Still-Too-Early Big Ten Basketball 2026-27 Power Rankings: Is Illinois No. 1?

OK, it’s still really early. The calendar just flipped to June and the 2026-27 college basketball regular season remains more than five months away. But since our last way-too-early Big Ten power rankings – which was a comprehensive 18-team ranking in late April – there have been a few major roster developments across the league.

And it wasn’t until last Wednesday night that the NBA withdrawal deadline officially passed, ensuring that almost every key piece of the puzzle is back in place for the Big Ten’s premier squads. With that in mind, we offer a deep dive into our still-too-early 2026-27 Big Ten top five:

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Big Ten basketball early 2026-27 preseason top five

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts in the second half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

No. 5: UCLA

In 2025-26, UCLA fell short of expectations – yet it still managed to finish sixth in a stacked Big Ten. This time around, the Bruins have Trent Perry with another year of experience, along with forwards Eric Dailey Jr. and Xavier Booker, giving coach Mick Cronin one of the best returning trios in the league.

Transfer Jaylen Petty (Texas Tech) was one of the best guard pickups in the portal, and Filip Jovic (Auburn) and Azavier Robinson (Butler) were also notable gets for UCLA. The Bruins will once again be talented, and Cronin, despite his – we’ll go with … unique? – tendencies, is a brilliant coach.

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No. 4: Purdue

Mar 28, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter reacts in the first half against the Arizona Wildcats during an Elite Eight game of the West Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

We get it: Braden Smith is no longer a Boilermaker. Nor is Fletcher Loyer or Trey Kaufman-Renn. But guess who is? Princeton transfer…

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Publish date : 2026-06-01 14:00:00

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