The 2025-26 men’s college basketball season is nearly at the halfway point, and the top teams in the nation are showing what makes them better than the rest. So who are the best of the best in the sport right now? We look to answer that question with our updated men’s college basketball rankings, showcasing the top 25 programs in the country to begin the new year.
25. St. John’s (LW: 25)
There were huge expectations for St. John’s this season after a big year in 2024-25. However, things were bumpy for the program over the first month and change for the season. After losing just five times last season, they already have four following 13 games.
The saving grace is that three of their setbacks came against ranked teams, and Kentucky. While the Johnies have not lived up to the hype so far this season, they can’t be underestimated, especially with the impressive forward duo of Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins. The duo is posting close to 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists combined each game.
24. Illinois (LW: 18)
Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a top program in the Big Ten since arriving in 2020, and nothing’s changed this year. Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic has immediately become one of the team’s top scorers (14.8 points), and is second on the team to talented freshman guard Keaton Wagler (15.3 points).
The Fighting Illini have faced five ranked teams this year. They have lost three of those matchups, including to UConn (No shame) and Alabama. The big question is, can they grow from those setbacks, or will they remain a team near the back of the top 25?
23. Tennessee (LW: 19)
Tennessee freshman Nate Ament is proving why he is a top prospect for the 2026 NBA Draft. He is second on the team in points (15.4) and leads in rebounds (7.1). The combo of him and senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie is why the Vols kicked off the season by winning their first seven games.
However, a recent slump featuring a three-game losing skid is why they have slipped down the college basketball rankings over the last few weeks. However, they seem to have gotten on the right track after a big win over Louisville. They have a pair of big games against ranked conference foes in the next couple of weeks.
22. Florida (LW: 25)
Defending champions Florida truly understand the saying “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown” because it has been a tough first 13 games for the Gators. They lost their season opener to Arizona, and at one point lost three of four. However, three of their four defeats have come against some of the best programs in the nation this season.
While it has been tough at times this season, juniors Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh have played well in expanded roles. The duo is combining for 30 points, 15 boards, and six assists a night. They are a major reason why you can’t sleep on the Gators despite their bumpy start to the season.
21. Arkansas (LW: 14)
Arkansas is going with a pair of freshmen in the backcourt in 2025-26, and so far, the duo of Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. has been impressive, combining for over 33 points and nearly 10 assists per night.
In year two with legendary head coach John Calipari, the Razorbacks are a team to keep an eye on because of their wins against Louisville and Texas Tech this season. However, in matchups against elite schools this season (Duke and Houston), they have come up short.
20. Georgia (LW: 24)
Since arriving in 2022, coach Michael White has helped return Georgia’s basketball program to a force again in the SEC. The Bulldogs have an impressive 12-1 record heading into the weekend and have gotten outstanding play from the backcourt duo of Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.3 points) and Blue Cain (15.7 points).
The pair is a major reason why Georgia is leading the nation in scoring (99.0 PPG) and lands a spot in our latest college basketball rankings.
19. USC (UR)
Replacing former USC head coach Andy Enfield with Eric Musselman is proving to be the right move in his second year overseeing the program. After a rough 17-18 finish last season, the Trojans have completely turned things around and are 12-1 heading into the weekend.
A major reason for their strong start to the year is the outstanding play of guards Rodney Rice and Chad Baker-Mazara. The veteran transfers are combining for over 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists a night. USC could be a sleeper team in the Big Ten this season.
18. Virginia (LW: 21)
Head coach Ryan Odom had a rough start in his first year overseeing Virginia, as the Cavaliers went 15-17. However, year two has gotten off to an impressive 11-2 start, thanks to the strong play of Belgian big man Thijs de Ridder.
The freshman forward is posting 16.5 points (Highest on the roster) and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 53.3% from the floor in his debut season. However, fellow first-year talent Chance Mallory has also looked very good. Posting 11.1 PPG and leading the team in steals (2.2). This group is one to watch in the ACC this season.
17. Kansas (LW: 17)
After a disappointing 21-13 result and a first-round ouster in the tournament last year, Bill Self and Kansas are hoping things can get better in 2025-26. But after three early-season losses to top-25 teams, North Carolina, Duke, and UConn, there is understandable concern about how far the Jayhawks can go this year.
Nevertheless, sophomore Flory Bidunga (14.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game) and freshman Darryn Peterson (19.3 PPG) are the stars of a Kansas team that enters the new year with a 10-3 record and a defense that is top 10 level.
16. Alabama (LW: 16)
Alabama set up a tough schedule for itself to begin the season, playing games against four straight ranked teams. They split the quartet, scoring wins over St. John’s but also losing to Purdue. In the weeks since, Bama has seven of their next eight, with their lone defeat coming to Arizona.
The Crimson Tide has a top 10 offensive team led by likely NBA lottery prospect Labaron Philon Jr., who no only leads the team in scoring but is eighth best in the nation (21.9 PPG). Along with fellow guard Aden Holloway, the team is averaging just under 95 points a night.
15. Texas Tech (LW: 20)
Texas Tech has progressed during Grant McCasland’s first two seasons overseeing the Red Raiders program. Meaning 2025-26 has a lot of potential and could see the team win 30 games for the first time in 30 years.
If the impressive scoring duo of JT Toppin and Christian Anderson can continue to play like they already have — they are posting just over 40 points a night — Tech can be a top 10 team in the nation. The best evidence yet was a huge home win recently against powerhouse Duke.
14. Louisville (LW: 11)
Louisville has kicked off its campaign with an 11-2 record due to the strong play of its trio of talented guards. Mikel Brown Jr. is getting a lot of buzz about being a top 10 pick in next year’s NBA Draft. However, senior Ryan Conwell leads the Cardinals in scoring (19.7 PPG), and veteran Isaac McKneely is as reliable as ever.
Because of the trio, they are posting 91.5 points a night, and it showed in wins over ranked teams Kentucky and Indiana. However, losses to Arkansas and Tennessee showed their inconsistency against ranked programs in 2025-26.
13. Nebraska (LW: 15)
Fred Hoiberg may have his best team yet at Nebraska. The school heads into the weekend with a 13-0 record and has been led by former Bradley recruit Rienk Mast. The Dutch senior is leading his team in points (16.5) and rebounds (6.8) and is also chipping in with 3.1 assists a night.
For much of the season, they lacked a marquee win. However, they got it last month when they scored a big W over Illinois. It is why they recently made a notable jump in our latest college basketball top 25.
12. North Carolina (LW: 13)
Hubert Davis’ North Carolina team is off to a very good start in large part due to the strong play of freshman Caleb Wilson. The Atlanta native leads the Tar Heels in points (19.8), rebounds (11.2), and steals (1.4). However, he is also getting big support from veterans Henri Veesaar (16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds) and Seth Trimble.
While they were blown out by Michigan State in November, wins over Kansas and Kentucky are why they’ve earned a spot in our college basketball top 25.
11. Vanderbilt (LW: 12)
Vanderbilt’s backcourt duo of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles has gotten off to a really good start to the new season, and they are leading a Commodores offense that is scoring 94.2 PPG — top 10 in the nation.
While they haven’t faced stiff competition, they have started the season 13-0 and have blowout victories in many of those games, including a 50-point win to start the season. This month will offer quite a few big tests, including games against a trio of ranked teams.
10. BYU (LW: 10)
BYU is seen as a dark-horse title contender this season because of the immense talent of future NBA lottery pick AJ Dybantsa. However, the Cougars also have a very good backcourt combination in Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III, who are averaging close to 40 points and eight 8 rebounds per night.
Although they suffered an early-season loss to UConn, the Cougars bounced back with nine straight — mostly dominant — wins since, including over Wisconsin.
9. Michigan State (LW: 9)
Legendary coach Tom Izzo has another very good Michigan State team on his hands this season. They have a deep squad that has proven to be a handful for opponents with a rock-solid defense and four players scoring 10 or more a night. There is no better proof of their talent than scoring a pair of big wins over Kentucky and North Carolina during the first month of the season.
Sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. has been impressive as one of the leaders of their offense, ranking second in the country in assists (9.3 per game), and it has helped push Jaxon Kohler to a career-best 13.7 points per game. The Spartans are a top 10 team for good reason.
8. Houston (LW: 7)
Kelvin Sampson and his Houston team are again among the best in the nation this year. Senior Emmanuel Sharp has been as important as ever and is leading the way in scoring (17.0 PPG). However, they can make another deep run in March if freshmen Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. develop into the high-impact players as the season progresses.
Yet, the top reason for their 12-1 record is the ability to lean on an elite defense. The Cougars are third in the nation, giving up just 60.0 PPG.
7. Purdue (LW: 8)
Purdue was once the No. 1 team in the nation because they have something most top 25 teams lack: Key players with a boatload of experience. Seniors big men Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn are leading the way. The former is posting a near double-double with 11.4 points and 8.6 boards, while Kaufman-Renn is tallying a real double-double of 14.0 points and 10.2 rebounds a game.
Their ability to use their veteran savvy was helpful in big early-season wins over ranked squads Alabama and Texas Tech. However, their December blowout loss to Iowa State has kept them out of the top five ever since.
6. Gonzaga (LW: 6)
Mark Few’s Gonzaga squad is off to an impressive 14-1 start due to high-level play from their veteran front court of Braden Huff and Graham Ike. The duo is posting close to 40 points and 14 boards a night for the Bulldogs. They are hovering near the top 10 in the nation for scoring with 93.0 PPG.
Their 40-point loss to Michigan made many question how good this team could be. However, bounce-back wins over Kentucky and UCLA were their third and fourth wins over ranked competition this season.
5. Duke (LW: 2)
Duke is off to another classic Blue Devils start in 2025-26 because of the outstanding play of super prospect Cameron Boozer. The freshman, who had to step in to replace another super prospect, Cooper Flagg, leads the team — leads his team and the nation in points (23.5), rebounds (10.2), assists (3.8), and steals (1.7).
Beyond the superb play of Boozer, Duke is also getting some solid play from sophomores Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II. It’s why they are top five in our latest college basketball rankings. However, a recent loss to Texas Tech drops them from the elite three.
4. Iowa State (LW: 5)
In his final season at Iowa State, Joshua Jefferson is getting the attention of NBA Draft evaluators. The Las Vegas native is first on the team in points (18.1), rebounds (7.1), and second in assists (5.0). Furthermore, the Cyclones have gotten very good play from fellow senior Tamin Lipsey and forward Milan Momcilovic.
But more than anything, they are a top 10 defense (Giving up 62.8 PPG), and that is a major reason why they start the new year with a sparkling 13-0 record.
3. UConn (LW: 4)
What a surprise. It’s another season in college basketball, and UConn is among the elite teams in the nation. While they took a bit of a step back last season, they are primed for another deep run in March after kicking off the season with a 13-1 record.
Senior big man Taris Reed Jr. has been very good, as well as junior guard Solo Ball — their current leader in scoring. What is so fascinating about the Huskies is that they are this good and haven’t had star freshman Braylon Mullins until recently. The lone blemish on their resume is a hard-fought loss to Arizona, but they still own wins over four ranked teams so far this season.
2. Michigan (LW: 3)
After a dozen games, Michigan is showing that head coach Dusty May has an offensive juggernaut on his hands in his second season overseeing the program. A major reason is the addition of transfer Yaxel Lendeborg, who is currently leading the team in scoring (15.7 PPG).
Yet, while the former UAB star is getting a lot of attention, the Wolverines’ front line, in general, is arguably the best in the nation, and they have five different players posting 10 or more a night. It is why they are third in the nation in scoring with 96.8 PPG.
1. Arizona (LW: 1)
Arizona has been outstanding over its first 13 games of the season and looks primed for a serious run at a championship in March. Led by star senior Jaden Bradley and tantalizing NBA prospect Koat Peat, the Wildcats have already posted wins over five top 25 teams this season, including national UConn and Alabama.
They have five players averaging 10 or more points a game and continue to impress each week as they run through some of the best teams in the nation.
