After a hiatus during the final week of the 2025 calendar year, the AP Men’s Top 25 Poll returns in 2026.
Nebraska moves from 13th to 10th while Michigan State moves from 9th to 12th – the top 10 otherwise remains intact, with Houston and Gonzaga trading places and BYU moving up one.
Florida and USC contend while SMU and UCF move up in the rankings after big wins over North Carolina and Kansas, respectively.
Let’s review the statistical highlights and the next matchup for each of the Top 25 teams.
All times are Eastern. All statistics courtesy of ESPN Research unless otherwise noted.
Previous polls: Pre-season | Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Previous ranking: 1
Results 2025-26: 14-0
Stat to know: One of six undefeated teams in Division I, the Wildcats’ 14-game winning streak is tied for the third-longest to start a season in program history. They won 21 straight in 2013-14, 16 straight in 1931-32 and 14 straight in 2012-13.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Kansas State, 9 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 2
Results 2025-26: 13-0
Stat to know: The Wolverines are 3-0 against AP-ranked teams this season, winning them all by 30 points or more. This makes them the first team in AP poll history with three right 30-point wins against AP-ranked teams. They are the third team in AP Poll history with three 30-point wins over ranked teams in a season, joining Minnesota in 1993-94 and Kentucky in 1996-97.
What’s next: Tuesday @ Penn State, 7 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 3
Results 2025-26: 14-0
Stat to know: Another of DI’s six undefeated teams this season, the Cyclones are tied with them in 2013-14 for their best start in program history. The 14-game winning streak is also tied for the second-longest active winning streak in DI, with Miami (OH) – only Nebraska has more with 18.
What’s next: Wednesday @ Baylor, 8 p.m., Peacock
Previous ranking: 4
Results 2025-26: 14-1
Stat to know: The Huskies have won 10 in a row this season, their longest winning streak since closing 2023-24 with 13 straight victories – and the national championship. This is also their second start going 14-1 or better in the last 15 seasons, with the 2022-23 season winning the national championship.
What’s next: Wednesday @ Providence, 5 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN
Previous ranking: 5
Results 2025-26: 13-1
Stat to know: Braden Smith now holds the Big Ten career assists record, passing Cassius Winston with 12 assists in the win over Wisconsin.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Washington, 8:30 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 6
Results 2025-26: 13-1
Stat to know: Duke won 13 of its first 14 games in a season for just the sixth time in the last 15 years.
What’s next: Tuesday @ Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 8
Results 2025-26: 13-1
Stat to know: The Kingston Flemings led the team with 19 points, 6 assists and 5 steals in Houston’s close win over Cincinnati. He is the only Division I freshman with more than one game of 15 points, 5 assists and 5 steals this season, after racking up 21 points, 5 assists and 8 steals against Florida State on December 6.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Texas Tech, 9 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 7
Results 2025-26: 16-1
Stat to know: Since joining a Division I conference in 1963-64 (the Big Sky at the time), Gonzaga has won 90 games by at least 30 points in conference play. The next closest DI team to such wins during that span is Kentucky with 71. Mark Few is responsible for 79 of those 90 victories, since he became head coach in 1999-2000. The next closest team to win this way, during this period, is Belmont with 38.
What’s next: Thursday vs. Santa Clara, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 10
Results 2025-26: 13-1
Stat to know: BYU has won 10 straight games, its first such streak since 10 straight games during Jimmer Fredette’s senior season in 2010-11. Overall, this is the Cougars’ best start to a season since the 2010-11 season, when they also started 13-1.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Arizona State, 9 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN
Previous ranking: 13
Results 2025-26: 14-0
Stat to know: Nebraska earned its first home win in an AP-ranked game since beating Kansas in 1991. The win over Michigan State on Saturday was its second ranked versus ranked win overall this season, after beating then-No. 13 from Illinois on the road on December 13th. The Cornhuskers had only won three ranked games in program history before this season. Their 18-game winning streak (dating back to last season) is the longest active winning streak in Division I and the longest in program history.
What’s next: Monday @ Ohio State, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 11
Results 2025-26: 14-0
Stat to know: It’s the second time in school history that Vanderbilt — another of DI’s six undefeated men’s teams — has started a season 14-0. The other time was in 2007-08, when the game started 16-0.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Alabama, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 9
Results 2025-26: 12-2
Stat to know: Jaxon Kohler has Michigan State’s longest double-double streak (5) after the loss to Nebraska, after Paul Davis had seven in a row between the end of the 2004-05 season and the start of the 2005-06 season.
What’s next: Monday vs. USC, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 14
Results 2025-26: 11-3
Stat to know: Alabama has now had 34 games in which it made 15 or more 3s under Nate Oats (since 2019-20). The Tide trails only North Florida (36 games) in Division I in that regard.
What’s next: Wednesday @ Vanderbilt, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 15
Results 2025-26: 9-3
Stat to know: There have been four instances where a Texas Tech player has scored or assisted at least 50 points in a game in the last 15 seasons – all belonging to Christian Anderson this season. These are also the four highest games in terms of “points created” by a Texas Tech player in the last 25 years.
What’s next: Tuesday @ Houston, 9 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 18
Results 2025-26: 11-3
Stat to know: Head coach John Calipari is now tied with Rick Barnes for the most career wins among active coaches, with 846.
What’s next: Wednesday @ Ole Miss, 9 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: 20
Results 2025-26: 11-3
Stat to know: Illinois has 14 consecutive wins against unranked opponents, tied for its longest winning streak in the last 20 seasons (last in February-November 2024).
What’s next: Thursday vs. Rutgers, 8:30 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 12
Results 2025-26: 13-2
Stat to know: The Tar Heels allowed 97 points in the weekend’s 14-point loss to SMU — the most they have allowed against an unranked team since Wake Forest scored 98 in 2022. The 14-point margin is also the largest as a ranked team against an unranked team since they lost by 21 to Louisville in 2019.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Wake Forest, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Previous ranking: 23
Results 2025-26: 13-1
Stat to know: Georgia leads the nation in scoring (99.4 points per game) as well as blocks (7.9 per game).
What’s next: Tuesday @ Florida, 7 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: 25
Results 2025-26: 12-2
Stat to know: Iowa’s 12 wins are the team’s most through 14 games since 2020-21 (12-2).
What’s next: Tuesday @ Minnesota, 8 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 16
Results 2025-26: 11-3
Stat to know: Louisville is now 1-3 on the road this season following Friday’s loss to Stanford. It was 9-2 on the road last season. There is one positive, though: The Cardinals are 10-0 at home or at a neutral site this season.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 19
Results 2025-26: 10-4
Stat to know: Tennessee lost its SEC conference opener on Saturday despite shooting better than Arkansas from the field (49% vs. 42%) and from the 3-point line (38% vs. 30%). The Vols lost the game at the free throw line, shooting 12 for 23 (53 percent), compared to 88 percent for the Razorbacks (29 for 33).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Texas, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 17
Results 2025-26: 10-4
Stat to know: Darryn Peterson has scored 103 points in 128 minutes of play so far this season. Those 103 points are the fourth-most in five career games in Big 12 history, behind Michael Beasley (150), Trae Young (141) and Kevin Durant (112).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. TCU, 8 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 21
Results 2025-26: 12-2
Stat to know: Virginia finished 13 of 33 from beyond the arc in Saturday’s 15-point win over NC State — the Cavaliers’ sixth game this season attempting more than 30 3s, their most in a season since at least 1996-97.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. California, 9 p.m., ACC Network
Previous ranking: Unclassified
Results 2025-26: 12-2
Stat to know: SMU’s 97-83 win over North Carolina last Saturday was the Mustangs’ first victory against a Top 25 team since the 2021-22 season. It ended a 12-game losing streak against ranked opponents.
What’s next: Wednesday at Clemson, 9 p.m., ESPNU
Previous ranking: Unclassified
Results 2025-26: 12-1
Stat to know: UCF’s 81-75 win over Kansas last Saturday marked the second time the Knights beat a ranked Jayhawks team at home in the last three seasons.
What’s next: Tuesday at Oklahoma State, 8 p.m., ESPN+
