The first regular-season AP Top 25 poll of the 2026-27 college basketball season, released Monday, kept Florida at No. 1 but featured significant movement after a week of upsets. UCLA made the biggest jump, climbing 13 spots to No. 9 following an impressive 114-63 win over North Florida and a season-opening victory over then-No. 5 Arizona. Freshman Nikola Kusturica starred for the Bruins with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks against North Florida.
Arizona dropped seven places to No. 12 after its loss to UCLA. Virginia also surged, moving up three spots to No. 6 after a balanced offensive effort saw all five starters score at least 13 points in a win over Arkansas. The Razorbacks, coached by John Calipari, fell seven spots to No. 19.
Iowa State became the only team to fall out of the preseason rankings after a stunning opening-night loss to Memphis as a double-digit favorite. Nebraska entered the poll at No. 25 with a 2-0 record. The top five remained Florida, Duke, Illinois, UConn and Michigan State.
