As the 2025-26 college basketball season inches closer, the preseason exhibitions have provided our first glimpse at which teams might live up to expectations—and which could be in for early struggles. While preseason games are often about rotations, conditioning, and experimentation, the results can offer clues for potential overperformers and sleepers as we head toward the regular season. However, we will not be adjusting any of our preseason rankings based on this small sample of exhibition games, unlike some outlets that overreact to early results.
D1 vs D1 Preseason Exhibition Scores with Team Rankings
Here are all of the Division I versus Division I preseason exhibition results so far, including our team rankings:
It’s in alphabetical order by winning team.
Alabama (#15) 109, Florida State (#86) 105
Arizona (#14) 81, Saint Mary’s (#46) 68
Arkansas (#23) 89, Cincinnati (#48) 61
Baylor (#40) 79, Grand Canyon (#94) 74
BYU (#4) 78, North Carolina (#26) 76
Cincinnati (#48) 100, Michigan (#13) 98
Creighton (#39) 71, Iowa State (#12) 58
Creighton (#39) 76, Colorado State (#129) 64
Dayton (#76) 78, Penn State (#97) 62
DePaul (#66) 69, Notre Dame (#79) 62
DePaul (#66) 92, Loyola Chicago (#81) 90
Duke (#9) 83, Tennessee (#11) 76
Duke (#9) 96, UCF (#72) 71
Duquesne (#101) 83, Virginia Tech (#70) 81
Georgetown (#69) 73, George Washington (#88) 64
Houston (#2) 61, Mississippi State (#33) 52
Illinois (#7) 92, Illinois State (#110) 65
Indiana (#41) 76, Baylor (#40) 74
Iowa State (#12) 80, Northwestern (#51) 72
Kansas (#25) 90, Louisville (#19) 82
Kentucky (#6) 78, Purdue (#1) 65
LSU (#68) 75, UCF (#72) 68
Michigan (#13) 96, St. John’s (#10) 94 OT
Michigan State (#32) 75, Bowling Green (#140) 66
Missouri (#36) 100, Kansas State (#57) 91
Murray State (#124) 75, Xavier (#66) 70
NC State (#24) 88, South Carolina (#78) 86
Nebraska (#47) 90, BYU (#4) 89
Nevada (#74) 80, Utah (#83) 77
Notre Dame (#79) 77, Butler (#77) 76
Oklahoma (#61) 84, Wisconsin (#17) 83
Oklahoma State (#49) 97, Auburn (#29) 95 OT
Oregon (#27) 73, Utah (#83) 53
Pittsburgh (#62) 81, Providence (#43) 74
Saint Louis (#80) 98, Bradley (#128) 77
Saint Mary’s (#46) 68, Ole Miss (#21) 53
SMU (#43) 86, Oklahoma State (#49) 71
St. John’s (#10) 73, Towson (#144) 63
Texas A&M (#31) 95, Arizona State (#75) 88
UC Irvine (#125) 72, Arizona State (#75) 68
UCLA (#18) 67, San Diego State (#34) 60
UConn (#8) 71, Boston College (#109) 52
USC (#28) 60, LMU (#148) 51
USC (#28) 67, Grand Canyon (#94) 61
Utah State (#53) 79, San Francisco (#65) 74
Utah State (#53) 88, Seattle (#133) 76
Vanderbilt (#22) 89, UAB (#67) 67
Vanderbilt (#22) 95, Virginia (#37) 87
Villanova (#71) 70, VCU (#93) 51
Virginia (#37) 75, Villanova (#71) 72
Wake Forest (#63) 97, East Carolina (#138) 60
Washington (#30) 77, UNLV (#118) 62
Top Teams Facing Early Challenges
Even teams ranked in the top 10 in our preseason projections have faced some tight contests that could foreshadow growing pains. BYU (#4), despite lofty expectations, already fell in an overtime thriller to Nebraska (#47), 90–89 as well as a tight 2 point win at home to UNC (#25). While it’s only an exhibition, this close contest suggests BYU may need time to gel as a team before their high-stakes conference play begins.
Similarly, Duke (#9) has posted two impressive wins. The Blue Devils topped UCF (#72) 96–71 and narrowly beat Tennessee (#11) 83–76 with Boozer making an early statement with a 24 point 23 rebound 6 assist 1 turnover game vs Tennessee, who always ranks as a top 5 defense. This was incredibly impressive even if only an exhibitions.
Auburn (#29) also experienced early turbulence under it’s new last minute coaching change, dropping a 97–95 overtime decision to Oklahoma State (#49). This was at home and defensive lapses seem to be something the Tigers must address before the regular season commences.
Teams Exceeding Expectations
Preseason results have already shown some surprises that could shake up rankings once the season begins. Kentucky (#6) made a strong statement with a 78–65 win over Purdue (#1), suggesting that the Wildcats’ roster has significant upside and that early hype may underestimate their potential.
Smaller programs have also made their mark. Murray State (#124) has put up two impressive exhibition wins: 75–70 over Xavier (#66) and 112–74 over Northern State. If this form translates to the regular season, the Racers could be dangerous as a mid-major contender capable of upsetting higher-ranked teams behind one of the top internationals in our ranking Roman Domon.
Nebraska (#47) made a splash with their 90–89 OT victory over BYU (#4), establishing themselves as a team to watch. While the ranking may not suggest a contender, this win shows they can compete with nationally recognized programs. However this was disputed some by how serious or not BYU played this game. Still some information to be drawn from here.
High-Powered Offenses in the Preseason
Several teams have already shown they can light up the scoreboard in exhibitions. Alabama (#15) had a high-scoring 109–105 victory over Florida State (#86), followed by a 96–71 win against Furman, demonstrating that the Crimson Tide’s offensive firepower could be difficult for defenses to contain.
Gonzaga (#5) rolled over Northwest 111–62, not much to take from there however. Meanwhile, Kansas (#25) beat Louisville (#19) 90–82, confirming they maybe be ready to compete at a high level despite being underrated in the preseason by program norms. Again I wouldn’t change my ranking based on this.
Down Goes #1 for Most
Some programs are already living up to expectations with dominant performances. Purdue (#1) may have lost to Kentucky, but their overall exhibition form suggests that when rotations settle, they remain a favorite to contend nationally, but perhaps not as dominate as expected. If anything they should have had more chemistry to start the year than Kentucky. Houston (#2), despite a narrow 61–52 win over Mississippi State (#33), looks like a team capable of grinding out close contests with disciplined defense and efficient offense handling the poor man version of what they do.
Arizona (#14) also posted a strong showing with an 81–68 win over Saint Mary’s (#46), while UConn (#8) dominated Boston College (#109) 71–52. Saint Mary’s (#46) also impressed with a 68–53 victory over Ole Miss (#21), showing that they can compete with high-major programs. These results suggest that, as expected, top-tier teams are already laying the groundwork for a strong season.
Baylor (#40) opened strong with a 79–74 win over Grand Canyon (#94), avoiding any early slip-ups and asserting themselves as a team to watch. Iowa State (#12), however, had a shocking 71–58 loss to Creighton (#39), a result that will raise eyebrows in the Big 12 given their returning continuity and experience. The Cyclones did bounce back later, defeating Northwestern (#51) 80–72, but that initial stumble served as a reminder that preseason results can be unpredictable.
Indiana (#41) edged out Baylor (#40) 76–74 in a tight contest, while Dayton (#76) comfortably handled Penn State (#97) 78–62. Missouri (#36) scored a high-powered 100–91 win over Kansas State (#57), and Nevada (#74) eked out a close 80–77 win against Utah (#83), showing early competitiveness in the Mountain West.
Michigan State (#32) experienced an alarming 75–66 win over Bowling Green (#140), with the Spartans struggling against a team that didn’t appear to play well offensively—one of Bowling Green’s leading scorers went just 3-of-13. This result could be an early warning sign for Tom Izzo’s squad if inconsistencies continue. Oklahoma (#61) narrowly defeated Wisconsin (#17) 84–83, giving doubters some reason to watch the Sooners closely in the Big Ten.
Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State (#75) program had mixed results, narrowly losing to UC Irvine (#125) 72–68, before falling to Texas A&M (#31) 95–88. These early outcomes may put some pressure on Hurley, as expectations in the Pac-12 remain high. Meanwhile, UCLA (#18) handled San Diego State (#34) 67–60, and USC (#28) controlled Grand Canyon (#94) 67–61, both showing early-season stability.
DePaul (#66) has had a busy exhibition stretch, defeating Notre Dame (#79) 69–62 and edging Loyola Chicago (#81) 92–90, signaling the Blue Demons could compete in the Big East. Georgetown (#69) also claimed a solid 73–64 win over George Washington (#88), and Pittsburgh (#62) overcame Providence (#43) 81–74, showing depth in the ACC.
Vanderbilt (#22) has made a strong early impression, scoring a 95–87 win over Virginia (#37), while Villanova (#71) defeated VCU (#93) 70–51 but fell to Virginia (#37) 75–72, illustrating how quickly momentum can shift. Finally, Washington (#30) looked dominant in a 77–62 win over UNLV (#118), giving the Huskies an encouraging start to the Pac-12 season.
Close Calls and Overtime Thrillers
A striking trend in the exhibitions has been the number of overtime games and narrow wins, even among highly ranked teams. Michigan (#13) edged St. John’s (#10) 96–94 in OT, BYU (#4) lost to Nebraska (#47) 90–89 in OT, and High Point (#105) narrowly beat UNC Wilmington (#108) 99–98 in OT.
NC State (#24) narrowly edged South Carolina (#78) 88–86 in a tightly contested exhibition, providing an early glimpse of what this team can do. Lubin led the way with 18 points, showing that he is ready to live up to the hype we’ve been predicting. This close win also highlights the Wolfpack’s ability to perform in high-pressure situations, a promising sign as they enter the regular season.
Looking Ahead
While exhibitions are not the final word, they offer an intriguing early glimpse of information into which teams may exceed or fall short of expectations. Teams like Kentucky (#6) and Duke (#9) might quickly climb the rankings early if momentum continues. Conversely, programs like BYU (#4) may need some time to develop chemistry before conference play begins.
As we move closer to the regular season tip-off, these early results provide a roadmap for what to watch: high-powered offenses, potential sleepers, and a handful of top-ranked teams that might face more turbulence than initially expected. College basketball fans should keep an eye on these storylines—they could shape a very unpredictable start to the 2025-26 campaign.
With just one week left of preseason exhibitions, teams have one final chance to iron out rotations, experiment with lineups, and send early signals ahead of the regular season. There are a number of intriguing matchups that could provide a glimpse of which teams are trending up or revealing cracks.
Arkansas (#23) at Memphis (#67) – Monday at 9pm on ESPNU Two programs looking to make early statements; Arkansas’ preseason form has been solid, while Memphis will test their young roster against a ranked opponent.
Michigan State (#32) at UConn (#8) – Tuesday at 7:30pm on UConn+ A marquee matchup between a rising Spartans squad and a nationally ranked UConn team, offering an early measuring stick for both programs.
UC Irvine (#125) at UCLA (#18) – Tuesday at 10pm on B1G Plus UC Irvine’s early season competitiveness could be tested against a Bruins team that already beat San Diego State (#34) 67–60.
Georgetown (#69) at Kentucky (#6) – Thursday at 7pm on SECN Plus The Hoyas will face a top-10 Wildcats squad that has already shown they can challenge even the highest-ranked teams.
Memphis (#67) vs. Auburn (#29) – Thursday at 8:30pm in Atlanta A rare neutral-site exhibition that could provide insights into Auburn’s early-season adjustments following a close OT loss to Oklahoma State (#49).
UIndy at Purdue (#1) – Wednesday at 8pm on BTN+ While a mismatch on paper, it’s a chance for the Boilermakers to finalize rotations and for individual players to make a push for starting roles. I’m more excited to see what Ben Howelett’s team looks like than even Purdue. I thing I know what to expect there.
Fans should keep an eye on these games for early hints of overperformers, sleepers, and potential upsets. With exhibitions winding down, the final week offers a last peek at which teams are ready to hit the ground running when the regular season tips off.
