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Arizona Remains Unanimous No. 1 as Nebraska Soars to program-Best Ranking
Arizona solidified its position as the nation’s top team in men’s college basketball, maintaining the unanimous No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll released on January 26,2026.Simultaneously, Nebraska achieved its highest-ever ranking at No. 5, fueled by a remarkable 20-0 start to the season and a 24-game winning streak dating back to the previous year.
The Wildcats, enjoying their best start since the 2013-14 season, received all 60 first-place votes from the national media panel. They comfortably outdistanced UConn at No. 2 and Michigan at No. 3, whose positions remained unchanged from the previous week. Arizona entered the week with a perfect 20-0 record, marking only the third time in program history they’ve reached a 20-game win streak.
Here’s a look at the current AP Top 25:
- Arizona 20-0 (60)
- UConn 19-1
- Michigan 18-1
- Duke 18-1
- Nebraska 20-0
- Gonzaga 21-1
- Michigan St. 18-2
- Iowa St. 18-2
- Illinois 17-3
- Houston 17-2
- Texas Tech 16-4
- Purdue 17-3
- BYU 17-2
- Kansas 15-5
- Arkansas 16-4
- St.John’s 15-5
- North Carolina 16-4
- Alabama 16-4
- Illinois 17-3
- Florida 15-5
- Vanderbilt 16-4
- Iowa 14-6
- Miami (OH) 18-2
- Texas Tech 16-4
- Creighton 15-5
Collins after his team was defeated by Nebraska earlier in the season.”Its really refreshing to watch the purity they play with, the joy they play with, the toughness they play with.”
Gonzaga moved up to no. 6 after a narrow escape against San Francisco. Following closely behind were Michigan State,Iowa State,Illinois,and Houston,which remained in the top 10 despite a recent loss to Texas Tech. The Red Raiders capitalized on their victories over Baylor and Houston, securing the No. 11 spot with a 90-86 win over the Cougars on Saturday.
Purdue experienced a meaningful drop, falling eight spots to No. 12 following consecutive losses to UCLA and Illinois. BYU maintained its position at no.13, while Kansas and Arkansas both climbed five spots to No. 14 and No. 15, respectively. St. John’s, a preseason No. 5, re-entered the poll after wins over Seton Hall and Xavier, with the latter victory marking coach Rick Pitino’s 900th career win. Georgia exited the rankings after a decisive loss to Texas.
North Carolina recorded the largest jump of the week,moving up six spots to No. 15 after victories over Our Lady and then-No. 14 Virginia. Kansas and Arkansas mirrored this climb, each ascending five positions. Purdue’s fall to No. 12 marked its first time outside the top 10 this season. Alabama and Houston also saw their rankings decline, falling six and four spots, respectively, following recent losses.
The NET rankings, released Monday and utilized by the NCAA for tournament selection, largely aligned with the AP Top 25, though with some discrepancies. The NET rankings placed UConn at No. 8 (six spots lower), Texas Tech at No. 18 (seven spots lower), and Arkansas at No. 20 (five spots lower). Conversely, illinois rose to no. 6 (three spots higher), Vanderbilt to No. 13 (five spots higher), and Florida to No. 16 (three spots higher). The NET rankings also positioned Iowa at No. 21,while the AP poll lists them among those receiving votes. Notably, Miami of Ohio, ranked No. 24 by AP voters, is positioned at No. 48 in the NCAA’s NET rankings
