On today's ESPN website Jay Bilas lists his best 68 teams for '25-'26. Eleven Big Ten teams are included but not Iowa. Hawks are beaten out by such powerhouses as Belmont, McNeese, Liberty, and Akron, among others.
The Bilas Index: Best 68 teams of 2025-2026
- Thread starter Randon
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I think the Hawks still have a fair amount of work to do to ensure inclusion to the dance. Last night was a very good first step.
That is just absolutely stupid by Bilas.
He wasn’t predicting the field, he was ranking his top 68 teams. He had plenty of teams who won’t make the dance in the rankings.
Right. There are always schools that get excluded because of guaranteed spots for small conference champions.
So.. him not putting Iowa in his top 68 is even more egregious.
This is a major insult to Iowa. Should be an incentive for Hawks to step it up.
Well yeah I guess. The top 50 or so teams plus the champions fron the smaller school conferences make up the field, so if Bilas was in charge, Iowa wouldn't be sniffing an at large birth.
We got a signature win last nite.
Now let's get another on Sunday at Wis.
Of course beating Michigan would also help.
Kidding...wolves are g- league level
Now let's get another on Sunday at Wis.
Of course beating Michigan would also help.
Kidding...wolves are g- league level
That's what you get when you combine extreme bias with willful ignorance. Iowa is at least top 30 in KenPom and NET. That ESPN chap is an embarrassment to the sport. That's why on my list of the top 1,000 college basketball experts, that chap is nowhere to be seen.
What a dumbass. Iowa is 24/26 in Kenpom and NET, respectively, but can't crack JB's field? Guy just lost any credibility he might have had with me. Not sure how much he really even had to begin with.
Who cares what this guy thinks? He clearly didn't put much thought into this list!
Sic Fred Hoiberg on Jay Bilas and have him slap Bilas in the face.
Is he an 'anti-analytics' guy? How do he include 18-10 Illinois St. ?
If it's clickbait I guess it's working...
If he has 11 B1G teams in and Iowa isn’t one of them, who does he have in ahead of Iowa?
All you need to know from this is that Bilas has 13-13 (5-10) Washington at #44 in his Index of 68 teams.
Beyond ignorant.
All you need to know from this is that Bilas has 13-13 (5-10) Washington at #44 in his Index of 68 teams.
Beyond ignorant.
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When I read this the other day I saw Washington in the mid-40s and scrolled back up because I knew must have somehow skipped Iowa earlier. Nope!
Yeah. In what metric is Washington > Iowa? NET? Nope. Kenpom? Nope. Adjusted O? Nope. Adjusted D? Nope. Overall record? Nope. Conference standings? Nope.
Plus, Iowa beat them head to head on their own court.
I don't take any of this seriously, but come on, man. If you're going to be one of the talking heads, I expect better.
I have a hard time with this guy anymore. He used to be tolerable, now he is PIA IMO.
This was less than a week after Wash. lost at home to PSU. 67th team Illinois st is 18-10 tied for 5th in MVC with Uni at 10-7 with zero wins over top 5 conf. Seriously did he accidentally forget about Iowa?
If not reminds me of espn’s awful college football fpi ratings. Which had LSU #3 after national title game year burrow led them to an undefeated season.
I assume he just forgot about Iowa and it wasn't some intentional slight, but that's shoddy.
The thing about Jay Bilas is that he is full of hot takes. But he believes that since he is Jay Bilas, they aren't hot takes and should be taken as gospel.
Sort of fun to compare the preseason list to the current one.
November: The Bilas Index: The best 68 men's basketball teams in 2025-26 - ESPN
Highlights of Bilas in November: UCLA at #10, Creighton at #21, Baylor at #22, Ole Miss at #24, Auburn at #27, Maryland at #29, Oregon at #40, Nebraska at #47, K State at #54.
Sort of fun to compare the preseason list to the current one.
November: The Bilas Index: The best 68 men's basketball teams in 2025-26 - ESPN
Highlights of Bilas in November: UCLA at #10, Creighton at #21, Baylor at #22, Ole Miss at #24, Auburn at #27, Maryland at #29, Oregon at #40, Nebraska at #47, K State at #54.