College basketball fans, what a whirlwind few days it’s been as the 2025–26 season tips ever closer. All eyes have been on those high-stakes exhibition games sprinkled coast to coast, giving us an early taste of the programs gunning for the national stage. This week alone saw heavyweight matchups like Purdue landing in Lexington to battle Kentucky, Kansas heading to Louisville, and perennial blue-blood Duke taking on UCF. Meanwhile, St. John’s faced Michigan at Madison Square Garden in what many are calling an early litmus test for both rising squads.

Speaking of elite teams, the latest Associated Press Top 25 sets the tone for the season’s opening narrative. Purdue claims the number one spot, buoyed by an impressive returning core and the ever-steady hand of Braden Smith, who has just been named to the AP preseason All-America team. Smith’s leadership and knack for controlling the court have been widely discussed, and according to CBS Sports, Purdue is banking on his playmaking to take them back to the Final Four. But right on their heels, Houston sits at number two, showcasing a stifling defense and a deep roster that has coaches nationwide planning around their relentless style.

Florida, UConn, and St. John’s round out the top five. It’s Florida’s balanced offense that’s been drawing headlines, while UConn, just a year removed from their last title run, is expected to reload rather than rebuild. St. John’s, meanwhile, has made waves in the latest coaches poll, holding the top spot, propelled in part by an influx of top-tier transfers and some electrifying freshmen. The resurgence of this storied program is fueling plenty of talk among analysts and fans alike.

Momentum is also building around newcomers. A.J. Dybantsa, the freshman at BYU, isn’t just living up to the hype—he’s rewriting it. CBS Sports points to his all-around game as the x-factor that could push BYU deep into March. Schools like Texas Tech, Michigan, and UCLA are rounding out the top ten and all feature fresh faces, as this season’s recruiting classes have been particularly strong, according to 247 Sports.

Broadcast news has its own shake-up, with DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins joining TNT Sports’ coverage—injecting new personality and insight to what promises to be an action-packed regular season.

With teams gearing up, schedules tightening, and fans buzzing about upsets, you can already sense the stakes are higher. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe for all the latest updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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