College Basketball 2025-26 National Title Contenders Best Future Bets

College basketball seems to lead all other sports in trends that don’t make any sense but keep happening every single year. One of my favorite versions is that every national champion since 2005 has been ranked inside the top 12 of the AP Poll in week 6. The week 6 AP poll might seem arbitrary, but I think it’s a good barometer for team success later in the season.

Preseason contenders have already had significant losses in Thanksgiving tournaments, and teams we underrated have had a chance to climb up the AP Poll. A few teams have great shots to make noise in March this season, so here are a few teams that still have some value as futures for the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa State +1400

I may be late to the party with this pick, but Iowa State is looking the part of a national title contender so far in 2025. T.J. Otzelberger historically has had Cyclone teams exceed preseason expectations, so it might be time to start respecting Iowa State.

The Cyclones picked up the most impressive win of the season across college basketball, taking down an undefeated Purdue team. I’ve been a little lower than most on Purdue, but blowing out the Boilermakers in West Lafayette is no joke. This Iowa State team just has so much switchable depth with Milan Momcilovic, Joshua Jefferson, and Blake Buchanan. They’re the number two-rated KenPom defense with a hyper-efficient offense to pair with it. I’m excited to see how they fare in a loaded Big 12.

Gonzaga +1500

Mark Few’s Bulldogs have a 40-point loss to what might be the best team in the country in Michigan, but I still think this team will be a contender in March. It’s hard to look past that massive of a loss, but with a veteran team like this, I trust them to use that poor performance to fuel them throughout the year.

They haven’t seemed to dwell too hard on that loss as they’ve bounced back with two straight wins by an average of 43 points, including a massive neutral-court win over a talented (but underperforming) Kentucky squad. Not many teams have as much of a veteran presence as Gonzaga will in the tournament.

The Bulldogs' twin towers, Braden Huff and Graham Ike, will be a mismatch nightmare for smaller teams. Still, I like the addition of Tyon Grant-Foster and how he’s solidified a questionable backcourt for Gonzaga.

I think that trio can win a lot of games for Gonzaga, but I still want to see another guard step up when Grant-Foster is unable to carry the offensive load against teams that can apply defensive pressure up top. If Steele Venters or Jalen Warley can be that spark, this team will be a national title favorite, so buy stock in the Bulldogs now.

BYU +2500

I absolutely love this BYU offense. AJ Dybantsa has fit right in with a previously elite Cougar offense and made it even better this year. This pick is by far the best value of any that I’ve given so far.

What wins in March? Elite guard play, and that’s precisely what you’re getting with BYU. Richie Saunders was excellent in the tournament last year, and he’s been even better this season. Transfer Robert Wright III has added even more back-court depth for BYU this year, and Keba Keita has been a great pairing in the front court with Dybantsa.

Still, this team has a few concerns. They don’t have much depth, so if they get into foul trouble, they could run into issues. I also don’t think this team has any way to stop teams that can apply a lot of ball pressure at the rim. However, you don’t need depth to win in March, as most teams really shorten their benches, so it’s not a massive worry for me anyway.

Overall, BYU is one of the more fun teams to watch in the country, and has an offense that could win games in March.