College football might be in the middle of the season, but college basketball is also just around the corner. On Monday, the AP released its preseason men’s college basketball poll for the 2025-26 season. It looks similar to our own poll from earlier this month with a few key differences setting the stage for the season to come.
Purdue starts the year as the No. 1 team behind the best guard in America, senior Braden Smith. Houston checks in at No. 2 after coming heartbreakingly close to winning the national championship last season. Kelvin Sampson returns three players in Milos Uzan, Jojo Tugler, and Emanuel Sharp and also has three McDonald’s All-Americans debuting on the roster. The reigning national champion Florida Gators come in at No. 3, while Danny Hurley’s UConn squad is No. 4 seeking to win their third national title in four years.
