College Basketball 2026-27 season Team Rankings: Sorting out the sport's
middle tier--Busting Brackets
293. Detroit Mercy Titans- Last Season Ranking: 298
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Mark Montgomery (3rd season)
Player to know: Ayden Carter
Three points separated the Titans from the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Mark
Montgomery has Detroit Mercy on the verge of being the next yearly Horizon
League tournament team. The Titans retained two key contributors from last
year and added a lot of scoring in the transfer portal. The Titans may
finally get over the hump this year.
284. Fort Wayne Mastodons-Last Season Ranking: 218
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Jon Coffman (13th season)
Player to know: DeAndre Craig
Not to sound like a broken record, but the Mastodons are another team who
will go as far as their defense takes them. The defense is never very good,
and it has been the reason that Fort Wayne has lost games they should
normally win. The elite, heavy three-point-efficient offense is always one
of the best in the country. The defense needs to improve for Fort Wayne to
make the NCAA Tournament.
277. Cleveland State Vikings- Last Season Ranking: 251
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Rob Summers (2nd season)
Player to know: Obie Bronston Jr.
It will never matter how good the offense is if your team gives up 86 points
per night. That was the case for the Vikings last season, when they won only
11 games. The 2026-2027 season might be a long one as well. Cleveland State
doesn't have a single player on the roster who earned a minute in the
2025-2026 season, and coach Summers didn't do much to address his defensive
issues, at least not on paper.
259. Milwaukee Panthers- Last Season Ranking: 211
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Bart Lundy (5th season)
Player to know: Danilo Jovanovich
2025-2026 was the first year the Panthers didn't win 20 games and weren't a
top-tier team in the Horizon League under coach Lundy. The adage that
defense wins championships rings true again; they had their worst defense
under Lundy last season. It won't surprise anyone when the Panthers win
20-plus games and compete for the NCAA Tournament in 2026-2027.
237. Youngstown State Penguins- Last Season Ranking: 173
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Ethan Faulkner (3rd season)
Player to know: Jeff Nwankwo
The Horizon League is all about scoring, and the Penguins have done their
part with an explosive offense built around a huge volume of threes and
extremely efficient shooting. The defense revolves around preventing the
three-point shot; volume was low, but the percentage was high, and that
alone cost Youngstown State some games last year. Expect the Penguins to
shoot a ton of threes again in 2026-2027, but the defense should be better.
Youngstown State will be dangerous in the Horizon in 2026-2027.
230. Green Bay Phoenix- Last Season Ranking: 339
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Doug Gottlieb (3rd season)
Player to know: Marcus Hall
The Green Bay program appears to have been resurrected under coach Gottlieb.
The Phoenix play physical defense that forces teams to play at an
uncomfortable pace. Offensively, it is one of the slowest paces in the
country with efficient shooters at all five spots. Green Bay is a tough
matchup and can beat some power schools. The Phoenix are a top-tier team in
the Horizon.
218. Northern Kentucky Norse- Last Season Ranking: 284
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Darrin Horn (8th season)
Player to know: Eric Acker
Northern Kentucky has been consistent under Coach Horn. Northern Kentucky
consistently has a winning record and consistently finishes in the middle of
the Horizon League. The Norse have made the tournament under Coach Horn but
have never been good enough to get themselves over the hump. Northern
Kentucky will have a winning record but still won't make the tournament.
Hurley Set for Expanded Role as a Junior--HoriZone Roundtable
Men’s basketball rebuild continues after successful 2025-26--The Varsity News
Women’s basketball puts focus on defense, toughness--The Varsity News
The Women’s Other Top 25: Fairfield is unanimous No. 1--Mid-Major Madness
Women’s Other Top 25 Full Ranking
Ranking
|
Team
|
Points
|
|
11
|
Green Bay
|
23
|
New-look NKU on the road to find themselves in first four games away from Highland Heights--NKyTribune
The Gauntlet: why Oakland’s heaviest schedule is designed for March--The Oakland Post
Fields Jr. Drops 22; Golden Grizzlies Fall in Final Exhibition at Cincinnati--goldengrizzlies.com
Robert Morris Uses Dominant First Half, Pair of Monster Performances to Defeat Canisius in Exhibition--Robert Morris Sports Now
Wright State basketball: Raiders build confidence in three preseason games--Dayton Daily News
Wright State Basketball Prepares for Season with Exhibition Win Over Bellarmine--Wright State Guardian
Penguins Fall to Akron in Exhibition--ysusports.com
