Introduction to the Preseason Associated Press Top 25 College Basketball Poll
Purdue is No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll for the first time. The Boilermakers earned 35 of 61 first-place votes to top Monday’s poll to begin the 2025-26 season. That put Matt Painter’s squad ahead of the two teams that played in last year’s NCAA title game, with runner-up Houston at No. 2 and reigning champion Florida at No. 3.
“We are obviously excited to get the season going and being ranked No. 1 in the preseason is a great indicator of what we feel this team can accomplish,” Painter said. “But the goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the year. We’re thrilled that people think this highly of our team, but there is a long ways to go and a lot of work to do to reach that goal in April.”
Purdue started a year ranked as high as No. 2 once before, in 1987-88 under Gene Keady.
Purdue’s Milestone and Team Overview
It’s another milestone for Painter, the former Keady player who has built his own successful program that is still looking for its NCAA title breakthrough as he enters his 21st season. Purdue had never been ranked No. 1 in any AP poll before the 2021-22 season, which marked the first of three straight seasons in which the Boilermakers have reached the top. The last was during the 2023-24 season behind two-time AP national player of the year Zach Edey in a run all the way to the national title game.
The Boilermakers reached last year’s Sweet 16 before falling to Houston on a last-second basket, but return a first-team AP All-American in point guard Braden Smith, scoring leader Trey Kaufman-Renn (20.1) and veteran guard Fletcher Loyer.
The Top Tier Teams
Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars earned 16 first-place votes to match the program’s best-ever preseason AP ranking after last year’s finals run. The other No. 2 appearance was by the 1967-68 team led by Elvin Hayes.
Todd Golden’s Gators earned eight first-place votes to start this year with their highest preseason ranking since the last time they entered a year as reigning champions in 2006-07, the start of a run to a second straight title.
UConn was next at No. 4 and earned the remaining two first-place votes. St. John’s was fifth, with Rick Pitino’s Red Storm surpassing the program’s previous best ranking in a preseason AP poll (No. 7 in 1984-85).
Duke was next at No. 6, followed by Michigan, BYU — which landed the nation’s No. 1 recruit in A.J. Dybantsa — Kentucky and Texas Tech to round out the top 10.
Conference Watch
The Southeastern Conference, Big Ten and Big 12 each had six ranked teams to make up 72% of the field. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East were next with three each, while the West Coast Conference had one with No. 21 Gonzaga. The Big 12 was the only league of that group to have three top-10 teams.
AP Top 25 Poll
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purdue | 1485 (35) |
| 2 | Houston | 1459 (16) |
| 3 | Florida | 1382 (8) |
| 4 | UConn | 1299 (2) |
| 5 | St. John’s | 1203 |
| 6 | Duke | 1123 |
| 7 | Michigan | 1084 |
| 8 | BYU | 1078 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 1056 |
| 10 | Texas Tech | 1015 |
| 11 | Louisville | 966 |
| 12 | UCLA | 741 |
| 13 | Arizona | 715 |
| 14 | Arkansas | 695 |
| 15 | Alabama | 620 |
| 16 | Iowa State | 616 |
| 17 | Illinois | 567 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 462 |
| 19 | Kansas | 453 |
| 20 | Auburn | 424 |
| 21 | Gonzaga | 387 |
| 22 | Michigan State | 188 |
| 23 | Creighton | 158 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 136 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 104 |
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Others receiving votes: NC State 101, Oregon 98, San Diego St. 74, Texas 35, Ohio St. 23, Kansas St 13, Mississippi 11, Southern Cal 10, Missouri 8, Washington 7, Vanderbilt 7, Iowa 6, Boise St. 4, Mississippi St. 3, VCU 2, Virginia 2, Saint Mary’s 2, Indiana 1, Oklahoma 1, Baylor 1.
Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Conclusion
The preseason Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll has been released, and Purdue is ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history. The Boilermakers are followed by Houston, Florida, UConn, and St. John’s in the top five. The Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, and Big 12 each have six ranked teams, making up 72% of the field. The AP Top 25 poll is a great indicator of what to expect in the upcoming season, and fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the college basketball season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll?
A: Purdue is ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll.
Q: Who are the top five teams in the preseason AP poll?
A: The top five teams in the preseason AP poll are Purdue, Houston, Florida, UConn, and St. John’s.
Q: Which conferences have the most ranked teams?
A: The Southeastern Conference, Big Ten,
