Welcome back to another year of CBS Sports' Candid Coaches feature. College basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander surveyed nearly 100 men's Division I coaches in the thick of the offseason; as always, interviewees were given the promise of anonymity in a swap for honest and enlightening answers on a medley of topics. Be it some of the most high-profile names in the game or assistants at low-major programs, Norlander and Parrish spanned the sport to get a wide range of feedback.
This year's survey had nine questions; this is No. 3 of the group. The 2026-27 preseason college basketball coaches' poll has arrived! With all due respect to the USA Today poll that's considered the official one on behalf of college coaches, we're not making you wait until October to get a look at what these guys think about the best teams.
Plus, ours is much more representative of the sport. Way more coaches vote in our questionnaire every summer. We're coming off one of the five best seasons of the 21st century as far as I'm concerned.
The sport's offseason has been a predictable mess, but the product on the floor remains terrific. Which team should take up the top spot? Who is most likely to spend the most time at No. 1 from November through March?
Nine schools got votes from the nearly 100 coaches we surveyed. Other schools receiving votes: Arizona, Louisville, Michigan State, Texas Florida winning, and by a big margin, was no surprise. The Gators will be the widespread pick atop every preseason poll you'll find this fall.
Todd Golden is probably overseeing the most loaded roster he'll ever have as a college coach. And I say that while acknowledging the 36-4 squad with a First Team All-American (Walter Clayton Jr.) that won a national title a little more than 17 months ago. That Gators crew was really good.
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