A full week of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season is in the books and the first AP Top 25 poll is out. Purdue began the preseason at No. 1, but Houston takes the top spot in this initial ranking. Florida, last year’s champion, slid to No. 10. Top five: Houston, Purdue, UConn, Duke, Arizona. Biggest movers since the Oct. 13 preseason ballot: Arizona (+8 to No. 5), Alabama (+7 to No. 8) and North Carolina (+7 to No. 18). Largest drops: St. John’s (-8 to No. 13), Florida (-7 to No. 10), Arkansas (-7 to No. 21) and Kansas (-6 to No. 25). Times Eastern. Stats from ESPN Research unless noted.
1. Houston Cougars
Preseason: 2 | Record: 2-0
Note: Freshmen starred in the win over Towson — Kingston Flemings became the first Houston freshman in 30+ seasons to score 20 on at least 80% shooting in a 30-plus minute game, and Chris Cenac Jr. is the first Houston freshman in 30+ seasons to grab 10+ rebounds in his first two games.
Next: Wed vs. Oakland, 8 p.m., ESPN+
2. Purdue Boilermakers
Preseason: 1 | Record: 2-0
Note: Purdue’s nonconference home streak remains unbroken since Nov. 2019. Braden Smith has totaled 26 points and 20 assists through two games — the first Purdue player in 20 years to average at least 10 points and 10 assists over the first two games.
Next: Thu at Alabama, 7 p.m., ESPN2
3. UConn Huskies
Preseason: 4 | Record: 2-0
Note: UConn routed UMass Lowell by 63, their largest margin since Dec. 2005. They led by 47 at halftime — the largest halftime advantage vs. a Division I opponent for UConn since 2005 and one of the biggest such halves measured recently.
Next: Mon vs. Columbia, 6:30 p.m., FS1
4. Duke Blue Devils
Preseason: 6 | Record: 2-0
Note: Freshman Cameron Boozer recorded a rare debut double-double and drew early-season comparisons to some of Duke’s most explosive freshman efforts.
Next: Tue at Army, 7 p.m., CBSSN
5. Arizona Wildcats
Preseason: 13 | Record: 2-0
Note: Arizona became the first team since 2019 to beat an AP top-3 opponent in a season opener. The program has prior history of top-3 opening wins, including 2001.
Next: Tue vs. Northern Arizona, 9 p.m., ESPN+
6. Michigan Wolverines
Preseason: 7 | Record: 1-0
Note: Michigan scored 121 in its opener — the most by the program since 1990 and the highest season-opening point total in school history. The bench contributed 55 points, its biggest reserve output since 2002.
Next: Tue vs. Wake Forest, 6:30 p.m., FS1
7. BYU Cougars
Preseason: 8 | Record: 2-0
Note: AJ Dybantsa scored 21 in his BYU debut, one of the top scoring debuts by a No. 1 player in the SC Next 100 over the past 15 years.
Next: Tue vs. Delaware, 9 p.m., CBSSN
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
Preseason: 15 | Record: 2-0
Note: Alabama poured in 103 points in a road win over No. 5 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden — the first road 100-plus performance vs. a top-5 team since 2016 and the first regulation 100-plus vs. a top-5 team since 2001.
Next: Thu vs. Purdue, 7 p.m., ESPN2
9. Kentucky Wildcats
Preseason: 9 | Record: 2-0
Note: Under coach Mark Pope, Kentucky is 10-0 in nonconference games at Rupp Arena.
Next: Tue at Louisville, 8 p.m., ESPN
10. Florida Gators
Preseason: 3 | Record: 1-1
Note: Florida became the first reigning national champion to lose its season opener since Syracuse in 2003-04; only four defending champions in the past 30 seasons have opened 0-1.
Next: Tue vs. Florida State, 7 p.m., SEC Network
11. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Preseason: 10 | Record: 2-0
Note: JT Toppin has compiled four career 30-point double-doubles, placing him among Big 12 leaders in that category over the past two decades.
Next: Tue at Illinois, 8:30 p.m., FS1
12. Louisville Cardinals
Preseason: 11 | Record: 2-0
Note: Louisville is 2-0 to start the season for the first time since 2020-21.
Next: Tue vs. Kentucky, 8 p.m., ESPN
13. St. John’s Red Storm
Preseason: 5 | Record: 1-1
Note: The loss to Alabama ended a 12-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden, the program’s second-longest streak at that venue.
Next: Sat vs. William & Mary, 6 p.m., truTV
14. Illinois Fighting Illini
Preseason: 17 | Record: 2-0
Note: Illinois has scored 113 points in consecutive wins (113-70, 113-55) — the second time the program has eclipsed 110 in back-to-back games in the AP poll era.
Next: Tue vs. Texas Tech, 8:30 p.m., FS1
15. UCLA Bruins
Preseason: 12 | Record: 2-0
Note: Donovan Dent debuted with 21 points and nine assists, with 14 points and six assists coming in the first half alone.
Next: Mon vs. West Georgia, 10 p.m., B1G+
16. Iowa State Cyclones
Preseason: 16 | Record: 2-0
Note: Iowa State is off to its fifth straight 2-0 start; the Cyclones won by 35-plus points in their first two games for the second time in three seasons.
Next: Mon vs. Mississippi State, 8 p.m., ESPNU
17. Michigan State Spartans
Preseason: 22 | Record: 2-0
Note: Michigan State holds the longest active regular-season run against top-15 teams with five straight wins and is 15-1 in its last 16 home games as a ranked squad.
Next: Thu vs. San José State, 6:30 p.m., BTN
18. North Carolina Tar Heels
Preseason: 25 | Record: 2-0
Note: North Carolina snapped a five-game skid vs. Kansas and ended a four-game losing run in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups.
Next: Tue vs. Radford, 7 p.m., ACC Network
19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Preseason: 21 | Record: 2-0
Note: After beating Oklahoma, Gonzaga extended a streak against unranked SEC opponents to 12 straight wins; its last loss to an unranked SEC team came Dec. 16, 2006.
Next: Tue vs. Creighton, 10 p.m., ESPN
20. Tennessee Volunteers
Preseason: 18 | Record: 2-0
Note: Freshman Nate Ament (No. 4 in the 2025 SC Next 100) is Tennessee’s first freshman with a 20-point game since Julian Phillips in 2022.
Next: Wed vs. North Florida, 7 p.m., SECN+
21. Arkansas Razorbacks
Preseason: 14 | Record: 1-1
Note: Darius Acuff Jr. is the first Arkansas freshman in 20+ seasons to post 15+ points and 4+ assists in each of his first two games, joining a short list of Razorback freshmen with consecutive high-scoring, multi-assist starts.
Next: Tue vs. Central Arkansas, 8 p.m., SECN+
22. Auburn Tigers
Preseason: 20 | Record: 2-0
Note: Auburn’s nonconference home winning streak reached 62 dating to 2016-17 — the fourth-longest active SEC streak as of Nov. 6.
Next: Tue vs. Wofford, 8 p.m., SECN+
23. Creighton Bluejays
Preseason: 23 | Record: 1-0
Note: Creighton’s 92-75 season-opening victory was Greg McDermott’s 500th career Division I win, and the Bluejays extended their streak of opening-game wins to 16.
Next: Tue at Gonzaga, 10 p.m., ESPN
24. Wisconsin Badgers
Preseason: 24 | Record: 2-0
Note: Wisconsin opened with 97 and 96 points in back-to-back games — their first consecutive 95-plus point games since 1993.
Next: Tue vs. Ball State, 8:30 p.m., BTN
25. Kansas Jayhawks
Preseason: 19 | Record: 1-1
Note: Kansas suffered its first loss to North Carolina under Bill Self (now 5-1) and freshman Darryn Peterson produced consecutive 20-plus point games to start the season — a feat not accomplished by a Kansas freshman in 30+ seasons.
Next: Tue vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Previous poll: Preseason (Oct. 13).
