Top freshman college basketball players to watch ahead of March Madness
As March Madness approaches, a standout freshman class is already shaping the tournament picture. Here are four rising stars poised to make an impact on the national stage.
It’s conference tournament time in men’s college basketball.
A few teams capped off historic regular season finishes and are looking to finish with a championship win before heading into the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament. Miami (Ohio), ranked No. 20 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, became the third team to ever enter its conference tournament with a 31-0 record, joining Wichita State and Kentucky.
The RedHawks’ undefeated season should be enough for them to reach March Madness, even if they fail to win the MAC tournament. They’ll certainly be on or close to the bubble in that scenario, though.
Duke, Arizona and Michigan, ranked Nos. 1-3 in the latest poll, respectively, all finished with two losses on the regular season and take winning streaks into their respective conference tournaments. The national championship favorites are looking to add a conference title before potentially winning it all in March Madness.
Here’s a look at the updated USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll for men’s college basketball:
College basketball rankings for March 9
First-place votes in parentheses.
- Duke (28)
- Arizona (3)
- Michigan
- Florida
- Houston
- UConn
- Iowa State
- Michigan State
- Illinois
- Nebraska
- Virginia
- Gonzaga
- St. John’s
- Texas Tech
- Alabama
- Kansas
- Arkansas
- Purdue
- North Carolina
- Miami (Ohio)
- Saint Mary’s
- Vanderbilt
- Wisconsin
- Louisville
- Miami (Florida)
Others receiving votes: Villanova 27; Tennessee 22; Saint Louis 9; UCLA 6; Georgia 6; Utah State 3; Ohio State 2; BYU 2;
AP Top 25 poll
- Duke (56)
- Arizona (4)
- Michigan (1)
- Florida
- Houston
- UConn
- Iowa State
- Michigan State
- Illinois
- Virginia
- Nebraska
- Gonzaga
- St. John’s
- Kansas
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- Arkansas
- Purdue
- North Carolina
- Miami (Ohio)
- Saint Mary’s
- Vanderbilt
- Wisconsin
- Louisville
- Tennessee
Others receiving votes: Miami (Florida) 60; TCU 19; BYU 18; Saint Louis 12; High Point 11; Georgia 10; Villanova 10; UCLA 3; VCU 3; Stephen F. Austin 2; Utah State 2; Ohio State 2; Missouri 2; Akron 1;
