ESPN has taken on the ultra-difficult task of trying to look some 200 days into the future and put together a preseason college basketball poll for 2025-26.

That has especially gotten even more difficult with the transfer portal blowing up, as players are still searching for new homes, and that could lead to even more transferring.

For now, Houston is the preseason No. 1 after falling just short of the first national title in program history Monday night vs. Florida. The Cougars are expected to reload with three key recruits joining two returning starters.

As for Wisconsin, ESPN slots them in at No. 14 with John Blackwell and Nolan Winter being joined by three transfers. Blackwell, for now, has entered his name in the NBA Draft.

The Badgers will see All-American John Tonje leave along with several other key players who led them to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the Big Ten Tournament finals.

Blackwell averaged just under 16 points and Winter added 9.4. Greg Gard has brought in transfers Nick Boyd, Andrew Rohde and Austin Rapp. Boyd was a starter at Florida Atlantic when they reached the Final Four and averaged 13.4 for San Diego State last year.

Rohde comes from Virginia and Rapp from Portland.

“Wisconsin found success this past season playing a much faster tempo than previous teams under Greg Gard,” the site wrote. “The Badgers were also more reliant on the 3-point shot. Is that their new formula? Gard has already succeeded in the transfer portal in a big way.”

Purdue is the highest-ranked Big Ten team, as they are projected at No. 2 with conference player of the year Braden Smith back along with Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Coyer. Michigan, who won the league tournament title over Wisconsin, checks in at No. 5 with UCLA at No. 10.

Michigan State is 18th and Ohio State comes in at No. 23.