As we near the last two weeks of the regular season, the top teams in the nation are looking to bolster their resumes to earn beneficial seeds in the NCAA tournament. But, beyond getting to the tourney next month, who are the best of the best in men’s college basketball right now?
Our all-new college basketball rankings look to answer that question, as of February 20, 2026.
25. Clemson (LW: 23)
Coach Brad Brownell is having one of the best seasons during his 16-year stint leading Clemson. And he has the 2026 Tigers in position to win 23 or more games for a fourth straight year due to some really good play from forwards Carter Welling and RJ Godfrey.
The duo is combining for over 20 points and 11 boards a night for the Tigers. However, despite a formidable defense, Clemson has struggled over the last two weeks. Losing their last three inlcuding to Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
24. Wisconsin (LW: 25)
This has been an up-and-down season for coach Greg Gard and Wisconsin. While they have gotten good seasons from guards Nick Boyd (20.3 PPG) and John Blackwell (18.8 PPG), it hasn’t stopped them from racking up losses to ranked and unranked teams this season.
However, despite their inconsistent play in 2025-26, they have scored some big Ws over the last couple of months, including over Michigan and Illinois. Nevertheless, their loss to Ohio State this week shows you never know which team you will get from night to night.
23. BYU (LW: 22)
Led by potential No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa, BYU had a strong start to this season. The top scorer in the nation (24.8 PPG) was a force and was getting help from the impressive backcourt duo of Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III.
However, over the last month, the Cougars have steadily fallen in our college basketball rankings as they’ve struggled against their conference rivals. BYU is 3-6 in its last nine, including setbacks to Kansas, Houston, and Arizona.
22. Louisville (LW: 24)
Louisville owns a rock-solid 19-6 record due to the strong play of its trio of talented guards. Mikel Brown Jr. could be a lottery pick in June (18.6 points and 5.1 assists), senior Ryan Conwell has been just as good (18.4 points and 5.0 rebounds), and Cardinals veteran Isaac McKneely is as reliable as ever.
The trio is not easy to defend — when they are all available — and it has shown in wins over Kentucky and Indiana earlier this season. Although they suffered a surprise loss to SMU this week, Louisville has played well in February.
21. Vanderbilt (LW: 20)
Vanderbilt’s backcourt duo of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles leads a Commodores offense that is scoring 88.1 PPG, which is 12th best in the nation. It’s why the team is off to one of their best starts in program history at 21-5.
For much of the season, they lacked a marquee victory over a ranked team, but finally got one last month against Alabama. However, they have struggled since Miles went down in late January. Falling in five of their next 10, including an upset loss against Missouri this week.
20. Arkansas (LW: 21)
Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. lead an impressive all-freshman backcourt for Arkansas this season. However, Acuff has emerged as the best of the pair, and the Razorbacks’ top star continues to generate NBA Draft buzz due to his play this season (22.3 points and 6.2 assists a night).
In year two with legendary head coach John Calipari, Arkansas has played rock-solid ball. Scoring big wins over four ranked teams. However, they are an imperfect group, and their setbacks to Kentucky and Alabama in recent weeks keep them at the back end of our new top 25.
19. Saint Louis (LW: 19)
Don’t look now, but Saint Louis may have their best team in program history. The A-10’s top program has gotten off to an outstanding 24-2 start, and it is due to a high-powered offense that is posting 90.2 PPG — which is sixth best in the nation.
Leading the way is senior big man Robbie Avila. The starting center leads the team in scoring (12.7) and assists (4.3), and is shooting 41.4% from three. While they don’t have a win against a ranked school, they have fairly earned a spot in our college basketball rankings with some impressive play over the first four months of the season.
18. Miami (OH) (LW: 18)
While it took a couple of seasons to change the program from the bottom up, Miami (OH) head coach Travis Steele has put together what is turning into the greatest team in school history.
The Redhawks head into the weekend with an outstanding 26-0 record and currently sit atop the MAC. Their fantastic start is thanks to an offense that is second in the nation (92.3 PPG) and has six players posting 10 or more points a night. Miami won’t face a ranked team until the tournament, but could enter the event with a 31-0 record.
17. Texas Tech (LW: 15)
Texas Tech has progressed a lot during Grant McCasland’s first two seasons overseeing the program. And the formidable duo of JT Toppin and Christian Anderson has made Tech look like a team that can make serious noise in March.
While they do own wins over Duke and BYU, they have often struggled against top 25 teams this year, including a setback to Kansas to begin February. The news that Toppin — one of the top scorers in the nation — is out for the rest of the year with an ACL tear means the Red Raiders could fall down the rankings in the weeks ahead.
16. St. John’s (LW: 17)
There were huge expectations for St. John’s this season after a big year in 2024-25. However, over the first two months of the season, they were inconsistent and struggled against ranked schools.
But since the calendar hit 2026, the team led by Zuby Ejiofor (16.0 PPG) and Bryce Hopkins (14.0 PPG) has gotten on a roll. The Johnnies are currently on a 12-game win streak that includes a monumental victory over UConn that jettisoned them back into the thick of the top 25.
15. Nebraska (LW: 13)
Fred Hoiberg’s 2026 team looks to be his best yet at Nebraska. The school heads into the weekend with a 22-4 record and is led by former Bradley recruit Rienk Mast. The Dutch senior is second on his team in points (14.1 PG) and first in rebounds (6.2). He is also getting a lot of help from junior Pryce Sandfort, who leads in scoring with 17.3 PPG.
Nebraska emerged as a potential title contender after wins over Illinois and Michigan State to begin the 2026 part of their schedule. However, they have cooled over the last three weeks, suffering defeats in four of their last six.
14. Virginia (LW: 16)
Head coach Ryan Odom had a rough go of it in his first year overseeing Virginia. However, year two has been far better due to the strong play of Belgian big man Thijs de Ridder. The freshman forward leads the team in points (15.9) and rebounds (6.5) for the 23-3 team.
The only thing that has stopped the Cavaliers from closing in on the top 10 is limited wins over ranked schools. After a late January loss to North Carolina, Virginia has gotten hot again, winning seven straight.
13. North Carolina (LW: 10)
Hubert Davis’ North Carolina team is worthy of a spot in our college basketball rankings due to the outstanding performance of potential lottery pick Caleb Wilson. The freshman leads the Tar Heels in points (19.8), rebounds (9.4), and steals (1.5). However, he is also getting big support from veterans Henri Veesaar (16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds) and Seth Trimble (13.3 points).
In the new year, the Tar Heels have been very inconsistent. They have losses to SMU and Stanford, but also wins over Virginia and a huge upset over Duke. However, they followed up the win over the Blue Devils by losing two of their next three to unranked schools.
12. Michigan State (LW: 9)
Legendary coach Tom Izzo has another good Michigan State team on his hands in 2026. This year’s team has four players averaging 10 or more points and a rock-solid defense. There was no better proof of the worthiness of their ranking than Ws over four ranked teams this season.
While the Spartans can be a problem for even elite schools on any night, they have struggled against their conference rivals recently and have lost three of their last five.
11. Florida (LW: 14)
The first couple of months of the season for defending champs Florida were rough as they lost four of their first nine games. However, after back-to-back defeats to Duke and UConn, the Gators have played far better. Since Dec. 13, they are 15-2 with wins over Alabama and Kentucky.
Juniors Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh have led the way during their resurgence. However, big man Rueben Chinyelu has been the X-factor as the center is having a breakout season. Posting 11.8 points and 12.0 rebounds a night. The Gators are an intriguing sleeper as we get closer to March.
10. Illinois (LW: 8)
Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a top program in the Big Ten and a consistent participant in the tournament. A key reason why they are a top 10 program in our new college basketball rankings is freshman guard Keaton Wagler. The breakout star leads the Fighting Illini in scoring (18.1) and assists (4.3).
While Illinois hit some bumps in the road in November and December, it won 12 straight, including victories over three ranked teams. However, recent losses to Michigan State and Wisconsin derailed the hot streak that got them into our top 10.
9. Purdue (LW: 12)
Purdue has something most elite schools lack: Top players with a boatload of experience. Seniors Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith are leading the way for the Boilermakers in 2026 and are combining for close to 30 points a night — Smith is also adding just under nine assists a game.
Early in January, Purdue fairly earned their way back into the top five. However, they hit a bit of a slump since. Spitting their last eight, including Michigan this week.
8. Kansas (LW: 6)
Kansas was a frustratingly inconsistent group for much of this season. You never truly knew what you would get from week to week. However, since mid-January, the Jayhawks and top star Darryn Peterson have been one of the hottest teams in the country. Scoring victories over four ranked teams.
The program featuring the likely No. 1 pick in June scored its biggest win of the season a couple of weeks ago over the No. 1 team in the nation, Arizona. However, what made the W so impressive is that they did it without Peterson. But they quickly lost a lot of that momentum when they followed the W up with a loss to Iowa State.
7. Gonzaga (LW: 7)
Mark Few’s Gonzaga squad is off to an impressive 26-2 start because of what their veteran front court of Braden Huff and Graham Ike gives them each night. The duo is averaging close to 40 points and 15 boards a game for the Bulldogs this season.
Following a bad loss to Michigan in November, Gonzaga has been a machine. Reeling off 15 straight Ws at one point. While they were handed a stunning loss to Portland to begin the month, Gonzaga has quickly rebounded with four mostly dominant wins since.
6. Houston (LW: 3)
Kelvin Sampson’s Houston squad is again among the top teams in the nation. Senior Emanuel Sharp (16.6 PPG) has been as important as ever. However, if they win the program’s first national championship next month, it will be because of freshman Kingston Flemings (16.6 points and 5.3 assists a night), who is emerging as a potential top-five pick in June.
Yet, the real reason the Cougars head into the weekend with a 23-3 record is an elite defense that is limiting opponents to just 61.6 points a night — which is currently second-best in the nation. After a tough loss to Texas Tech late in January, Houston started to head up, but a big loss to Iowa State this week knocks them out of the top five.
5. Iowa State (LW: 11)
In his final season at Iowa State, Joshua Jefferson is garnering a lot of attention from NBA Draft evaluators. The Las Vegas native leads the teams in rebounds (7.5) and is second in points (16.5), assists (5.2), and blocks (0.9). But the Cyclones have also gotten strong seasons from guard Tamin Lipsey and top scorer Milan Momcilovic (18.0).
They are 23-3 due to those three and a formidable defense that is giving up 64.6 points a night. Although they took a stunning L against TCU last week, they have bounced back with two huge victories over top 10 programs, Kansas and Houston.
4. UConn (LW: 4)
It’s another season in college basketball, and UConn is once again among the elite programs in the country. Although they took a step back last season, they retooled by adding stud recruit Braylon Mullins and have returned to being a title contender in 2026.
Senior big man Taris Reed Jr. (13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds) and junior guard Solo Ball (14.4 PPG) lead the way for a team that is not just a group to respect on offense, but is a handful on defense (66.1 opponents PPG).
However, they have stumbled over the last couple of weeks. Splitting their last four, including a stunning loss to unranked Creighton.
3. Arizona (LW: 1)
Arizona has been impressive throughout the 2025-26 season. Led by impressive freshman Brayden Burries (15.5 points and 4.6 rebounds) and stud NBA prospect Koa Peat (13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds), the Wildcats have posted wins over seven top 25 teams, including UConn and BYU (twice).
Their performance this season has been led by an offense posting 87.7 PPG (13th best in the nation). However, it was not enough in a pair of surprising losses last week against Kansas and Texas Tech. It’s why they have fallen in our latest college basketball rankings.
2. Duke (LW: 5)
Duke is off to a vintage Blue Devils start because of the outstanding play of big man Cameron Boozer. The freshman, who stepped in to replace Cooper Flagg, leads the team in points (22.8) — which is also fourth best in the nation. He also tops the team in rebounds (10.0), assists (3.9), and steals (1.7).
Beyond the superb play of Boozer, Duke is also getting important minutes from sophomores Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II. The trio and the team’s elite defense (63.2 PPG) are the reasons why Duke has a 24-2 record.
Following an upset loss to UNC earlier this month, the team has bounced back with three straight wins, including by 37 over Syracuse.
1. Michigan (LW: 2)
After 26 games, Michigan has shown that head coach Dusty May has a team that can win the program’s first championship in close to 40 years. While former UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg (14.4 PPG and 7.5 RPG) is getting a lot of attention as the leader of their dominant front court, the Wolverines have several other talented scorers on a team that is posting the fourth most points in the nation (90.6).
Their rise to elite status in 2026 features wins over six ranked teams, including decisive victories over Michigan State and Purdue in recent weeks.
