The first week of the 2026-27 men's college basketball season concluded with the top four teams in the AP Top 25 holding their positions. Florida, Duke, Illinois, and UConn each started 2-0, with the No. 1 Gators earning a statement win over in-state rival No. 14 Miami and the No. 4 Huskies defeating No. 16 Michigan in a rematch of last season's national championship game.
The biggest upset came in Las Vegas when No. 22 UCLA knocked off former Pac-12 rival No. 5 Arizona 84-75. The Bruins followed with a blowout win over North Florida, where 17-year-old freshman Nikola Kusturica erupted for 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. UCLA is projected to surge into the top 10, while Arizona should remain in the top 10 after bouncing back with a win over Cal Poly behind Motiejus Krivas' 30 points.
No. 9 Virginia delivered a dominant 91-72 victory over No. 12 Arkansas on Sunday, with four Cavaliers scoring in double figures. The win should lift Virginia several spots in Monday's poll, while Arkansas is expected to drop only slightly for losing to a top-10 opponent.
UConn's backcourt of Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins powered the Huskies past Michigan in Boston, reinforcing their status as a Tier 1 title contender under coach Dan Hurley. Meanwhile, Illinois' offense exploded for 120 and 112 points in its first two games without All-American forward David Mirković, and Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. opened his national player of the year campaign with back-to-back near double-doubles.
Other notable performances included Alabama's Amari Allen recording the program's fifth triple-double (16 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) and Louisville five-star freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr. posting 20 points and 12 rebounds in a 50-point win. Iowa State is the lone team projected to fall out of the rankings, while Saint Louis enters at No. 25 after upsetting Missouri.
The projected top 10 for Monday's AP poll: 1. Florida, 2. Duke, 3. Illinois, 4. UConn, 5. Michigan State, 6. Texas, 7. Virginia, 8. UCLA, 9. Arizona, 10. Tennessee.
