The first regular-season AP Top 25 poll of the 2026-27 college basketball season was released Monday, with Florida retaining the No. 1 spot. However, significant movement followed a week of upsets.
UCLA made the biggest jump, rising 13 places to No. 9 after impressive wins over then-No. 5 Arizona and North Florida. Freshman Nikola Kusturica starred in the Bruins' 114-63 win over North Florida with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Arizona fell seven spots to No. 12 after the loss.
Virginia climbed three spots to No. 6 following a balanced victory over Arkansas, with all five starters scoring at least 13 points. Arkansas, coached by John Calipari, dropped seven places to No. 19.
Iowa State fell out of the rankings after a stunning loss to Memphis as a double-digit favorite. Nebraska entered at No. 25. Tennessee slipped three spots to No. 11 despite a win, while Saint Louis received the second-most votes among unranked teams.
The full top 25: 1. Florida (53 first-place votes), 2. Duke (7), 3. Illinois, 4. UConn, 5. Michigan State, 6. Virginia, 7. Texas, 8. Houston, 9. UCLA, 10. Louisville, 11. Tennessee, 12. Arizona, 13. St. John's, 14. Gonzaga, 15. Kansas, 16. Texas Tech, 17. Miami, 18. Alabama, 19. Arkansas, 20. Michigan, 21. Southern Cal, 22. Vanderbilt, 23. BYU, 24. Kentucky, 25. Nebraska.
