Nine men’s college basketball teams that need to turn around their seasons — now

There are just under two months left in the 2025-26 men’s college basketball regular season — plenty of time for most teams to enhance their NCAA tournament résumés ahead of Selection Sunday.

For some programs, it will be enough to regain momentum they may have lost after the opening stages. For others, the gap between preseason expectations and where they stand now may be too wide to overcome. And if teams that fall under that latter category aren’t prudent about turning things around, they could find themselves looking back at this stretch of the season as a missed opportunity that cost them a shot at a successful campaign.

Here are nine that need to shift gears sooner rather than later.

Note: Teams listed in alphabetical order.

Overall record: 12-5
SEC record: 2-2

Alabama has losses to Arizona (No. 1), Purdue (No. 5), Gonzaga (No. 9), Vanderbilt (No. 10) and Texas — and the common thread in each defeat was a woeful defensive effort. This past Saturday, Alabama surrendered 92 points (129 points per 100 possessions) at home to a Texas team that has losses to Arizona State and Mississippi State. Overall, the Tide have allowed 93.2 points per game in their five losses and rank 79th in adjusted defensive efficiency.

The bright spot: Labaron Philon Jr. (21.3 PPG) and Aden Holloway (18.6 PPG) are one of the top duos in the country and lead one of the best offensive units in America. Still, Alabama’s losses to Vanderbilt and Texas over the past week suggest that might not be enough.

Overall record: 11-5
Big 12 record: 1-3

The addition of James Nnaji, the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft, created a firestorm as coaches around the country criticized the move. But Baylor coach Scott Drew added the 7-foot center because his team needed more size after Juslin Bodo Bodo suffered an offseason injury. The Bears will need more than the former European pro to move the program in the right direction, though.

Baylor, which owns a defense that’s barely inside the top 100 in efficiency, lost its first three games in the Big 12. That stretch included a road loss to TCU and home losses to Houston and Iowa State. That’s not an easy collection of games for any team. Baylor is grappling with imbalance, though. Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou, two projected first-rounders in ESPN’s latest mock draft, lead a top-20 offense. But the Bears have to improve on the defensive end to survive the rest of their Big 12 schedule and secure a bid on Selection Sunday.

Overall record: 10-6
SEC record: 1-2

Kentucky’s defense has been subpar since the Dec. 2 loss to North Carolina, ranking 66th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Bart Torvik. Its offensive production has been even worse, coming in at 91st in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Wildcats have also been one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in America over that stretch (32.1%).

Now, Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe (8.0 PPG, 2.4 APG) is out for the season and projected NBA draft lottery pick Jayden Quaintance is dealing with a knee injury. Considering those factors, the Wildcats could be a below-average team wearing a storied program’s uniforms. They don’t look the part of a Final Four contender like we expected them to — or even a team that’s a lock to make the NCAA tournament — despite reportedly spending $22 million on the current roster.

If Mark Pope can’t turn things around fast, he could enter the 2026-27 season on the hot seat.

play

Jaland Lowe to have season-ending surgery

Jeff Borzello discusses Jaland Lowe’s season-ending shoulder surgery and how it affects the rest of the Kentucky roster.

Overall record: 12-5
ACC record: 2-3

A month ago, projected NBA draft lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. was ruled out with a back injury prior to Louisville’s loss to Tennessee. Coach Pat Kelsey seemed confident then that Brown’s injury wouldn’t become a bigger problem for the Cardinals. He was wrong.

Tuesday’s 79-70 home loss to Virginia was the seventh consecutive game Brown (16.6 PPG, 5.3 APG) missed. The timing isn’t ideal for a Louisville team that will face Duke and SMU before the end of the month. The Cardinals, ranked 11th in the preseason AP Top 25, are 3-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC play without Brown. They’re committing turnovers on nearly one-fifth of their possessions without him, too.

Short of an imminent return for Brown or a shift in strategy without him, the end result of his absence could be a difficult first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament.

Overall record: 6-12
Big East record: 1-6

Shaka Smart is a long way from his 2011 Final Four run with VCU. The current slide by Marquette, a team that started the season ranked 46th on KenPom, is the extreme opposite of the success he has enjoyed.

Picked to finish fifth in the Big East’s preseason poll, injuries and the sudden departure of Zaide Lowery (8.1 PPG) have played a role in the Golden Eagles’ slow start. But Smart’s team has also failed to show proficiency on either end of the court. Marquette is currently one of the worst offensive (152nd in adjusted offensive efficiency) and defensive (92nd in adjusted defensive efficiency) high-major teams in the country. And there are no signs of immediate improvement for a program that has already suffered losses to Maryland and Georgetown. Marquette would need a kind of miracle to finish the season strong.

Overall record: 7-8
American record: 2-1

Penny Hardaway is coming off the best season of his tenure at the helm of his alma mater. PJ Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter were first-team honorees in the American for a Memphis team that won 29 games and reached the NCAA tournament, where it finally lost its sixth game in the first round to Colorado State (notably without Hunter). This season’s team had lost its sixth game by Dec. 17.

With a 7-8 tally entering the week, this is the first time the Tigers have had a losing record under Hardaway since their 1-2 start to the 2020-21 season. Their ticket back to the NCAA tournament will have to come through winning the American tournament. A recent 89-78 loss at Florida Atlantic suggests that’s far from a guarantee, especially if Memphis’ 20.5% turnover rate (337th nationally) persists.

Overall record: 12-4
SEC record: 2-1

At its best, Missouri can beat defending national champion Florida and Kentucky in back-to-back games. But lopsided losses to Kansas (20 points) and Illinois (43 points), along with other defeats to Ole Miss and Notre Dame, showcase the Tigers’ limitations, too.

Since the loss to the Fighting Irish on Dec. 2, the Tigers are ranked 85th overall per Bart Torvik. Mark Mitchell (17.4 PPG) has been a steady presence, but Anthony Robinson and others have not been the consistent contributors coach Dennis Gates has needed them to be. A grueling SEC schedule could make or break a Missouri team that will end the season with its most difficult stretch heading into Selection Sunday, but a NET ranking of 76 means the Tigers have more work to do before they can even think about that.

play

Highlight: Missouri defeats Kentucky to extend hot start in SEC play

Mark Mitchell paces the offense with 21 points as the Tigers beat the Wildcats 73-68, marking a 2-0 SEC start for the first time in school history.

Overall record: 8-9
Big Ten record: 1-5

Coming off back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances, Dana Altman seemed to have the talent to make it three in a row. Unfortunately, the campaign has not gone as anticipated.

After starting the year ranked 37th on KenPom, Oregon entered the week ranked 83rd. A Jan. 5 overtime loss to Rutgers — the same Scarlet Knights team that lost to Central Connecticut (252nd on KenPom) — highlights how far the Ducks have fallen from preseason expectations that placed them squarely inside the NCAA tournament conversation.

Jackson Shelstad (15.6 PPG) has battled a hand injury and missed the first three games of 2026, but Altman’s team had significant challenges before that development. The Ducks now sit at 1-5 in Big Ten play and still have matchups against Michigan and Michigan State later this month. Having started the season with turbulent results, the Ducks’ season could continue to decline without a rapid turnaround.

Overall record: 11-5
Big Ten record: 3-2

Reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent was a coveted transfer. When he signed with UCLA, he was expected to elevate his game in his hometown. He has yet to do that.

Dent has connected on just 9% of his 3-point attempts against Division I opponents this season (not a typo!) after making 40% a year ago. Part of Mick Cronin’s charge to turn UCLA into a Big Ten contender — the Bruins started 3-2 in conference play and were ranked ninth in efficiency to open the week — will require Dent to tap into the same skill set that made him a star at New Mexico last season. A hamstring injury for Skyy Clark (13.5 PPG) could complicate that mission.