Which men's college basketball conference is the deepest entering November?

College basketball fans argue about which conference is the deepest all season long, especially when the NCAA Tournament rolls around. So why not do everyone a favor and try to answer that question before the season begins?

SEC – Most top 25 teams

The SEC received plenty of love from voters, holding seven spots in the preseason AP Top 25, the most of any conference. This is warranted as No. 1 Florida returns its veterans, No. 7 Texas has a revamped roster loaded with talent and No. 12 Arkansas features two possible lottery picks in the 2027 NBA Draft.

However, as often seen in sports, preseason rankings don’t mean much.

While the Gators are a popular pick to win it all, questions remain surrounding other teams. Sean Miller’s Longhorns had one of the best offseasons thanks to recruiting a pair of five-star prospects and securing key transfers. Meanwhile, No. 8 Tennessee was aggressive in the transfer portal in hopes of overhauling its offense. But will both teams’ talent mesh and translate into on-court chemistry?

Questions arise throughout the rest of the conference too. Will Mark Pope handle the pressure during a pivotal season at Kentucky? Who else will step up at Vanderbilt besides Tyler Tanner? There are too many questions across the SEC to definitively say it’s the deepest conference.

Big Ten – Heavy at the top

Illinois and Michigan State begin the season ranked in the top six, both with aspirations of earning a No. 1 seed come March. Apart from losing Keaton Wagler to the NBA, the Fighting Illini return their playmakers from their Final Four run, including standout David Mirkovic. On the other hand, the Spartans are led by one of the best players in the country in Jeremy Fears Jr.