Candid Coaches: Who will be the best college hoops team in 2026-27? Florida, Duke, Tennessee lead the way

Welcome back to another year of CBS Sports' Candid Coaches feature. College basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander surveyed nearly 100 men's Division I coaches in the thick of the offseason; as always, interviewees were given the promise of anonymity in a swap for honest and enlightening answers on a medley of topics. Be it some of the most high-profile names in the game or assistants at low-major programs, Norlander and Parrish spanned the sport to get a wide range of feedback. This year's survey had nine questions; this is No. 3 of the group.

The 2026-27 preseason college basketball coaches' poll has arrived!

With all due respect to the USA Today poll that's considered the official one on behalf of college coaches, we're not making you wait until October to get a look at what these guys think about the best teams. Plus, ours is much more representative of the sport. Way more coaches vote in our questionnaire every summer.

We're coming off one of the five best seasons of the 21st century as far as I'm concerned. The sport's offseason has been a predictable mess, but the product on the floor remains terrific.

Which team should take up the top spot? Who is most likely to spend the most time at No. 1 from November through March? Nine schools got votes from the nearly 100 coaches we surveyed. Here's the return.

Which team will be the best in 2026-27?

Other schools receiving votes: Arizona, Louisville, Michigan State, Texas

Quotes that stood out

On Florida

• "I think there's no excuse for Florida to not sit at No. 1 most of the year. 80% of scoring back with three true frontcourt monsters that probably eclipse most teams' total salaries by themselves." 
• "My heart wants to say Tennessee because coach Barnes is due a Final Four run, but my brain says Florida can and will probably be stupid-good this year. Like, 30-plus-win good and back to the championship game. Too many guys who have been there before and a coaching staff that knows what their coach wants and needs! How many programs at that level can say that? And have the horses?"
• "They have the best frontcourt in college baskeball. Hard to go against their physicality and competitive spirit, as they wear teams down over 40 minutes. Boogie Fland will be much improved and more consistent in Year 2." 
• "Just so much coming back, adding Aberdeen (if cleared) is a missing piece at guard they needed last year that already knows the system. Massive upgrade over (Xaivian) Lee. I do think they will have to deal with unreasonable expectations and we will see if there's a such thing as a group staying together for too long?"
• "Not even close, in my opinion. The combination of great returning players along with Todd Golden and Carlin Hartman at the helm is unmatched. Aberdeen being somewhat cleared to play a fifth year is just icing on the cake. Really tough schedule obviously, but I could see them dropping only four games before SEC tournament starts in March." 

On Duke

• "Because they get the best players and the most talent. They came close the last couple of years and then f----ing went out and spent big again. When you're paying guys so much money like they are, and you're getting them there, they should be great."
• "Can't believe I'm saying this, but if Duke's frontcourt is good AT ALL, they are in pole position."
• "I'm buying on Duke. Think they have the best blend of returning talent and acquisition. Plus, the way their year has ended the last two years in a collapse, they're due for some good luck."

On Tennessee

• "I really like Tennessee's roster and I respect how they do things. If the portal class buys into the physical paint dominance that they have possessed in the past, they could win it all. I love their transfer additions and I think they fit well together."
• "They develop their players, they attack you offensively in different ways, and they defend as well as anyone. They continue to add talent and appear to have great depth. I have to believe this is the year Rick Barnes gets them to the Final Four." 

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On Illinois

• "Illinois would be my choice if they had reliable point guard play. I'm not sold that Quentin Coleman can be the point guard they need as a freshman though. Florida would be the favorite for me. Most proven and they've done it before."
• "Illinois will be the best team in the country. They have skill, toughness and chemistry. Brad Underwood knows how to win with this group. Plus, it looks like the players actually like each other from the outside looking in. Chemistry matters in this landscape." 

On Arizona

• "If the fifth-year guys get cleared I'm going with Arizona. If the rule doesn't happen, then I'd lean toward Florida or UConn. Both programs have a strong core of returning players that have produced deep NCAA Tournament runs, and they understand what it takes to win in March. Experience and talent matters, [those teams] have plenty of both."

The takeaway

Florida winning, and by a big margin, was no surprise. The Gators will be the widespread pick atop every preseason poll you'll find this fall.

Todd Golden is probably overseeing the most loaded roster he'll ever have as a college coach. And I say that while acknowledging the 36-4 squad with a First Team All-American (Walter Clayton Jr.) that won a national title a little more than 17 months ago. That Gators crew was reallllllllly good. Got a 1-seed and won the SEC in the same season that the SEC was the best league of any in college hoops history. Awesome team. 

This season's roster can be better if it maxes out.

It has three starters from that title team — and they're all two years older. This team has the player that coaches voted will be the best in college basketball, Thomas Haugh, who turned down being a probable lottery pick to return as college basketball's highest-paid player (by far). National defensive player of the year Rueben Chinyelu is back, as is Alex Condon, who was (misguidedly) a preseason All-American last year. Boogie Fland should improve at the 2, and it seems like Denzel Aberdeen's eligibility case for a fifth season has a good shot of winning out. (Aberdeen was also on that title-winning team.)

Florida brings back 81.8% of its points from last season, which is the fourth-most by any 1-seed in the past 24 years. In total, 11 players who suited up for Golden in 2025-26 will be back. There isn't another team with this kind of retention at the high-major level for this season, and it's why UF is the obvious choice for preseason No. 1.

As for some of the others that received votes ...

— Duke being the clear-cut No. 2 makes sense. Jon Scheyer's average KenPom finish the past three years: 3.7. While Florida will have the strongest roster, Duke has a good case at having the deepest. Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell is expected to lead the team in scoring, Patrick Ngongba should move into a huge role as one of the best bigs in the country, and the tantalizing guy to watch is 17-year-old Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. If he flourishes with the talent around him, Duke will again strut its way to a No. 1 seed.

— How about Rick Barnes' Tennessee team coming in third place? Barnes' reputation in college basketball circles also helped his cause; a lot of guys are rooting for him to make a second Final Four. I'm high on the Vols. This squad should have the best offense Barnes has rostered since he got to Knoxville more than a decade ago. Tennessee spent north of $15 million to break the Elite Eight ceiling. I like its chances to fight with Florida atop the SEC. 

— Dan Hurley's Huskies rightfully got some run after making a third title game in four years while bringing back Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr. That's one of the best backcourts in college basketball. Seton Hall transfer big Najai Hines (who's gotten really good reviews in the offseason) will be the guy who determines if UConn can again be a force in March.

— I thought Illinois would get a couple more votes than it did, but some of our surveying did take place amid the news that David Mirkovic required surgery for a foot injury in early August. The Illini had the No. 2 offense in college hoops last season and should be able to repeat that level of efficiency with so many minutes returning.

— Arizona getting a few No. 1 votes says a lot about Tommy Lloyd's reputation. Keep in mind, he's won 148 games, the most of any coach to start a career in their first five seasons. Louisville's massive spending spree has a few coaches believing Pat Kelsey will have everything he needs to bring the Cardinals to the Final Four. The thinking was similar with Texas, which has broken the bank to get Sean Miller a squad capable of beating anyone. The Longhorns have one of my favorite transfers of 2026 in David Punch. And thanks to Michigan State potentially having the best player in the country in Jeremy Fears Jr. (along with some other vets sticking around in East Lansing), Sparty got two votes from coaches.

Best team not to receive at least one vote? I think Virginia's probably the pick. Ryan Odom had a 3-seed last season and is returning a good chunk of that roster to battle against Duke and Louisville atop the ACC.

Previously in 2026 Candid Coaches ...

• Do you support 2026 seniors being grandfathered into the five-in-five rule? • Who will be the best player for the 2026-27 season?