We are two months away from the start of March Madness, and teams around the country are looking to improve their resumes and get an automatic birth in the tournament by landing a spot in the latest top 25. So who are the best of the best in college basketball right now?
We look to answer that question with our new men’s college basketball rankings, showcasing the elite teams in the nation as of Jan. 23, 2026.
25. Miami (OH) (LW: UR)
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 should be the greatest team in school history.
The Redhawks head into the weekend with an outstanding 20-0 record and sit atop the MAC. Their fantastic start is thanks to an offense that is second in the nation (94.6 PPG) and has three players averaging 13 or more a night. Miami won’t face a ranked team until the tournament, but they are a team to keep an eye on.
24. Louisville (LW: 21)
Louisville owns a rock-solid 13-5 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, senior Ryan Conwell has been just as good, and Cardinals veteran Isaac McKneely is as reliable as ever.
The trio is not easy to defend, and it shown in wins over Kentucky and Indiana this season. However, Louisville has struggled more often against the top 25. Losing four games to ranked teams, including to Duke and Virginia last week.
23. Saint Louis (LW: UR)
Don’t look now, but Saint Louis may have their best team in school history this season. The A-10 school has gotten off to an outstanding 18-1 start this season, and it is due to a high-powered offense that is posting 91.2 PPG — which is ninth best in the nation.
Leading the way is senior big man Robbie Avila. The starting center is posting 12.8 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 44.7% 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.
22. North Carolina (LW: 13)
Hubert Davis’ North Carolina team had a very strong start to the year due to the outstanding performance of future lottery pick and freshman Caleb Wilson. The Atlanta native leads the Tar Heels in points (19.8), rebounds (10.4), and steals (1.6). However, he is also getting big support from veterans Henri Veesaar (17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds) and Seth Trimble (14.0 points).
While the Tar Heels own wins over Kansas and Kentucky this season, they have hit a notable slump, losing three of their last five, including to California.
21. Arkansas (LW: 16)
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 pretty good. Accounting for over 35 points a night for the Razorbacks.
In year two with legendary head coach John Calipari, Arkansas has played well. Scoring big wins over four ranked teams. The latest, against Vanderbilt, was badly needed because it rebuilt some momentum after losing two of their previous three.
20. Georgia (LW: 20)
Since arriving in 2022, coach Michael White has helped return Georgia’s basketball program to prominence in the SEC, and the Bulldogs’ strong 16-3 start is the evidence. Their spot in the top 25 is thanks to the backcourt duo of Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.8 points) and Blue Cain (14.1 points).
The pair leads a Georgia offense that is the No. 1 scoring team in the nation (94.8 PPG). Yet, for as good as their offense is, it wasn’t enough to avoid a pair of recent losses, including a blowout defeat to a resurgent Florida.
19. Clemson (LW: 23)
Coach Brad Bromwell was in the best groove of his 16-year stint leading Clemson. The Tigers basketball program is in a position to win 23 or more games for a fourth straight year due to some really nice play from forwards Carter Welling and RJ Godfrey.
The duo is combining for over 20 points and 11 boards a night for Clemson. Although they suffered a frustrating loss to NC State in OT this week, it came after a nine-game win streak. However, another loss this weekend will bounce them from our next top 25.
18. Kansas (LW: UR)
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 2026. However, the Jayhawks have been a frustratingly inconsistent group that’s been in and out of our college basketball rankings in recent weeks.
They return to our top 25 after a huge blowout victory recently over one of the best teams in the nation, Iowa State. Despite being up and down for much of the season, Kansas remains dangerous because of future top-three NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson (21.6 PPG).
17. Alabama (LW: 19)
Alabama can be a problem for every team in the nation on any night. The Crimson Tide has a top-three offense (93.1 PPG) led by future NBA lottery pick Labaron Philon Jr., who leads the team in scoring with 22.0 PPG (Ninth-best in the nation).
Yet, despite their offensive firepower, they have struggled against ranked teams in 2025-26. Losing four against teams in the top 25, as well as a surprising setback to an unranked Texas team, recently. It’s why they land in the back half of our college basketball rankings.
16. Texas Tech (LW: 15)
Texas Tech has progressed a lot during Grant McCasland’s first two seasons overseeing the Red Raiders program. And if the impressive duo of JT Toppin and Christian Anderson can continue to play like they already have — they account for over 40 points a night — Tech could make some serious noise in March.
Although they have losses to Arkansas and Houston, their win over Duke shows they can’t be underestimated. They get a big opportunity at some revenge this weekend with a highly anticipated rematch against Houston.
15. Florida (LW: 18)
The first couple of months of the season for defending champs Florida were tough as they lost four of their first nine games. However, since back-to-back defeats to Duke and UConn, the Gators have gotten some real momentum over the last few weeks. Since Dec. 13, they are 9-1 with wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Juniors Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh have been leading the way during their resurgence as the pair of forwards account for over 30 points and 15 rebounds a night for Florida. However, big man Rueben Chinyelu has been the X-factor as the center is having a breakout season. Averaging a 12 and 11 double-double each night.
14. Virginia (LW: 17)
Head coach Ryan Odom had a rough start in his first year overseeing Virginia. However, year two has gotten off to an impressive 16-2 start, thanks to the strong play of Belgian big man Thijs de Ridder. The freshman forward leads the team with 16.1 points and is second in rebounds (6.2).
The only thing that has stopped the Cavaliers from closing in on the top 10 is the lack of wins against top-25 programs. However, they got that last week with a W over Louisville. They have a chance to add another ranked school to their hit list when they play UNC this weekend.
13. Vanderbilt (LW: 10)
Vanderbilt’s backcourt duo of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles leads a Commodores offense that is scoring 90.2 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 16-3.
For much of the season, they lacked a marquee victory over a ranked team. However, they got that earlier this month with a big home win over Alabama. However, they take a sizable fall in our new college basketball rankings after three straight losses, including to Florida and Arkansas.
12. Illinois (LW: 14)
Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a top program in the Big Ten since arriving in 2020. Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic (13.9 PPG) has immediately become one of their team’s top scorers. However, senior Kylan Boswell and freshman backcourt mate Keaton Wagler have been just as important.
The pair of guards is posting close to 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists a night for the 16-3 Fighting Illini. They have an opportunity to jump into the top 10 if they can beat Purdue this weekend.
11. Michigan State (LW: 12)
Legendary coach Tom Izzo has another very good Michigan State team on his hands in 2026. While they can score buckets, the Spartans have proven to be a handful for opponents because of a sound defense that is giving up 63.5 PPG — eighth-best in the country.
There is no better proof of their potential than owning victories over three ranked teams, including North Carolina. However, a recent setback to a red-hot Nebraska team shows they may have a ceiling this season.
10. BYU (LW: 11)
BYU is a dark-horse title contender in 2026 because of future NBA lottery pick, and the fifth-best scorer in the country, AJ Dybantsa (22.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists a night). 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 9 rebounds a night.
Following a November loss to UConn, BYU reeled off 13 straight wins. However, the drop in our latest college basketball rankings is due to a decisive loss to Texas Tech over the weekend.
9. Nebraska (LW: 9)
Fred Hoiberg has his best team yet at Nebraska. The school heads into the weekend with a 19-0 record and is led by former Bradley recruit Rienk Mast. The Dutch senior is second on his team in points (14.9 PG) and rebounds (6.0). But he is also getting a lot of help from junior Pryce Sandfort, who leads in scoring with 17.0 PPG.
For much of the season, experts knew Nebraska was good, but they lacked undeniable evidence against top-25 teams. However, they have gotten it in recent weeks when the Cornhuskers scored big wins over Illinois and Michigan State.
8. Iowa State (LW: 3)
In his final season at Iowa State, Joshua Jefferson is getting the attention of NBA Draft evaluators. The Las Vegas native leads the teams in rebounds (7.9) and is second in points (17.3), assists (5.3), and blocks (1.0). Furthermore, the Cyclones have gotten very good play from guard Tamin Lipsey and forward Milan Momcilovic.
They lead a 17-2 team that owns a destructive victory over former No. 1 Purdue. However, big losses to Kansas and Cincinnati recently are why they’ve dropped out of the top five.
7. Houston (LW: 8)
Kelvin Sampson’s Houston squad is again among the top teams in the nation. Senior Emanuel Sharp (15.9 PPG) has been as important as ever. However, if they make another deep run in March, it will be because of the continued growth of freshmen Kingston Flemings (15.6 points and 5.4 assists) and Chris Cenac Jr. (9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds)
Yet, the main reason the Cougars head into the weekend with a 17-1 record is an elite defense that is limiting opponents to just 60.1 points a night — which is second-best in the nation.
6. Gonzaga (LW: 6)
Mark Few’s Gonzaga squad is off to an impressive 20-1 start because of what their veteran front court of Braden Huff and Graham Ike gives them each night. The duo is posting close to 40 points and 15 boards a game for the WCC-leading Bulldogs.
Their 40-point loss to Michigan seemed to end any discussion about being a title contender this season. However, they have rallied since with an offense that is posting 89.9 points a night, and it’s played a role in getting victories over four ranked teams this year.
5. Purdue (LW: 7)
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 2025-26 and are combining for close to 30 points a night — Smith is also adding nine assists per game.
Following their blowout loss to Iowa State in December, they responded with nine straight wins. However, a surprising upset loss to UCLA this week is why they fall further down the top 10.
4. Michigan (LW: 5)
After 18 games, Michigan is showing that head coach Dusty May has an offensive powerhouse on his hands in his second season. While former UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg is getting a lot of attention for being the tip of their scoring spear (14.2 PPG), the Wolverines’ front line, in general, is arguably the best in the nation.
There is no better proof of how dangerous their top 10 offense is than dropping over 100 points in big wins over Auburn and Gonzaga. However, their recent surprising loss to Wisconsin is why they are no longer in play for the top spot in our new college basketball rankings.
3. Duke (LW: 4)
Duke is off to a vintage Blue Devils start because of the outstanding play of super prospect Cameron Boozer. The freshman, who had to step in for Cooper Flagg, leads the team in points (23.2) — which is also fourth best in the nation. He also tops the team in rebounds (9.9), assists (4.1), and steals (1.8).
Beyond the superb play of the future lottery pick, Duke is also getting important minutes from sophomores Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II. They are why Duke has wins over six top 25 teams so far this season, including Michigan State and Florida.
2. UConn (LW: 2)
It’s another season in college basketball, and UConn is once again among the elite programs in the nation. Although they took a bit of a step back last season, they retooled with stud recruit Braylon Mullins and are going to be very tough to beat in March.
Senior big man Taris Reed Jr. has been great (14.5 points and 7.9 rebounds), as well as junior guard Solo Ball (14.1 PPG). However, in 2026, their top-10 defense is leading the way and is giving up just 63.3 points a night.
1. Arizona (LW: 1)
Arizona has been the cream of the crop in college basketball for much of the 2025-26 season. Led by impressive freshman Brayden Burries (14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds) and big-time NBA prospect Koa Peat (14.6 points and 5.8 rebounds), the Wildcats have already posted wins over five top 25 teams, including UConn.
They have five players averaging 10 or more points a game, and it’s a major part of why they are averaging just under 90 points a game and have been a problem all season for opponents.
