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AP men's college basketball Top 25 poll breakdown

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Arizona grabs top spot in Top 25 men's hoops poll (1:12)

Arizona grabs top spot in Top 25 men's hoops poll (1:12)

The fifth AP Top 25 poll of the 2025-26 season has arrived, following the first week of league play for many conferences, as well as a week that shook up many of the Top 25 teams. Saturday was the first time multiple AP top-10 teams lost nonconference home games on the same day since Dec. 6, 2017, exactly eight years ago.

After being blown out 81-58 by Iowa State on Saturday, Purdue drops out of the top 5, with the Cyclones rising up to No. 4. Arizona is now No. 1. Michigan, Duke and UConn round out the rest of the top 5.

Arkansas (eight spots), Iowa State (six), Gonzaga (three) and Texas Tech (three) saw the biggest jumps this week. Tennessee (seven spots), Louisville (five) and Purdue (five) saw the biggest drops in ranking.

Kentucky, Indiana and USC dropped out to make way for new entrants Nebraska, Virginia and UCLA.

Overall, just UConn (No. 4) and Alabama (No. 12) didn't change position.

Let's take a look at the Top 25, how teams 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 | Week 4

1. Arizona Wildcats

Previous ranking: 2

2025-26 record: 8-0

Stat to know: Arizona defeated Auburn by 29 points, its largest win over an AP Top 25 team since Nov. 23, 2002, against then-No. 19 Western Kentucky (won by 39). The Wildcats are now 95-0 (since 2018-19) when leading by 20 or more points at any point of a game.

What's next: Saturday vs. Alabama in Birmingham, 9:30 p.m., ESPN


2. Michigan Wolverines

Previous ranking: 3

2025-26 record: 8-0

Stat to know: Michigan has outscored its past four opponents by a combined 151 points. Three of those teams went to the Final Four within the past five years (Auburn last season, San Diego State in 2022-23, Gonzaga in 2020-21). That is the largest point differential by the Wolverines since they outscored their opponents by 151 points through four straight games in 2015-16 against Delaware State, Northern Kentucky, Youngstown State and Bryant.

What's next: Tuesday vs. Villanova, 6:30 p.m., FS1


3. Duke Blue Devils

Previous ranking: 4

2025-26 record: 10-0

Stat to know: Duke now has four wins against AP-ranked opponents this season, tied for its most within the first 10 games of a season since the AP poll era began in 1948-49 (also happened in 1978-79). The Blue Devils are tied with Arizona for most wins over AP-ranked opponents this season.

What's next: Tuesday vs. Lipscomb, 6 p.m., ACC Network


4. Iowa State Cyclones

Previous ranking: 10

2025-26 record: 9-0

Stat to know: After defeating Purdue by 23 points over the weekend, Iowa State is the first team to win three consecutive meetings against the AP No. 1 team since Boston College did it from 2009-17. Each of those games have been on the road or at a neutral site, making the Cyclones the fourth team in AP poll history to have three straight meetings against AP No. 1 opponents come away from home and win all three. They join: Arizona from 1997-2001 (two road wins, one neutral), UMass from 1993-95 (all neutral) and Cincinnati from 1959-62 (all neutral). The Cyclones are also one of just two teams in AP poll history to have multiple 20-point wins against No. 1 opponents (beat Houston by 28 in the 2024 Big 12 championship game), joining North Carolina, which defeated then-No. 1 Duke by 20 in 1989 and by 24 in 1998.

What's next: Thursday vs. Iowa, 8 p.m., FS1


5. UConn Huskies

Previous ranking: 5

2025-26 record: 8-1

Stat to know: UConn now has 35 consecutive regular-season wins at home against nonconference unranked opponents, the second-longest streak among current Big East teams. (Providence has 37 such wins.)

What's next: Tuesday vs. Florida in New York (Jimmy V Classic), 9 p.m., ESPN


6. Purdue Boilermakers

Previous ranking: 1

2025-26 record: 8-1

Stat to know: Purdue's 23-point loss to Iowa State matches the largest home loss by an AP No. 1 team in the AP poll era, tying a 96-73 loss by then-No. 1 UConn at the hands of Villanova on Feb. 18, 1995.

What's next: Wednesday vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m., BTN


7. Houston Cougars

Previous ranking: 8

2025-26 record: 8-1

Stat to know: The Cougars have the longest active win streak (29) against unranked opponents in Division I men's college basketball, after defeating Florida State over the weekend. That win also gave coach Kelvin Sampson his 807th in Division I, passing Eddie Sutton for 15th most all-time.

What's next: Wednesday vs. Jackson State, 8 p.m., ESPN+


8. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Previous ranking: 11

2025-26 record: 9-1

Stat to know: On Friday, coach Mark Few picked up his 750th career win as a head coach, in his 903rd game. That's the second-fewest games to reach 750 wins in Division I history, one game shy of legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp (902). (Note: Gonzaga has 751 wins during Few's tenure as head coach, but assistant Brian Michaelson is credited with one game (a win) in 2021-22 while Few was serving a suspension.)

What's next: Saturday vs. UCLA in Seattle, 11:30 p.m., ESPN


9. Michigan State Spartans

Previous ranking: 7

2025-26 record: 8-1

Stat to know: The Spartans now have nine consecutive losses to AP top-5 opponents, with their last win coming Nov. 22 against then-No. 4 Kentucky. That's their longest losing streak in such games since they went 0-15 from 1985-91, before Tom Izzo was hired.

What's next: Saturday @ Penn State, 12 p.m., BTN


10. BYU Cougars

Previous ranking: 9

2025-26 record: 7-1

Stat to know: AJ Dybantsa has scored 15 or more points in all eight games this season, tying Cameron Boozer for the most such games among Division I freshmen this season. He also now passes Kevin Durant for the second-longest 15-plus-points scoring streak to begin his college career in Big 12 history. Only Trae Young has more, with 26.

What's next: Tuesday vs. Clemson in New York (Jimmy V Classic), 6:30 p.m., ESPN


11. Louisville Cardinals

Previous ranking: 6

2025-26 record: 8-1

Stat to know: Louisville has now scored 80 points or more in eight games, its most within the first nine games of a season since 1991-92 (also eight). Among those are two wins over ranked nonconference opponents, the Cardinals' first season with multiple wins over AP-ranked nonconference opponents since 2016-17 (three that season).

What's next: Saturday vs. Memphis, 3:30 p.m., ESPN


12. Alabama Crimson Tide

Previous ranking: 12

2025-26 record: 7-2

Stat to know: Bama has won seven of its nine games this season by scoring 90 or more points, tied for second in Division I behind Kent State (eight games).

What's next: Saturday vs. Arizona in Birmingham, Ala., 9:30 p.m., ESPN


13. Illinois Fighting Illini

Previous ranking: 14

2025-26 record: 7-2

Stat to know: Illinois is now 2-4 against Tennessee after this weekend -- the other win came Jan. 17, 1988. The win is also its first over an AP top-15 SEC team since Dec. 22, 1990, when it defeated then-No. 10 LSU 102-96.

What's next: Tuesday @ Ohio State, 7:30 p.m., Peacock


14. North Carolina Tar Heels

Previous ranking: 16

2025-26 record: 8-1

Stat to know: Caleb Wilson has six double-doubles this season, breaking a tie with four players for most among Division I freshmen. He is also tied for fifth for the most double-doubles in a season by a UNC freshman, with Day'Ron Sharpe, Tyler Hansbrough, Rasheed Wallas and Mike O'Koren. Ahead of him are Sam Perkins (nine), J.R. Reid (nine), Armando Bacot (11) and Antawn Jamison (13).

What's next: Saturday vs. South Carolina Upstate, 2 p.m., The CW Network


15. Vanderbilt Commodores

Previous ranking: 17

2025-26 record: 9-0

Stat to know: Vanderbilt has its longest win streak to begin a season since 2007-08, when it went 16-0.

What's next: Saturday vs. Central Arkansas, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network


16. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Previous ranking: 19

2025-26 record: 7-2

Stat to know: JT Toppin has six games with 15 or more rebounds while at Texas Tech. No other player in the program's past 30 years has had more than two such games.

What's next: Saturday vs. Arkansas in Dallas, 12 p.m., ESPN2


17. Arkansas Razorbacks

Previous ranking: 25

2025-26 record: 7-2

Stat to know: Arkansas is 12-1 as a ranked team facing unranked teams under John Calipari. The sole loss came against Illinois last November.

What's next: Saturday vs. Arkansas in Dallas, 12 p.m., ESPN2


18. Florida Gators

Previous ranking: 15

2025-26 record: 5-3

Stat to know: Florida has lost three of its first eight games this season. The defending champion Gators didn't lose their third game last season until Feb. 1 (and lost just four games overall).

What's next: Tuesday vs. UConn in New York (Jimmy V Classic), 9 p.m., ESPN


19. Kansas Jayhawks

Previous ranking: 21

2025-26 record: 7-3

Stat to know: Without star freshman Darryn Peterson in the lineup for seven games, the Jayhawks averaged 71 points per game. With him in the lineup -- he returned against Missouri for just his third game of the season -- they average 84 ppg.

What's next: Saturday @ NC State, 5:30 p.m., ESPN


20. Tennessee Volunteers

Previous ranking: 13

2025-26 record: 7-3

Stat to know: Tennessee has lost three consecutive games, each of which it led at halftime. That is the Vols' longest streak of losses when leading at halftime since losing three straight in 2019-20. They had won 10 straight games when leading at halftime before this losing stretch.

What's next: Tuesday vs. Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN


21. Auburn Tigers

Previous ranking: 20

2025-26 record: 7-3

Stat to know: In Saturday's loss to Arizona, Tahaad Pettiford scored 30 of the Tigers' 68 points. It was a career high for Pettiford, and the most points by an Auburn player against an AP top-5 team in the past 20 seasons.

What's next: Saturday vs. Chattanooga in Atlanta, 4:30 p.m., SEC Network


22. St. John's Red Storm

Previous ranking: 23

2025-26 record: 5-3

Stat to know: St. John's has 23 straight wins at home against unranked opponents. The Johnnies' last home loss against an unranked opponent was Feb. 18, 2024, against Seton Hall.

What's next: Saturday vs. Iona, noon, TNT


23. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Previous ranking: Unranked

2025-26 record: 9-0

Stat to know: Nebraska extends its win streak to 13 games dating back to last season, the longest active win streak in Division I and tied for the team's third-longest win streak in program history. The Cornhuskers beat Creighton by 21, the team's largest win in the in-state rivalry since 1995-96 (also 21). Nebraska is now 9-0 on the season, tied with the 1915-16 team for the second-best start to a season in program history (started 10-0 in 1977-78).

What's next: Wednesday vs. Wisconsin, 9 p.m., BTN


24. Virginia Cavaliers

Previous ranking: Unranked

2025-26 record: 8-1

Stat to know: Jacari White went 9-for-9 from the field, and 7-for-7 from the 3-point line against Dayton over the weekend. He has made 12 straight 3s dating back to his last two on Nov. 28, the longest streak in program history -- previously held by Kyle Guy in 2018-19 (11).

What's next: Tuesday vs. Maryland Eastern Shore, 7 p.m., ACC Extra


25. UCLA Bruins

Previous ranking: Unranked

2025-26 record: 7-2

Stat to know: Eric Dailey Jr. lead all five UCLA starters in double figures with 18 points to beat Oregon in the Bruins' second Big Ten game on Saturday.

What's next: Saturday vs. Gonzaga in Seattle, 11:30 p.m., ESPN