NCCAM Top 25: Cougars Barely Edge Boilermakers for Top Spot

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The latest NCAA Men’s Basketball AP Top 25 poll saw a shake-up at the very top despite both contenders starting 2-0.

Houston leapfrogged Purdue to claim the No. 1 spot, marking the first time the Cougars have held the top ranking since 2024. The shift was marginal, with Houston gaining just three more total points than No. 2 Purdue, even though the Boilermakers received more first-place votes.

The early regular-season matchups caused significant volatility throughout the poll:

AP Top 25: The Biggest Movers

Top 5

Rank	Team	Record	Previous Rank	Notes
1	Houston	2-0	2	Vaulted Purdue despite fewer first-place votes, primarily due to their strong start.
2	Purdue	2-0	1	Dropped after a less-than-dominant win over Oakland, though they still received the most first-place votes (36).
3	UConn	2-0	4	Moved up one spot after a pair of convincing wins.
4	Duke	2-0	6	Moved up two spots after opening the season with a decisive victory over Texas.
5	Arizona	2-0	13	The biggest jump, moving up eight spots after an impressive win over then-No. 3 Florida in Las Vegas.

Major Rises and Falls

Several high-profile non-conference games caused dramatic shifts:

Alabama surged seven spots to No. 8 after securing a major road win against then-No. 5 St. John’s.
North Carolina climbed seven spots to No. 18 following a key victory over then-No. 19 Kansas.
Florida tumbled seven spots to No. 10 after their loss to Arizona.
St. John’s dropped eight spots to No. 13 following their home loss to Alabama.
Kansas fell six spots to No. 25 after its loss to North Carolina.

Conference Dominance

The power leagues are heavily represented, making up almost three-quarters of the entire Top 25:

Big Ten (6 teams): Includes Purdue, Michigan (No. 6), Illinois (No. 14), and Michigan State (No. 17).
SEC (6 teams): Includes Alabama, Kentucky (No. 9), Florida, and Tennessee (No. 20).
Big 12 (6 teams): Includes Houston, BYU (No. 7), Texas Tech (No. 11), and Kansas.

The three conferences are tied for the most ranked teams in the country.

You can get an idea of the preseason top teams in Purdue, ranked No. 1 in the AP Preseason Top 25. This video discusses the outlook of the top teams, including Purdue, Houston, and Florida, before the regular season began.

AP Top 25 Men’s Basketball Poll

Rank	Team	Record	Previous Rank	Change	First Place Votes
1	Houston	2-0	2	+1	18
2	Purdue	2-0	1	-1	36
3	UConn	2-0	4	+1	3
4	Duke	2-0	6	+2	2
5	Arizona	2-0	13	+8	0
6	Michigan	1-0	7	+1	1
7	BYU	2-0	8	+1	0
8	Alabama	2-0	15	+7	1
9	Kentucky	2-0	9	—	0
10	Florida	1-1	3	-7	0
11	Texas Tech	2-0	10	-1	0
12	Louisville	2-0	11	-1	0
13	St. John’s	1-1	5	-8	0
14	Illinois	2-0	17	+3	0
15	UCLA	2-0	12	-3	0
16	Iowa State	2-0	16	—	0
17	Michigan State	2-0	22	+5	0
18	North Carolina	2-0	25	+7	0
19	Gonzaga	2-0	21	+2	0
20	Tennessee	2-0	18	-2	0
21	Arkansas	1-1	14	-7	0
22	Auburn	2-0	20	-2	0
23	Creighton	1-0	23	—	0
24	Wisconsin	2-0	24	—	0
25	Kansas	1-1	19	-6	0