The Index: Explaining Jay Bilas’ top 68 college basketball teams originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Jay Bilas has been a college basketball staple for ESPN over 31 years. A former Duke Blue Devil, Bilas was a four-year starter under Mike Krzyzewski. The “Bilas Index” is a list of the top 68 college basketball teams released just short of the end of the regular season.
Similar to most top rankings' lists, Bilas’ Index is organized 1-68. That format works for identifying singular teams or the teams at the top. However, a 1-68 falls short of understanding the totality of the list.
By organizing the list according to team rank position but grouped by conference, it allows us to see a more comprehensive look as Bilas’ list. This will not only highlight what conferences have the most top 68 teams, but also where they are ranked according to Bilas.
The original Bilas Index is available at ESPN.
It's a compelling example of almost mathematical balance. Everything about this list, once reorganized, ‘feels’ accurate. From how many teams are on the list of each of the Power 4 conferences, but also the number of teams from traditional non-Power 4 basketball conferences.
The Power 4 Conferences
The Power 4 balance is remarkable. Between the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC Bilas has exactly 45 teams divided over the Power 4 conferences. Divided almost perfectly. Bilas has 11 ACC teams, 11 Big Ten teams, 11 Big 12 teams, and surprisingly enough 12 SEC teams.
There is some disparage between which conferences have the most top 5, top 10, top 15 teams, but the number of teams is almost even. Of the Power 4 conferences, only the Big Ten has five top 15 teams. The Big 12 has four, while the ACC and the SEC both only have two.
Outside of the top 15 ranked teams, the distribution of teams is very “middle heavy”. The lowest ranked Power 4 team is the No. 64 Stanford Cardinal (ACC). However, all of the Power 4 conferences only have eight teams outside the top 50.
The ACC
| 3 | Duke |
| 15 | UNC |
| 21 | Virginia |
| 23 | Louisville |
| 29 | Clemson |
| 36 | SMU |
| 38 | Miami |
| 39 | NC State |
| 53 | Virginia Tech |
| 63 | California |
| 64 | Stanford |
The Big Ten
| 1 | Michigan |
| 6 | Illinois |
| 10 | Nebraska |
| 11 | Purdue |
| 12 | Michigan State |
| 32 | UCLA |
| 34 | Indiana |
| 37 | Wisconsin |
| 44 | Washington |
| 45 | USC |
| 50 | Ohio State |
The Big 12
| 2 | Arizona |
| 4 | Houston |
| 5 | Iowa State |
| 9 | Kansas |
| 18 | Texas Tech |
| 22 | BYU |
| 43 | UCF |
| 52 | Oklahoma State |
| 54 | West Virginia |
| 55 | TCU |
| 56 | Baylor |
The SEC
| 7 | Florida |
| 14 | Vanderbilt |
| 16 | Tennessee |
| 17 | Alabama |
| 20 | Arkansas |
| 27 | Texas A&M |
| 28 | Kentucky |
| 30 | Auburn |
| 31 | Texas |
| 33 | Georgia |
| 49 | Missouri |
| 61 | LSU |
Non-Power 4 Conferences with traditional basketball history
Many teams who have enjoyed basketball success historically also make the Bilas Index. While the bulk of the college basketball landscape has moved towards the Power 4, especially after realignment, but the traditional programs still compete.
This group includes the Big East, the West Coast, Atlantic 10 and MAC conferences. Among those teams from those conferences include big tournament numbers. This group of teams includes 210 NCAA Tournament appearances, 72 Sweet 16 appearances and 13 National Championships. 14 if we include Saint Louis’ 1948 NIT championship.
While most of those larger numbers belong to the Big East, many other memorable performances came from this group of teams.
Big East
| 8 | UConn |
| 19 | St. John's |
| 24 | Villanova |
| 42 | Seton Hall |
WCC
| 13 | Gonzaga |
| 35 | Saint Mary's |
| 48 | Santa Clara |
A10
| 25 | Saint Louis |
| 46 | VCU |
| 66 | George Mason |
MAC
| 26 | Miami (OH) |
| 51 | Akron |
Teams historically on the outside looking in
The final group of the Bilas Index is the also rans. While all of these teams have tournament moments, none of them have significant deep runs or have not been a real threat for quite some time.
Each of these six conferences have had their moments. Some even significant. Yet, these programs have struggled to break through into becoming title contenders. However, their place on this list is important. The tournament is the great equalizer. Teams expected to win get knocked off and teams no one saw coming often play spoiler.
MWC
| 40 | Utah State |
| 41 | San Diego State |
| 57 | Nevada |
| 58 | New Mexico |
Missouri Valley
| 47 | Belmont |
| 67 | Illinois State |
Conference USA
| 65 | Liberty |
Southland
| 68 | McNeese |
Ivy League
| 60 | Yale |
The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will take place on Sunday March 15, 2026. With the tournament beginning game action on March 17-18. The first round of the tournament will begin on March 19.
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