The first KenPom college basketball rankings were released for the 2025-26 season. The predictive rating system ranks all D1 teams in college basketball. Wake came in at 49th in the initial rankings, which should give Deac fans some optimism heading into the season.
For those unfamiliar, the KenPom rankings are one of the most prominent metrics used in college basketball analytics for comparing teams for the NCAA Tournament. The overall ranking is calculated using an adjusted efficiency margin, which takes into account both offensive and defensive efficiency, as well as the strength of the schedule. Preseason rankings do not mean much since no team has played an official game yet, but it is still a good metric to look at how teams may stack up going into the season.
Wake coming in at #49 may seem low to some people after last year’s preseason expectations. However, this is 23 spots higher than where Wake ended the season last year in the same rankings. Considering Wake was on the bubble but missed the tournament last year due to poor predictive metrics, it is good to start higher in the metrics as they begin their climb towards the tournament. Ending the season in this position would likely put Wake in the mix for the tournament.
To put it in perspective, Vanderbilt finished 48th and San Diego State finished 51st last season, and both teams made the tournament. Boise State finished 49th and was one of the first four out of the tournament. Finishing in a favorable position in the KenPom rankings will definitely help Wake come March.
You may be wondering how the rest of the rankings stacked up. The defending-champion Florida Gators are #2 while the Houston Cougars are #1. The first ACC team featured is Duke at #7, followed by Louisville at #14. After that, there is a large drop-off before Clemson and North Carolina. The ACC will certainly have a lot to prove as a conference this season, coming off a down year last year. Hopefully, some conference teams can have solid non-conference seasons and boost their rankings going into the conference schedule.
In the non-conference, Wake will definitely play Michigan (#11), Texas Tech (#12), Vanderbilt (#19), Oklahoma (#58), and West Virginia (#67). Depending on the result of their game against Texas Tech, they could also potentially play Purdue (#3) or Memphis (#52). It will certainly be entertaining to see how well these Deacs can come together in their chase for the NCAA Tournament!