This is the fifth time in AP poll history (since 1948-49) that three teams — in this season’s case, Arizona, Nebraska and Miami (OH) — have started 20-0. And all three are in the poll for a second consecutive week.
The Wildcats remain the unanimous No. 1 for a second straight week. They, along with UConn, Michigan, Duke and BYU, were the only teams whose rankings remain unchanged.
The top 5 has a new face after Purdue dropped out of the top 10 entirely with two straight losses. At No. 5 now is Nebraska, its highest ranking in program history. Illinois joins the top 10 as well.
After the Boilermakers’ eight-spot drop, the biggest fallers include Alabama (six spots); Houston and Clemson (four spots each); and Virginia, Vanderbilt and Florida (three spots each). Georgia drops out of the poll to make way for St. John’s, at No. 25.
Outside of the Cornhuskers, the biggest risers include North Carolina (six spots); Kansas and Arkansas (five spots each); and Michigan State, Louisville and Saint Louis (three spots each).
Below are the full Top 25 rankings, including what’s next for each team this week.
All times Eastern. All stats courtesy of ESPN Research unless otherwise noted.
Previous polls: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11
Previous ranking: 1
2025-26 record: 20-0
Stat to know: The Wildcats are the second program in Big 12 history to start 20-0, along with Kansas, which did it twice (2007-08 and 1996-97). This is also their third-longest win streak in program history, trailing a 22-game win streak (1914-17) and 21-game win streak (2013-14).
What’s next: Monday at BYU, 9 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 2
2025-26 record: 19-1
Stat to know: UConn’s 15-game win streak is its longest in a season since it won 19 straight en route to winning the 1999 national title. It’s the fourth-longest active streak in Division I. This is also the Huskies’ best 20-game start since 2008-09; they are 9-0 in conference play for the first time since 1998-99 (when they started 11-0).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Providence, 7:30 p.m., TNT/truTV
Previous ranking: 3
2025-26 record: 18-1
Stat to know: Yaxel Lendeborg has the highest plus-minus in Division I this season, at +370.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Nebraska, 7 p.m., Peacock
Previous ranking: 5
2025-26 record: 18-1
Stat to know: Duke has 26 straight wins at home, tied with Miami (OH) and Akron for second-longest active home win streak in Division I, behind St. Thomas (MN) at 28. The Blue Devils’ last loss at home came on March 9, 2024, vs. North Carolina. This is also the team’s longest home win streak since 2012-15 (41 straight).
What’s next: Monday vs. Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 7
2025-26 record: 20-0
Stat to know: Nebraska is the seventh team in Big Ten history to start a season 20-0, the first since Ohio State started 24-0 in 2010-11. The Cornhuskers’ 24th consecutive win dating back to last season is also the longest win streak by a Big Ten school since those 2010-11 Buckeyes.
What’s next: Tuesday at Michigan, 7 p.m., Peacock
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Previous ranking: 8
2025-26 record: 21-1
Stat to know: Gonzaga’s 14-game win streak is its longest since it had 17 straight between December 2021 and February 2022.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Saint Mary’s, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 10
2025-26 record: 18-2
Stat to know: Jeremy Fears Jr. is the first player in Michigan State history to have 15 points and 15 assists in the same game. In fact, he’s the first player in Big Ten history to have 17 points and 17 assists in the same game.
What’s next: Tuesday at Rutgers, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 9
2025-26 record: 18-2
Stat to know: Milan Momcilovic leads Division I in made 3-point field goals this season, with 80.
What’s next: Thursday vs. Colorado, 7 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 11
2025-26 record: 17-3
Stat to know: Keaton Wagler is the first freshman with 40 points in a game in Illinois history. He’s tied with Andy Kaufmann in 1990 for the second-most points in a single game in school history, trailing Dave Downey’s 53 in 1963. His 46 points are the most by any player in a road win over a top-10 opponent in AP poll history. He made nine 3s in the process, the most made 3-pointers in a game in Illinois history.
What’s next: Thursday vs. Washington, 9 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 6
2025-26 record: 17-2
Stat to know: Kingston Flemings was one of three Division I freshman (along with Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa) to score 40 or more points in a game on a single day. This is the first time in Division I history that this has happened (freshmen became eligible to play varsity college basketball only in 1972-1973).
What’s next: Wednesday at TCU, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 12
2025-26 record: 16-4
Stat to know: JT Toppin had his fifth 30-point double-double this season on Saturday against Houston (no other Division I player has more than two). It’s his eighth in two seasons at Texas Tech, moving him ahead of Kevin Durant for second-most such double-doubles in Big 12 history. It’s also the first 30-point double-double Houston has allowed in 12 seasons under Kelvin Sampson.
What’s next: Saturday at UCF, Noon, ESPN2
Previous ranking: 4
2025-26 record: 17-3
Stat to know: Purdue had allowed a single opposing player to score 40 or more points just three times in program history (47 from Ohio State’s Gary Bradds on Jan. 25, 1964; 50 from St. Bonaventure’s Bob Lanier on Dec. 30, 1969; 40 from Michigan State’s Kirk Manns had 40 on January 25, 1989). On Saturday, the Boilermakers allowed Illinois’ Keaton Wagler to become the fourth, with 46.
What’s next: Tuesday at Indiana, 9 p.m., Peacock
Previous ranking: 13
2025-26 record: 17-2
Stat to know: AJ Dybantsa’s 43 points against Utah on Saturday are the most by a freshman in BYU history, breaking the previous record set by Danny Ainge in 1977 (36). The 43 points are also the most by any BYU player in a game since 2014 (Tyler Haws, 48), and the most by a Big 12 player since Trae Young had 44 on Jan. 30, 2018.
What’s next: Monday vs. Arizona, 9 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 19
2025-26 record: 15-5
Stat to know: The Jayhawks won their fourth straight game while snapping a three-game losing streak against Kansas State in Manhattan. They also have won 16 of the past 20 overall in the second-longest active Division I men’s rivalry. — Courtesy of the Associated Press
What’s next: Saturday vs. BYU, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 20
2025-26 record: 15-5
Stat to know: Freshman Darius Acuff Jr. might not have joined the list of freshman 40-point scorers, but he scored or assisted on 45 of Arkansas’ 85 points (14 points off 6 assists), the seventh time this season that he has created at least 40 points in a game. No other SEC player across classes has more than four such games. He is also the first SEC freshman to score 30 points in a game this season. He joins B.J. Young (2012), Bobby Portis (2014) and Isaiah Joe (2018) as the only Arkansas freshmen to record a 30-point game in the last 20 seasons.
What’s next: Tuesday at Oklahoma, 7 p.m., ESPN
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Previous ranking: 22
2025-26 record: 16-4
Stat to know: Caleb Wilson recorded his 14th 20-point game this season, tying with Tyler Hansbrough (2005-06) for most such games by a North Carolina freshman in program history.
What’s next: Saturday at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACCN
Previous ranking: 14
2025-26 record: 16-3
Stat to know: Virginia lost to North Carolina on Saturday after blowing a 16-point lead — its largest blown lead since the 2016 Elite Eight against Syracuse.
What’s next: Tuesday at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 15
2025-26 record: 17-3
Stat to know: Vanderbilt snapped a three-game losing streak after a 16-0 start in style: The 32-point win at Mississippi State is the Commodores’ largest road win since a 41-point win on Feb. 23, 2013, at… Mississippi State. This remains the Commodores’ best 20-game start since 2007-08, when they also started 17-3.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Kentucky, 9 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 16
2025-26 record: 14-6
Stat to know: The Gators have snapped their 16-game home win streak after falling to Auburn on Saturday. They were previously tied with Arkansas for the longest active streak in the SEC entering Saturday.
What’s next: Wednesday at South Carolina, 9 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: 23
2025-26 record: 14-5
Stat to know: The Cardinals are averaging an ACC-best 87.8 PPG this season.
What’s next: Monday at Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 24
2025-26 record: 19-1
Stat to know: Saint Louis had 19 3-pointers on Friday against St. Bonaventure, tied for its most 3s in a game in program history (Dec. 31, 2025, vs. Saint Joseph’s). The Billikens’ 19-1 record is also tied with the 1993-94 squad for the best record through 20 games in program history.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. George Washington, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 18
2025-26 record: 17-4
Stat to know: The Tigers picked up their 12th straight road conference win, and now own the longest active road conference win streak in Division I, after Houston snapped its streak (16) on Saturday.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Pittsburgh, Noon, ACCN
Previous ranking: 17
2025-26 record: 13-6
Stat to know: Charles Bediako, who hadn’t played a game since March 2023 and was only recently allowed to return to college basketball after securing a temporary restraining order, had 13 points, 2 blocks and 2 steals in 25 minutes in his first game back Saturday. Four of his five made field goals were dunks, the most by an Alabama player this season.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Missouri, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: 25
2025-26 record: 20-0
Stat to know: The RedHawks are the second team to go 10-0 or better and also win consecutive games in overtime over the last 30 seasons, joining 2014-15 Kentucky. They’re the first Division I team to score 100-plus points in three straight conference games since Gonzaga in 2021-22. They’re also the first team to go 20-0 in MAC history.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Massachusetts, 9 p.m., ESPNU
Previous ranking: Unranked
2025-26 record: 15-5
Stat to know: Rick Pitino recorded his 900th on-court win Saturday after St. John’s came back from a 16-point deficit against Xavier (coached by his son, Richard Pitino). The Red Storm now have six 15-point comebacks since Pitino became the head coach in 2023-24, tied with Samford for the most such comeback wins in Division I over that span.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Butler, 7 p.m., Peacock
