We ranked the 32 teams still alive in the 2026 men's NCAA tournament after the first weekend. There was no reseeding — this is a straight evaluation of who looks best now, accounting for opening-round games, season-long body of work and lingering questions from injuries and roster disruptions (notably Duke's Patrick Ngongba II, Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson, UCLA's Tyler Bilodeau, UConn's Silas Demary Jr., and Alabama's Aden Holloway suspension). The bracket produced some predictable results (top four seeds in each region all advanced, all four 9-seeds won) but also has its share of double-digit threats. Here are the teams at the top of the ranking today:
1. Arizona Wildcats — No. 1 (West). Rout of Long Island, 92-58. Balanced attack, interior toughness and a 10-game win streak with 39% shooting from deep during it. Next: Utah State (Sun, 7:50 ET).
2. Duke Blue Devils — No. 1 overall (East). Narrow win over Siena, 71-65. Thin without Ngongba II but Cameron Boozer carried the load; elite defense still a strength. Next: TCU (Sat, 5:15 ET).
3. Florida Gators — No. 1 (South). Blew out Prairie View A&M, 114-55.
