A full week of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season is complete, so here’s the first AP Top 25 poll and quick notes on each team. Purdue entered preseason No. 1 but Houston sits atop the first poll. Florida, the reigning champion, fell to No. 10. Top 5: Houston, Purdue, UConn, Duke, Arizona. Biggest risers from preseason (Oct. 13): Arizona (+8 to No. 5), Alabama (+7 to No. 8), North Carolina (+7 to No. 18). Biggest drops: St. John’s (-8 to No. 13), Florida (-7 to No. 10), Arkansas (-7 to No. 21), Kansas (-6 to No. 25). All times Eastern. Stats courtesy of ESPN Research unless noted.
1. Houston Cougars
Preseason: 2 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Freshmen made history vs. Towson — Kingston Flemings first Houston freshman with 20 points on ≥80% shooting in 30+ seasons; Chris Cenac Jr. first freshman with 10+ rebounds in first two games in 30+ seasons.
Next: Wed vs. Oakland, 8 p.m., ESPN+
2. Purdue Boilermakers
Preseason: 1 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Undefeated in nonconference home games since Nov. 2019. Braden Smith has 26 points and 20 assists through two games; only Purdue player in 20 years to average 10+ and 10+ (PPG/APG) through two games.
Next: Thu at Alabama, 7 p.m., ESPN2
3. UConn Huskies
Preseason: 4 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Beat UMass Lowell by 63 — largest UConn win since Dec. 2005; led by 47 at halftime, the biggest halftime lead vs. a Division I opponent since Pepperdine vs. Pacific in the 2024 WCC tournament.
Next: Mon vs. Columbia, 6:30 p.m., FS1
4. Duke Blue Devils
Preseason: 6 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Freshman Cameron Boozer recorded a rare debut double-double and joined elite Duke freshman performances (25+ points and multi-assist/rebound lines including comparisons to Zion Williamson and others).
Next: Tue at Army, 7 p.m., CBSSN
5. Arizona Wildcats
Preseason: 13 | Record: 2-0
Stat: First team to beat an AP top-3 opponent in a season opener since 2019; Arizona has previous history beating top-3 openers (2001).
Next: Tue vs. Northern Arizona, 9 p.m., ESPN+
6. Michigan Wolverines
Preseason: 7 | Record: 1-0
Stat: Scored 121 in opener — most by Michigan since 1990 and most points in a season opener in program history; bench scored 55, most since 2002.
Next: Tue vs. Wake Forest, 6:30 p.m., FS1
7. BYU Cougars
Preseason: 8 | Record: 2-0
Stat: AJ Dybantsa scored 21 in his debut, the fifth-most points in a college debut by the No. 1 player in the SC Next 100 over 15 years.
Next: Tue vs. Delaware, 9 p.m., CBSSN
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
Preseason: 15 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Scored 103 in a road win over No. 5 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden — first road 100-plus vs. a top-5 team since 2016 and first regulation 100-plus vs. top-5 since 2001.
Next: Thu vs. Purdue, 7 p.m., ESPN2
9. Kentucky Wildcats
Preseason: 9 | Record: 2-0
Stat: 10-0 vs. nonconference opponents at Rupp Arena under coach Mark Pope.
Next: Tue at Louisville, 8 p.m., ESPN
10. Florida Gators
Preseason: 3 | Record: 1-1
Stat: First reigning champion to lose its season opener since Syracuse in 2003-04; one of four reigning champs in 30 seasons to start 0-1.
Next: Tue vs. Florida State, 7 p.m., SEC Network
11. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Preseason: 10 | Record: 2-0
Stat: JT Toppin has four career 30-point double-doubles; among Big 12 leaders in 30-point double-doubles over 20 seasons.
Next: Tue at Illinois, 8:30 p.m., FS1
12. Louisville Cardinals
Preseason: 11 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Starting 2-0 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
Stat: Loss to Alabama snapped a 12-game MSG win streak, the program’s second-longest at the venue.
Next: Sat vs. William & Mary, 6 p.m., truTV
14. Illinois Fighting Illini
Preseason: 17 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Scored 113 in consecutive wins (113-70 and 113-55); second time scoring 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
Stat: Donovan Dent debuted with 21 points and 9 assists, 14 points and 6 assists came in the first half.
Next: Mon vs. West Georgia, 10 p.m., B1G+
16. Iowa State Cyclones
Preseason: 16 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Fifth straight season starting 2-0; won first two games by 35+ points for second time in three seasons.
Next: Mon vs. Mississippi State, 8 p.m., ESPNU
17. Michigan State Spartans
Preseason: 22 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Longest active streak for defeating top-15 teams with five straight regular-season wins; 15-1 in past 16 home games as a ranked team.
Next: Thu vs. San José State, 6:30 p.m., BTN
18. North Carolina Tar Heels
Preseason: 25 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Snapped a five-game losing streak vs. Kansas and a four-game losing streak in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups.
Next: Tue vs. Radford, 7 p.m., ACC Network
19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Preseason: 21 | Record: 2-0
Stat: 12 straight wins vs. unranked SEC opponents after defeating Oklahoma; last loss to an unranked SEC team was Dec. 16, 2006.
Next: Tue vs. Creighton, 10 p.m., ESPN
20. Tennessee Volunteers
Preseason: 18 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Nate Ament, No. 4 in the 2025 SC Next 100, is Tennessee’s first freshman with a 20-point game since Julian Phillips (Nov. 24, 2022).
Next: Wed vs. North Florida, 7 p.m., SECN+
21. Arkansas Razorbacks
Preseason: 14 | Record: 1-1
Stat: Darius Acuff Jr. is the first Arkansas freshman with 15+ points and 4+ assists in his first two games in 20+ seasons; joins a short list of Arkansas freshmen with consecutive such games.
Next: Tue vs. Central Arkansas, 8 p.m., SECN+
22. Auburn Tigers
Preseason: 20 | Record: 2-0
Stat: 62 straight nonconference home wins dating to 2016-17 — 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
Stat: 92-75 season-opening win was coach Greg McDermott’s 500th career Division I victory; Bluejays’ 16th straight opener win.
Next: Tue at Gonzaga, 10 p.m., ESPN
24. Wisconsin Badgers
Preseason: 24 | Record: 2-0
Stat: Opened with 97 and 96 points — first consecutive 95+ games since 1993.
Next: Tue vs. Ball State, 8:30 p.m., BTN
25. Kansas Jayhawks
Preseason: 19 | Record: 1-1
Stat: First loss to North Carolina under Bill Self (5-1); freshman Darryn Peterson had consecutive 20+ point games to start a season — first Kansas freshman to do so in 30+ seasons.
Next: Tue vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Previous poll: Preseason (Oct. 13).
