The first AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll of 2026 dropped on January 5, and it’sa close race for No. 1. Arizona held onto the top spot by a razor-thin margin,just one point (1,494 to 1,493),over fast-rising Michigan, despite the Wolverines earning 29 of 61 first-place votes to the Wildcats’ 32.
Both teams remain undefeated, but Michigan’s historic dominance,becoming the first team in college basketball rankings and AP poll history to beat three straight ranked opponents by 30+ points,has voters taking notice. Arizona boasts five ranked wins, keeping them atop for the fifth straight poll.
Nebraska cracked the top 10 for the first time since 1966, while newcomers SMU and UCF entered at Nos. 24 and 25 following big upsets.
College Basketball Rankings – AP Top 25 Poll (January 5, 2026)
Here are the college basketball rankings that were released on January 5th, 2026 for you.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Previous |
| 1 | Arizona (32) | 14-0 | 1,494 | 1 |
| 2 | Michigan (29) | 13-0 | 1,493 | 2 |
| 3 | Iowa State | 14-0 | 1,390 | 3 |
| 4 | UConn | 14-1 | 1,343 | 4 |
| 5 | Purdue | 13-1 | 1,254 | 5 |
| 6 | Duke | 13-1 | 1,206 | 6 |
| 7 | Houston | 13-1 | 1,158 | 8 |
| 8 | Gonzaga | 16-1 | 1,101 | 7 |
| 9 | BYU | 14-1 | 1,013 | 10 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 14-0 | 965 | 13 |
| 11 | Vanderbilt | 14-0 | 882 | 11 |
| 12 | Michigan State | 13-2 | 797 | 9 |
| 13 | Alabama | 13-2 | 716 | 12 |
| 14 | Texas Tech | 11-3 | 659 | 14 |
| 15 | Arkansas | 13-2 | 586 | 15 |
| 16 | Illinois | 11-3 | 543 | 16 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 13-2 | 477 | 17 |
| 18 | Georgia | 13-1 | 378 | 18 |
| 19 | Iowa | 12-3 | 340 | 19 |
| 20 | Louisville | 11-3 | 289 | 20 |
| 21 | Tennessee | 12-3 | 246 | 21 |
| 22 | Kansas | 12-3 | 201 | 22 |
| 23 | Virginia | 12-3 | 167 | 23 |
| 24 | SMU | 12-2 | 142 | NR |
| 25 | UCF | 12-1 | 132 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Villanova 127, Seton Hall 31, USC 28, Utah State 27, Miami (Ohio) 22, Clemson 21, Saint Louis 14, LSU 14, Texas 12, Florida 11, Saint Mary’s 10, Kentucky 9, Cal 8, Miami 5, Indiana 4, Auburn 3, TCU 2, UCLA 2, Virginia Tech 2.
Key Games This Week (January 6–11, 2026)
Conference play is in full swing with several must-watch games involving Top 25 teams. Here’s a look at notable matchups, including results from earlier in the week and upcoming highlights:
Recent Results:
- No. 6 Duke defeated No. 20 Louisville
- No. 14 Texas Tech defeated No. 7 Houston
- No. 1 Arizona dominated Kansas State
- No. 3 Iowa State won at Baylor
- No. 4 UConn edged Providence in overtime
- No. 9 BYU rolled Arizona State
- No. 5 Purdue beat Washington
- Clemson upset No. 24 SMU
Upcoming Games (January 8–11):
- Thursday, January 8: Northwestern at No. 12 Michigan State (BTN)
- Thursday, January 8: Rutgers at No. 16 Illinois (BTN)
- Thursday, January 8: Santa Clara at No. 8 Gonzaga (11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
- Saturday, January 10: No. 21 Tennessee at Florida (ESPN)
- Saturday, January 10: No. 24 SMU at No. 6 Duke (ESPN)
- Saturday, January 10: No. 17 North Carolina at Wake Forest (ACCN)
- Sunday, January 11: No. 19 Iowa vs. No. 16 Illinois
ESPN platforms feature 16 Top 25 teams this week, highlighting standout freshmen and intense conference battles.
Printable Team Schedules & Brackets
Track your favorite teams all season long,download free printable 2025-26 schedules (PDF format with TV times where available) from our college basketball hub:
- Printable 2025-26 Arizona Basketball Schedule (No. 1 Wildcats – coming soon; check hub for updates)
- Printable 2025-26 Michigan Basketball Schedule (No. 2 Wolverines)
- Printable 2025-26 Iowa State Basketball Schedule
- Printable 2025-26 Purdue Basketball Schedule
- Printable 2025-26 Duke Basketball Schedule
- Printable 2025-26 UConn Basketball Schedule
- Printable 2025-26 BYU Basketball Schedule
- Printable 2025-26 Gonzaga Basketball Schedule
- Printable 2025-26 Houston Basketball Schedule
- Printable 2025-26 North Carolina Basketball Schedule
- More team schedules available on the 2025-26 College Basketball Schedules Hub
As March Madness approaches, stay locked to SportsBrackets.net for weekly ranking updates, conference tournament brackets, and printable NCAA Tournament brackets.
Note: Poll and schedule details current as of January 8, 2026. Check back for midweek updates.
