Duke will open the 2026-27 college basketball season at the top of the KenPom rankings, giving Jon Scheyer’s team an early preseason jolt and putting the Blue Devils ahead of a loaded field that includes Florida, Houston, Illinois and Arizona.
The initial ratings, released before the November 2 start of the regular season, place those five programs at the top of the board. Duke sits at No. 1, with Florida at No.
2, Houston at No. 3, Illinois at No. 4 and Arizona at No.
That top group is followed by Iowa State at No. 6, Michigan State at No.
7, Kansas at No. 8, Alabama at No. 9 and Texas at No.
The rankings also point to how strongly several conferences are positioned entering the season. The Big 12 has Houston, Arizona, Iowa State and Kansas all inside the top eight. The SEC can claim Florida, Alabama and Texas in the top ten, with more teams not far behind.
KenPom’s model is built on projected efficiency, not just brand names, which is part of what makes the preseason list worth watching when rosters have changed so much. It is meant to measure how teams are expected to perform, not simply where they rank in a poll.
One of the first games to watch comes November 2 in Las Vegas, where Gonzaga and Purdue will meet in an opening-night matchup that already stands out. Gonzaga begins the season at No. 14, while Purdue comes in at No. 24.
The Bulldogs finished last season 31-4 and are projected to have another offense that ranks among the nation’s best. Gonzaga opens seventh nationally in offensive efficiency. Purdue gets the chance to make a quick statement against a respected opponent right away.
UConn also enters with a strong preseason profile at No. 11 after reaching the national championship game last season. The Huskies are projected to be elite defensively, ranking sixth in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Kentucky starts at No. 26, just outside the top 25, setting up a different kind of preseason outlook for a program whose expectations rarely dip.
The numbers will shift once the season begins. Transfers, injuries, development and coaching adjustments always change the picture. For now, though, Duke owns the statistical edge, and the Blue Devils open as KenPom’s preseason favorite.
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