College basketball rankings: Tennessee enters top 15 in way-too-early Top 25 And 1 after landing Juke Harris

The Vols are flexing their financial muscle after securing the Wake Forest transfer to push their projected roster payroll over the $15 million mark

Gary Parrish

May 4, 2026

6:02 pm ET

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1 min read

CBS Sports Graphic

Relationships -- plus under-the-table money, of course -- used to combine to serve as the key to recruiting high-level college basketball players. Now, it's mostly just over-the-table money that gets things done, with everything else ranking far below on any list of what's important.

Which brings me to Tennessee.

Do the Vols have more money than everybody else? Definitely not. But they clearly have a lot with the latest evidence coming Monday when UT secured a commitment from Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris. Exactly how much money the 6-foot-7 guard received to pledge to Tennessee remains unclear -- but CBS Sports' Matt Norlander reported that Harris' asking price was $5 million. Norlander added that the Vols' roster for next season is expected to exceed $15 million as they have been "among the biggest buyers in college basketball."

Seven.

That's how many transfers Tennessee has purchased out of the portal since the season ended -- and Harris qualifies as the biggest get. He averaged 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists this past season. His addition has the Vols up to No. 15 in Version 14 of the 2026-27 CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 And 1 college basketball rankings, where Florida remains No. 1 based on a projection that the Gators will return six of the top seven scorers -- specifically Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Reuben Chinyelu, Urban Klavsar and Isaiah Brown -- from a team that won the SEC by three games and was a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Florida and Tennessee are two of the six SEC teams in Version 14 of the Top 25 And 1. The others are No. 7 Arkansas, No. 9 Texas, No. 18 Alabama and No. 24 Vanderbilt.

Top 25 And 1 rankings

Biggest Movers

Tennessee

USC

Teams

Chg

Rcrd

Florida

This ranking is based on the Gators returning six of the top seven scorers -- specifically Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Reuben Chinyelu, Urban Klavsar and Isaiah Brown -- from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen and 7-foot center Jones Lay.

27-8

Duke

This ranking is based on the Blue Devils returning four of the top six scorers -- specifically Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr -- from a team that finished 35-3 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski, Loyola Maryland transfer Jacob Theodosiou, five-star prospects Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., Bryson Howard and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.

35-3

Michigan

This ranking is based on the Wolverines returning two of the top five scorers -- specifically Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney -- from a team that finished 37-3 and won the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella, Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam, LSU transfer Jalen Reed, five-star prospect Brandon McCoy Jr., and four-star prospects Lincoln Cosby, Quinn Costello and Joseph Hartman.

37-3

Illinois

This ranking is based on the Illini returning six of the top nine scorers -- specifically Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovich, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jake Davis and Brandon Lee -- from a team that finished 28-9 and advanced to the 2026 Final Four. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, four-star prospects Quintin Coleman and Lucas Morillo and three-star prospects Ethan Brown and Landon Davis.

28-9

UConn

This ranking is based on the Huskies returning three of the top seven scorers -- specifically Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary and Jayden Ross -- from a team that finished 34-6 and advanced to the championship game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia, Seton Hall transfer Najai Hines, Stanford transfer Oskar Giltay, Wofford transfer Nils Machowski and four-star prospects Colben Landrew and Junior County.

34-6

Michigan St.

This ranking is based on the Spartans returning five of the top eight scorers -- specifically Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Kur Teng, Jordan Scott and Cam Ward -- from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke and four-star prospects Ethan Taylor, Carlos Medlock Jr., Julius Avent and