College basketball is back, as the 2026/27 season tips off this week with several revamped NCAA contenders ready to start down the road to the 2027 Final Four.
Projected No. 1 WNBA draft pick JuJu Watkins makes her long-awaited return for No. 3 USC, leading a highly touted recruiting class as the Trojans look to rejoin NCAA basketball’s elite.
“The second she stepped back on the floor, our competitive nature raised,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb told JWS. “That’s the impact she has on people: the competitiveness and the leadership.”
USC isn’t the only team shooting for the top, as fully refreshed No. 11 UCLA eyes a second NCAA basketball title after losing five champions to the WNBA.
No. 1 South Carolina looks to bounce back from last season’s second-place finish, while No. 2 UConn rebuilds around All-American Sarah Strong.
No. 4 Duke continues to stress defense under coach Kara Lawson, while No. 5 Michigan showcases one of the best guard rotations in the game.
South Carolina opens today’s Top 25 slate against No. 20 Maryland at 12 PM ET (ESPN).
