The first AP Top 25 college basketball poll of 2026 featured little shakeup at the very top, with Arizona and Michigan holding firm at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. However, after there was no poll last week due to the lack of teams playing, plenty of movement in the middle took place.
Among the biggest losers were Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky. UCF upset the Jayhawks on the road in its Big 12 opener, and the Tar Heels lost their first ACC road game against SMU. Kentucky, unranked during Year 2 of the Mark Pope era, lost 89-74 against Alabama on the road.
Kansas dropped five spots to No. 22 following the loss, while North Carolina also moved down five spots (No. 17) after being on the wrong side of the upset.
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Gary Parrish
Duke stayed at No. 6 in the poll despite nearly suffering an upset loss against Florida State. The Blue Devils pulled away during the final minute of regulation to escape with an 91-87 win over the Seminoles. Duke lost its first game of the season last month to Texas Tech and opened ACC play with a win over Georgia Tech.
AP Top 25
1. Arizona (32)2. Michigan (29)3. Iowa State4. UConn5. Purdue6. Duke7. Houston8. Gonzaga9. BYU10. Nebraska11. Vanderbilt12. Michigan State13. Alabama14. Texas Tech15. Arkansas16. Illinois17. North Carolina18. Georgia19. Iowa20. Louisville21. Tennessee22. Kansas23. Virginia24. SMU25. UCF
Others receiving votes: Villanova 127, Seton Hall 31, USC 28, Utah State 27, Miami (Ohio) 22, Clemson 21, Saint Louis 14, LSU 14, Texas 12, Florida 11, Saint Mary’s 10, Kentucky 9, California 8, Miami 5, Indiana 4, Auburn 3, TCU 2, UCLA 2, Virginia Tech 2.
Close to a tie for No. 1
As the AP points out, the race for No. 1 between Michigan and Arizona nearly resulted in a tie. Arizona received 32 first-place votes, while Michigan got the other 29. The one-point difference between Michigan and Arizona kept the poll from becoming the second-ever tie for the top spot. The last and only time that happened was in 1981, when Oregon State and Virginia shared the top spot. Arizona has held the No. 1 spot during the last four polls. However, Michigan is making up ground. The door could be open for a new No. 1 as soon as next week.
Nebraska making history
Nebraska has been one of the best stories of the college basketball season. The Huskers are riding an 18-game winning streak dating back to last season. Nebraska entered the top 10 of the poll for the first time since 1966, when the Cornhuskers ranked No. 9. Nebraska is coming off a 58-56 win over Michigan State to move to 14-0. Nebraska’s last loss came against Iowa in its final regular-season game last year.
