The fourth AP Top 25 poll of the 2025-26 season follows a packed week of men's college basketball.
Feast Week games resulted in preseason favorites dropping (Florida, Houston), and others rising (Michigan, Vanderbilt). Purdue and Arizona hung on to their Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, as did No. 4 Duke and No. 5 UConn, with Michigan shooting into the top-5 at No. 3. Houston meanwhile dropped down to No. 8. Previously outside the top-10, Michigan State rose four spots to No. 7.
The Commodores had the best jump in the AP Poll, rising seven spots to No. 17. No. 10 Iowa State (five spots), No. 13 Tennessee (four spots) and No. 22 Indiana (three spots) were the other big risers.
Kansas made a reappearance in the Top 25 after dropping out last week, with USC the other new team joining after winning the Maui Invitational -- UCLA and NC State dropped out to make room for the two teams.
St. John's fell the furthest, going nine spots down to No. 23. Florida fell five spots to No. 15, with Alabama (four spots) and Arkansas (three spots) also seeing a drop this week.
Let's take a look at the top 25 teams, how they got there and what's coming up next for each team this week.
All times Eastern. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of ESPN Research.
Previous polls: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Previous ranking: 1
2025-26 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Braden Smith is now second on the Big Ten all-time assists list, with 821, passing Mateen Cleaves (816) in the win against Eastern Illinois on Friday. He's chasing Cassius Winston's record of 890. And with 7.02 career APG, Smith joins Magic Johnson (7.9) as only players in Big Ten history to average 7 APG (min. 50 games).
What's next: Tuesday at Rutgers, 8 p.m., FS1
2. Arizona Wildcats
Previous ranking: 2
2025-26 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Arizona now has 18 100-point games in the past five seasons -- since Tommy Lloyd became head coach. That's the third-most such games in Division I in that span behind Alabama (26) and Gonzaga (25).
What's next: Saturday vs. Auburn, 10 p.m., ESPN
3. Michigan Wolverines
Previous ranking: 7
2025-26 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Michigan ranks first in the first NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) ranking of the season. The Wolverines have three current Quad 1 wins (at TCU; vs. Auburn, and vs. Gonzaga at the Players Era Festival), the most such wins in the country. That win over Gonzaga, by 40 points (101-61), is the second-largest win by a Big Ten team against an AP-ranked opponent, after No. 20 Minnesota beat No. 12 Indiana 106-56 on Feb. 27, 1994.
What's next: Saturday vs. Rutgers, 4 p.m., BTN
4. Duke Blue Devils
Previous ranking: 4
2025-26 record: 8-0
Stat to know: Cameron Boozer is the first Duke player over the last 45 years with multiple 35-point games on 70% shooting in a season. There have been just three Duke players in the past 45 years to record multiple 35-point games in their college careers: JJ Redick (nine) didn't have multiple such games until he'd played his 99th. Jay Williams (three) got his second 35-point performance in his 83rd game. Boozer is eight games into his career at Duke.
What's next: Tuesday vs. Florida (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Duke Blue Devils vs. Arkansas Razorbacks: Game Highlights
5. UConn Huskies
Previous ranking: 5
2025-26 record: 6-1
Stat to know: UConn is one of just five teams with multiple wins against Top-15 opponents this season. The Huskies are now 5-0 against Big Ten teams over the past four seasons (each of the last three were Top-15 wins). They are also now 4-1 all time against Illinois, with that single loss coming in 1938-39.
What's next: Tuesday at Kansas, 9 p.m., ESPN2
6. Louisville Cardinals
Previous ranking: 6
2025-26 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Louisville has multiple wins by at least 50 points in a single season for the first time since 2004-05.
What's next: Wednesday at Arkansas (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 7:15 p.m., ESPN
7. Michigan State Spartans
Previous ranking: 11
2025-26 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Michigan State is tied with Arizona for most wins against AP-ranked opponents this season, at three. The Spartans are also undefeated through their first seven games for the first time since 2015-16, when they went 13-0.
What's next: Tuesday vs. Iowa, 7 p.m., Peacock
8. Houston Cougars
Previous ranking: 3
2025-26 record: 7-1
Stat to know: Houston has 28 straight wins against unranked opponents. The Cougars' last loss to an unranked team was Nov. 30, 2024, against San Diego State in overtime (73-70).
What's next: Saturday vs. Florida State (Houston Hoops Showdown), 8 p.m., Peacock
9. BYU Cougars
Previous ranking: 9
2025-26 record: 6-1
Stat to know: AJ Dybantsa has scored at least 15 points in all seven games to begin his college career, tying Kevin Durant for the second-longest such streak in Big 12 history. (Trae Young had the longest streak, at 26 games).
What's next: Wednesday vs. California Baptist, 9 p.m., ESPN+
BYU Cougars vs. Dayton Flyers: Game Highlights
10. Iowa State Cyclones
Previous ranking: 15
2025-26 record: 7-0
Stat to know: In its first matchup against Syracuse since 1990-91 (and third overall), Iowa State got the win, its first against the Orange. The Cyclones are also now 7-0, their best start to a season since opening 2021-22 with 12 straight wins.
What's next: Wednesday vs. Alcorn State, 8 p.m., ESPN+
11. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Previous ranking: 12
2025-26 record: 7-1
Stat to know: Gonzaga has allowed an opponent to score 100 points just five times in program history -- and has gone 1-4 in those games. The lone win came Nov. 22, 2005, against Michigan State (109-106).
What's next: Friday at Kentucky (Music City Madness), 7 p.m., ESPN2
12. Alabama Crimson Tide
Previous ranking: 8
2025-26 record: 5-2
Stat to know: With 43 points and 10-for-13 shooting from 3 in Alabama's final two games at the Players Era Festival, Aden Holloway is the second Crimson Tide player over the last 20 seasons to average 20 points and five 3s on 75% 3-point shooting over a two-game span, joining Trevor Releford in Nov. 2012. He is the first SEC player to complete the feat since Kentucky's Rob Dillingham did so in Feb. 2024.
What's next: Wednesday vs. Clemson (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 7:15 p.m., ESPNU
13. Tennessee Volunteers
Previous ranking: 17
2025-26 record: 7-1
Stat to know: With the loss to Kansas in the Players Era third-place game, Tennessee snapped a 40-game winning streak against unranked nonconference opponents while ranked (the Volunteers' last loss was 66-78 on Nov. 13, 2022 vs Colorado when Tennessee was ranked No. 11). That 40-game winning streak against unranked nonconference opponents while ranked was Tennessee's longest such streak in program history. The Vols are now 79-8 against unranked nonconference opponents while ranked under Rick Barnes.
What's next: Tuesday at Syracuse (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 7 p.m., ESPN
14. Illinois Fighting Illini
Previous ranking: 13
2025-26 record: 6-2
Stat to know: Illinois is now 1-4 against UConn all-time, last pulling out a win in 1938-39. The Fighting Illini have also lost their fourth consecutive game against a Top-5 opponent to fall to 1-8 in their past nine games against Top-5 opponents.
What's next: Saturday vs. Tennessee in Nashville (Music City Madness), 8 p.m., ESPN
15. Florida Gators
Previous ranking: 10
2025-26 record: 5-2
Stat to know: The Gators have now had two nonconference losses this season, both against Big 12 teams -- Arizona on opening night, TCU in the Rady Children's Invitational final. They were 19-0 against nonconference opponents last season.
What's next: Tuesday at Duke (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 7:30 p.m., ESPN
16. North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous ranking: 16
2025-26 record: 6-1
Stat to know: Caleb Wilson has had four consecutive games with at least 15 points and 5 rebounds, tying Cole Anthony for the longest such streak by a Tar Heels freshman over the past 20 seasons.
What's next: Tuesday at Kentucky (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 9:30 p.m., ESPN
17. Vanderbilt Commodores
Previous ranking: 24
2025-26 record: 8-0
Stat to know: The Battle 4 Atlantis champions beat Saint Mary's (which ousted the Commodores in the first round of the 2025 NCAA tournament) to win. The Commodores now have an 8-0 start for the first time since 2007-08. They also scored 80 or more points in each of their first eight games of a season since joining the SEC in 1932-33.
What's next: Wednesday vs. SMU (ACC/SEC Challenge), 9:15 p.m., SEC Network
Duke Miles delivers 25 points and earns MVP honors as the No. 24 Commodores roll the Gaels, 96-71, to win the Battle 4 Atlantis and remain undefeated (8-0).
18. Kentucky Wildcats
Previous ranking: 19
2025-26 record: 5-2
Stat to know: Kentucky was 15 of 30 from beyond the arc in its lone game (and win) last week. That's the third time over the past 20 seasons that the Wildcats have shot 50% from 3 (min. 30 attempts). In all three instances, UK scored at least 95 points, and won every game. All three instances have come in the past two seasons.
What's next: Tuesday vs. North Carolina (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 9:30 p.m., ESPN
19. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Previous ranking: 20
2025-26 record: 6-2
Stat to know: Texas Tech has 43 straight home nonconference wins, with its last loss coming Jan. 25, 2020 against Kentucky. That's the third-longest active streak in Division I, behind Auburn (64) and Baylor (47).
What's next: Sunday vs. LSU in Fort Worth (Coast-to-Coast Challenge), 3 p.m., ESPN2
Wyoming Cowboys vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Game Highlights
20. Auburn Tigers
Previous ranking: 21
2025-26 record: 6-2
Stat to know: Auburn had 85 points in its win against St. John's in the Players Era Festival, its most points against a ranked team this season. The win was also Steven Pearl's first against a ranked opponent, to put him 1-2 overall this season. His father Bruce Pearl was 5-1 against ranked nonconference opponents last season.
What's next: Wednesday vs. NC State (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 9:15 p.m., ESPN
21. Kansas Jayhawks
Previous ranking: Unranked
2025-26 record: 6-2
Stat to know: Kansas, which now has its first win against a ranked opponent this season after having lost its previous two such matchups, is the only Division I team that has not allowed an opponent to shoot 30% from beyond the arc in a game this season -- the Jayhawks held Tennessee to 28% shooting from 3 in the Players Era Festival third-place game.
What's next: Tuesday vs. UConn, 9 p.m., ESPN2
22. Indiana Hoosiers
Previous ranking: 25
2025-26 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Indiana is the only unbeaten Football Bowl Subdivision school that also has unbeaten men's and women's basketball teams. The men's basketball team is 7-0 for the first time since last making the NCAA tournament in 2023 -- 50 years after posting the last perfect record. -- The Associated Press
What's next: Wednesday at Minnesota, 7 p.m., BTN
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Indiana Hoosiers: Game Highlights
23. St. John's Red Storm
Previous ranking: 14
2025-26 record: 4-3
Stat to know: St. John's has now lost eight consecutive games against ranked nonconference opponents, last winning on Dec. 21, 2019 against then-No. 16 Arizona. That puts Rick Pitino at 0-4 vs ranked nonconference opponents while at St. John's.
What's next: Saturday vs. Ole Miss, 8 p.m., Peacock
24. USC Trojans
Previous ranking: Unranked
2025-26 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Chad Baker-Mazara is no stranger to winning in Maui, having now won the 2025 and 2024 (with Auburn) editions of the Maui Invitational. He's the first player to win back-to-back championships at this event over the past 30 years. USC, meanwhile, a first-time Maui Invitational champion, has its longest season-opening win streak since 2021-22 (13) and has now won nine of its last 11 meetings with Arizona State.
What's next: Tuesday at Oregon, 10 p.m., FSI
USC Trojans vs. Arizona State Sun Devils: Game Highlights
25. Arkansas Razorbacks
Previous ranking: 22
2025-26 record: 5-2
Stat to know: Both of the Razorbacks' losses so far this season have been to ranked teams: at then-No. 22 Michigan State by 3 on Nov. 8, and vs. then-No. 4 Duke by 9 last week in Chicago.
What's next: Wednesday vs. Louisville (ACC/SEC Men's Challenge), 7:15 p.m., ESPN