The confetti has settled, and the 2025-26 college basketball season belongs to the Michigan Wolverines. Crowned as one of the modern era's most dominant champions, Michigan finished with a staggering +37.90 net rating on KenPom.com—the highest mark for any NCAA Tournament winner since the database began in 1997. Now, with head coach Dusty May at the helm, the Wolverines aren't just celebrating a title; they're poised to defend it.

In the first early look at the 2026-27 season, CBS Sports' preseason Top 25 And 1 rankings have Michigan starting right where they finished: at No. 1. The blueprint for a repeat is compelling. Even with potential NBA departures, the Wolverines are projected to return four of their top six scorers from a 37-3 squad that dominated the Big Ten and stormed through March. That veteran core will be supercharged by the nation's No. 2 recruiting class, headlined by five-star point guard Brandon McCoy Jr.

This sets the stage for college basketball to be on "back-to-back watch," a thrilling dynamic we last saw when UConn repeated in 2023 and Florida in 2025. Rounding out the early top five are Duke at No. 2, followed by Florida, Illinois, and Michigan State. Of course, with the transfer portal and NBA Draft decisions still unfolding, these rosters are fluid. But one thing is clear: the road to the national championship once again runs through Ann Arbor, making the Wolverines the team to beat as we look ahead to another epic season.