDaniel, Memphis

The 5-10 point guard started at Michigan for two seasons, did one year at Kansas State and is now looking to have his first true starring role in signing with Memphis. I expect Penny Hardaway to give McDaniel (a 39% career shooter from beyond the arc) a yellow-green light to launch as he pleases. McDaniel makes the list, most of all, because I think he'll set a career best in assists and average north of five per game for the first time.

5. Rowan Brumbaugh, Tulane

The American's preseason Player of the Year is a junior lead guard who is coming off a season averaging 15.5 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals. The Green Wave were a second-tier team in the conference last season, but I've got them inside my preseason Top 100 And 1 and believe Brumbaugh will guide the way to Tulane's first year of at least 21 wins since 1995-96.

6. Mason Falslev, Utah State

A really good combo guard who is easily one of the 100 best players in college basketball. Falslev, a junior, averaged 15.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 steals and shot 39% from 3-point land for an Aggies team that won 26 games and earned a No. 10 seed under first-year coach Jerrod Calhoun. He's an under-the-radar draft prospect (relative to first-round buzz, that is) for now, but given how much he's asked to do, Falslev winning Mountain West POY would be no surprise.

7. Miles Rubin, Loyola Chicago

Probably the second-best big outside the Power Five/Gonzaga (behind Magoon Gwath at SDSU). Rubin is an obvious talent who hasn't capitalized on his ability yet, but I expect that to change in his junior season. The 6-10 roving center averaged 2.3 blocks in each of his first two seasons. Can that number bump to 2.8 or 2.9? He'll definitely rise above 10.0 points per game for the first time, and his rebound numbers should increase from 5.5 a year ago to north of 7.0 per game for a team I've got ranked in the top 75. 

8. Amarri Monroe, Quinnipiac

A senior power forward that would've gotten a big paycheck to transfer out and head to a high-major, but instead Quinnipiac holds on to the best guy (by a good margin) in the MAAC. Monroe is even getting a few NBA scouts into QU practices in advance of the season, just to see what he's working with. Last season, the 6-7, 220-pound product from Newburgh, New York, averaged 18.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals — thriving in an uptempo scheme. 

9. Tyler Lundblade, Belmont

Could be the best shooter in college basketball. Lundblade couldn't get on the floor for two seasons with TCU, then transferred to Belmont and was unlocked. He shot 47.2% on 212 triples last season and was 94.2% from the charity stripe, which led to 12.4 points per game. His potent 3-point percentage will likely drop this season, but his scoring average has to jump and Belmont is probably going to be a Missouri Valley threat because of it.

10. Aidan Mahaney, UC Santa Barbara

He's not on the list because he'll be a top-10 mid-major player. He's on the list because the cross-country experiment to jump from Saint Mary's to UConn went badly, and now he gets a reset back closer to home. If Mahaney can figure out how to get his focus a game a lot closer to 2022-23 than what it was in 2024-25, he can be the straw that stirs the drink for a team that's going to push UC Irvine for Big West supremacy.

Mid-major coaches on the climb

Every year, I like to spotlight a handful of coaches at mid-majors who are on a path to potentially land a high-major job in the coming year(s). Coaches named in this space the prior four years were: Casey Alexander (Belmont), Joe Golding (UTEP), Robert Jones (Norfolk State), Matt Langel (Colgate), Ritchie McKay (Liberty), Russell Turner (UC Irvine), the late Amir Abdur-Rahim (USF), Mitch Henderson (Princeton), Mike Morrell (UNC Asheville), Bob Richey (Furman), Pat Kelsey (Charleston), Darian DeVries (Drake), Dusty May (FAU), Kenny Blakeney (Howard), Eric Henderson (South Dakota State), James Jones (Yale), Bucky McMillan (Samford) and Preston Spradlin (James Madison). 

Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon

The 'Lopes have made NCAA Tournament appearances in four of the previous five years under Drew, all of those by whacking the WAC. Now GCU is in the Mountain West and Drew, 51, is readying for his 14th season as a head coach. He's 284-148, and despite getting some looks in recent years, has kept on in Phoenix because Grand Canyon has one of the best home-court environments in the country. If GCU can manage yet another NCAAT despite its league upgrade, Drew may be given an offer he can't refuse next spring.

Chris Mack, Charleston

Keep scrolling and you'll discover I'm optimistic this is going to be an NCAA Tournament year for Mack's Cougars. It's only his second season with the program, but the first was more than fine: 24-9 and third place in the CAA. Charleston winning the league in Mack's second season could lead to his name being a buzzy one on the carousel. The 55-year-old loves it in Charleston, but even still, high-majors have looked into him in the past two cycles.

Josh Schertz, Saint Louis

The Billikens went 19-15 last season, hampered here and there with injuries. This season's group figures to be top-three in the Atlantic 10 and potentially getting Schertz back into the high-major mix if SLU makes the Big Dance. (Schertz was involved with Louisville in the spring of 2024.) His fit with SLU is great, though, and Schertz will likely be picky if he finds himself in a situation where a power-conference program comes calling.

Takayo Siddle, UNCW

I thought Siddle would be at South Florida to start this season. Instead, after some buzz with his name and the Bulls, he signed a modified contract to return for a sixth season with the Seahawks. The team made last season's tournament, earning a No. 14 seed after winning the CAA tourney. Siddle is 39 and has gone 106-47 over the last five years. He's poised to one day take a bigger job, but I'm not sure if that will be in 2026, 2027 or 2028.

Tony Skinn, George Mason

The Patriots finished 79th at KenPom.com last season, the program's best since it was No. 24 at year's end in 2010-11, Jim Larrañaga's final year there. Skinn of course played under Coach L and was a primary player on the best team in school history, the 2005-06 squad that reached the Final Four. Skinn's only into his third season as a head coach but he feels built for the long haul in this profession and should again have his team near the top of the A-10.

Sixteen sweet non-Big Five schools for 2025-26

The order of teams and the capsules have been transferred over from Norlander's master ranking of the Top 100 And 1 teams for 2025-26.

1	Gonzaga
The Bulldogs' final season in the WCC (they head to the new-look Pac-12 in 2026-27) should feature the 23rd regular-season conference championship under Mark Few. The Zags bring back Graham Ike at center, a 17.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg guy who will be considered among the 20-or-so best players heading into the season. Braden Huff is also back, and finally — finally — Gonzaga should get to see Steele Venters take his shot. Venters has missed the past two years to injury, so his impact and value is TBD. Another debut after a redshirt year is coming for Braeden Smith, the former Colgate guard who was among the best mid-major points over a two-year stretch from 2021-23. He'll run the show for the Zags. In the portal, Gonzaga brought on Adam Miller from Arizona State, Jalen Warley from FSU and Tyon Grant-Foster from Grand Canyon who, as of this story's publishing, has not been cleared for one more season of play and whose eligibility case is the latest test of the NCAA's moral compass. This probably won't be a deep team, and without Grant-Foster I wouldn't log it as a Final Four contender, but I do expect GU to thrive and put an exclamation point on its WCC era.
2	San Diego St.
Strangely, the Mountain West failed to produce a top-30 team in predictive metrics last season (while having five in the 41-60 range). In the seven seasons prior, they were producing at least one top 25-quality team. In this final year of the Mountain West as we know it (SDSU and other key players are moving to the new Pac-12 in 2026), I expect the conference to send at least three teams to the NCAAs again, led by San Diego State's surge back to the top of the league. The Aztecs have made the tournament 12 times since 2010, and it'd be 13 if we had a 2020 tournament. Brian Dutcher brings back probably the best player in the league, senior wing Miles Byrd, who'll be flanked by Reese Dixon-Waters, Magoon Gwath (the best sophomore in the conference and a freak on D) and B.J. Davis, all of whom played big roles on last year's 11-seed. Sean Newman Jr. comes over from Louisiana Tech, where he averaged 7.9 assists. I'm not sure if the 'Tecs will have long-range capability, but the defensive layout again looks fabulous and the replacement pieces suggest a one- or two-notch upgrade from what we saw in '24-25.
3	Saint Mary's
There are certain coaches where you have to abide by the track record. Randy Bennett is one such coach. Saint Mary's loses point guard Augustas Marciulionis, lumberjack Mitchell Saxen, Luke Barrett and Jordan Ross. Those four combined for more than half the team's production. It's a ton. But Paulius Murauskas, Mikey Lewis and Harry Wessels are loyal servants in the School of Randy, ready to keep SMC in the NCAA Tournament picture. There's a couple of portal guys (Tony Duckett seems primed to pop) and a couple freshmen whose roles are still being ironed out, but Bennett's simply too good for me to put the Gaels any lower at this point. SMC's KenPom average finish the past 10 years: 30th. (And that's including the COVID-year 75th finish that kills the average.) I'll ride with Bennett's boys again and feel no uneasiness placing them this high after a 29-6 run in 2024-25.
4	Memphis
Another team where everybody left. Penny Hardaway's trying to get through even just a six-month run without any drama, but that seems impossible with this program. The Tigers have won the American auto bid in two of the past three seasons, but they can't seem to handle the prospect of prosperity that well. Still, it's Memphis: this should be the best team in the conference. The transfer intake is too long to list, so I'll point out three guys I have high hopes for in keeping the Tigers as a top-40 outfit: K-State transfer Dug McDaniel at the point; McNeese transfer Sincere Parker as the starting shooting guard; and former Kentucky/Ohio State center Aaron Bradshaw to find a home that empowers him to make good on his five-star reputation coming out of high school.
5	Boise St.
After three straight NCAA Tournaments, the Broncos missed last season, though they managed to finish a respectable 26-11. Leon Rice has coached this program since 2010 and averaged 19.8 wins per year; there were a pair of 13-win campaigns, but otherwise Boise's hit the 20-plus-win mark in the other 11 seasons. I'm leaning in on a big year despite some dings: Tyson Degenhart (who felt like he was there eight seasons), O'Mar Stanley and Alvaro Cardenas left. A pair of 6-7 upperclassmen are back in Javan Buchanan and Andrew Meadow, and they'll be propped up by UCLA transfer Dylan Andrew (huge get) and Drew Fielder, who is a 6-10 incomer from Georgetown that was a puzzle piece-type addition for Rice's crew. Also, I think guard Pearson Carmichael will be one of the breakout guys in the Mountain West — and I think the Broncos squeak into the Big Dance for the fourth time in five years.
6	Dayton
This is a blatant contrarian take. Dayton is not the top pick by humans or predictive metrics in the A-10. The Flyers might have a bigger rebuild in 2025 than after the Obi Toppin 2019-20 season or the Da'Ron Holmes 2023-24 season — and maybe even any of the high-end Archie Miller teams from the mid-2010s. It's fair to think UD slips to third, fourth, fifth or sixth in that league. But I'll fly with the Flyers given their track record of 21-plus wins in five of the previous six seasons, the only exception being the COVID-shortened 2020-21 experiment. My reason for staying true starts with the point guard, Javon Bennett, coming back, a 5-10 waterbug who will pair with a 7-1 Frenchman (Amael L'Etang) that will make them a tough scout even with an overall talent dip. The defensive profile should still be upper-tier in the league, thanks to inbound transfers from Georgia, NC State and Rutgers who should all keep Dayton a stubborn team on that end of the floor. One key transfer, Adam Njie from Iona, is being withheld as the NCAA reportedly reviews his time at Iona amid potential illegal gambling conduct.
7	Utah St.
Jerrod Calhoun's agent received some calls in last year's cycle, but thankfully USU is not dealing with yet another coaching change after Calhoun taking the job in 2024 represented the fifth head coach in Logan since 2018. More good news, Aggie fans: I think your team is going to be in contention to get an NCAA Tournament bid. And honestly, I've got USU at 47 here, but a top-35 season is within the realm of possibility thanks to Mason Falslev (15.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.7 apg) returning to the fold. I think Falslev can play his way into being the Mountain West POY. Utah State, overall, brings back nearly 40 points per game from last season, a healthy amount for a mid-major in the portal era. Calhoun ain't messin' around, either: Garry Clark is in the mix after being a 15 point-per-game guy at A&M Corpus-Christi. Transfers from Butler (Kolby King), Vanderbilt (MJ Collins Jr.) and Utah (Zach Keller) will fortify a justifiable squad in the Beehive State.
8	Saint Louis
The Billikens didn't immediately upend the A-10 in Josh Schertz's first season, but they will have a shot at taking the league in 2026. SLU and Schertz get one more year from Robbie Avila, the guileful and goggled 6-10 centerpiece who put up 17.3 points and 6.9 boards per game in an injury-affected season. Avila got some preseason All-American buzz last October, then fell well short of that, but I think he turns in a terrific send-off senior season. The Bills get Avila and his frontcourt mate, Kalu Anya, back in the fold, and they'll have reinforcement with Quinnipiac transfer Paul Otieno, giving SLU the top frontcourt in the A-10. (SLU should have the best size in the league, in fact.) Guard-wise, Xavier transfer Trey Green is poised to run the point — one of eight players on this roster with a track record of shooting at least 35% from beyond the arc.
9	George Wash.
How often do you get a potential NCAA Tournament team from a mid-major whose best player is 6-11 or taller? Chris Caputo has the luxury of building his offense around his center. Senior Rafael Castro is a preseason A-10 First Teamer after averaging 14 points and nine snags a year ago. His counterweight on the offensive end is 6-2 grad transfer Tre Dinkins, who was a ball-mover at Duquesne. GW has its most loaded roster in more than a decade, and it's because of teams like this (in addition to a few more from the conference you'll see shortly) that make me believe the Atlantic 10 will have a shot as the best mid-major league in 2025-26.
10	Loyola Chi.
A good season in honor of Sister Jean awaits. College basketball's most famous centenarian died earlier this month at 106; I'd be a fool to think Drew Valentine's Ramblers would stagger in her memory. Per CBB Analytics, no returning player had more alley-oops a season ago than LUC center Miles Rubin (30 in 32 games), who doubles as a fantastic paint protector alongside PF Kymany Houinsou. Getting those two back alongside lead guard Justin Moore (5.3 apg) is going to prove pivotal in the A-10, which could wind up as one of the best league races in college hoops. These days, a mid-major keeping three starters is borderline essential to having a shot to win your league. Valentine's won 23-plus games in three of his previous four seasons, and I think he hits that number again.
11	UNLV
Josh Pastner, welcome back to the sideline. After two seasons in the TV business, Pastner was itching to return to his true calling. So he finds himself in Vegas and with a roster-building experience unlike anything he's done before. I'm definitely higher on the Rebs than the computers. Pastner's biggest portal gets were Illinois' Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, UC Irvine guard Myles Che and former High Point bruiser Kimani Hamilton. Pastner has been infused with new purpose; I'll be surprised if by 2029 at the latest he hasn't earned UNLV its first NCAA Tournament win since … 2008!
12	Grand Canyon
The Antelopes have run from the WAC to the Mountain West, and in doing so, given this conference a jolt of buzz. This team's home arena (checking … it's … the Global Credit Union Arena? This place, which looks like a rave is called … that? Someone fix this ASAP, please) instantly jumps into the top-three environments in the conference. Bryce Drew brings back point guard Makaih Williams, and although Caleb Shaw got some burn last season, there's a lot of new pieces to put into place. Since this is GCU, the portal treated it well, considering the level it was recruiting to and the funds it had to make some impact. Dusty Stromer comes over from Gonzaga, Nana Owusu-Anane a terrific and underrated get via Brown. The Lopes won the WAC four of the previous five seasons. They won't win the Mountain West right away, but they'll fit in beautifully.
13	VCU
The Rams are the official preseason pick to win the A-10, but I'll veer away from that and instead project Phil Martelli Jr. to finish top-four in his first season at a great job. The former Bryant coach doesn't have a POY candidate in the conference but he did pick up Tyrell Ward from LSU (Ward sat out last season), Ahmad Nowell from UConn (he'll be much more impactful in the A-10), Jadrian Tracey from Oregon and four-star guard Nyk Lewis, who's looked good in preseason. Bryant transfer Barry Evans joined Martelli and received preseason Second Team All-League honors with Ward and Tracey. I've got the Rams 77th. They've finished 75th or worse at KenPom just twice since 2006, but those two years were the first seasons for Ryan Odom and Mike Rhoades.
14	Liberty
The Flames have five top-100 finishes under Ritchie McKay since 2019. I expect this season to be the sixth thanks to McKay's ability to hang on to some valuable talent. A lot of mid-majors in similar spots lost their best players, but Liberty isn't scrambling. The Flames are the overwhelming favorite in CUSA after posting a 28-7 record last season. Double-digit scorers Kaden Metheny (13.3) and Zach Cleveland (11.0) return, in addition to point guard Colin Porter (9.1 ppg, 4.3 apg).
15	San Fran.
USF was an average mid-major program for a long time, but look at what's transpired since 2016: Kyle Smith, then Todd Golden, now Chris Gerlufsen. A combined 188-111, with the Dons coming off a 25-win season, their highest total since 1981-82. USF returns 5-10 lead guard Ryan Beasley and 6-6 small forward Tyrone Riley, who's one of the more well-rounded players in the WCC. The Dons will be top-three/four in the WCC again with improved depth and an upgrade in frontcourt defense, bolstered by 7-foot Pitt transfer Guillermo Diaz Graham.
16	Belmont
I've got Casey Alexander's team winning out in what could be a terrific Missouri Valley chase. Belmont returns Tyler Lundblade, who's a threat to make 50% of his 3-pointers and 95% of his foul shots. Not many better shooters in the country, regardless of level, than that 6-5 senior. Forward Sam Orme is also back to support a cast that is on its way to a seventh straight season of 20-plus wins under Alexander.

Norlander's projected regular-season conference champions outside the Power Five

Want more? Here are links to our power-conference previews:

• ACC
• Big 12
• Big East
• Big Ten
• SEC