Who will win the 2026 March Madness? Even though the start of the new college basketball season is still months away, top contenders have already emerged to win the Big Dance next year. Here are five teams that can reign supreme in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Top 5 NCAA Teams That Can Win 2026 March Madness
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Will Purdue finally win it all next year? The Boilermakers have been installed as one of the favorites to capture the 2026 NCAA Tournament, as their roster has remained largely intact heading into the new campaign.
Key players Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, who all averaged in double-figures in scoring for Purdue last campaign, will return for their senior years. Also back in action for Purdue head coach Matt Painter next season are incoming sophomores C.J. Cox, Raleigh Burgess, Gicarri Harris and big man Daniel Jacobson, who only played one full game for the Boilermakers in the 2024-25 campaign.
The Boilermakers also strengthened their lineup through the transfer portal, adding center Oscar Cluff to their roster. He averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds through 30 games for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits last season.
2. Houston Cougars
The Houston Cougars came so close to ending their NCAA title drought last season, losing to the Florida Gators in gut-wrenching fashion in the national championship game. They are expected to contend once more next season as their roster is stacked with talented players again.
Among the returning players for Houston are Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan, who averaged in double-figures in scoring for the Cougars last season. They also reloaded through their freshman class, adding top prospects Chris Cenac Jr., Isiah Harwell, Kingston Flemings and Bryce Jackson to their lineup.
3. Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils suffered heartbreak in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, losing to the Houston Cougars in the Final Four after an epic collapse in the final minute of their showdown. It was a disappointing end to the season for head coach Jon Scheyer, who failed to win the title with Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel in his lineup.
Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class is making their presence felt in Portland 😈
-5⭐️ Cameron Boozer (No. 3 ESPN 100)
-5⭐️ Cayden Boozer (No. 16 ESPN 100)
-4⭐️ Nikolas Khamenia (No. 21 ESPN 100) pic.twitter.com/l666AjZTvV— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) April 12, 2025
Flagg and Knueppel have since joined the NBA as lottery picks, but the Blue Devils remain a top contender to win it all next season. They have reloaded through their freshman class, signing top prospects Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, Nikolas Khamenia and Dame Sarr. The Blue Devils also have several players returning from the team that reached the Final Four last season, including Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster.
4. Kentucky Wildcats
Mark Pope will look for a much better finish in Year 2 of his head coaching reign at Kentucky after the Wildcats suffered a Sweet 16 exit in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. He went to work this offseason to bolster Kentucky’s lineup, adding Jayden Quaintance, Reece Potter, Kam Williams, Jaland Lowe, Mouhamed Dioubate and Denzel Aberdeen through the transfer portal.
The Wildcats also struck gold with their freshman class, signing top prospects Andrija Jelavic, Braydon Hawthorne, Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno. Otega Oweh, who led the team in scoring last season, also will return for his final year, providing Pope with a stacked lineup in the 2025-26 campaign.
5. St. John’s Red Storm
Rick Pitino worked his magic at St. John’s last season, leading the Red Storm to the Big East regular-season title and a championship in the Big East Tournament. The next step for Pitino is to bring an NCAA title to St. John’s in 2026.
The Red Storm have the pieces to mount a title challenge, adding Ian Jackson, Bryce Hopkins, Dillon Mitchell, Joson Sanon, Dylan Darling, Oziyah Sellers and Handje Tamba through the portal. Zuby Ejiofor, who averaged 14.7 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds per game last season, will also return for his senior year.
KEEP READING: Can Duke’s Cameron Boozer Surpass His Dad? Reddit Fans Weigh In on the Boozer Bloodline
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