Mens College Basketball Top 25 After Week 1
Alright, let’s talk hoops. The first week of college basketball just wrapped, and it was pure, unadulterated chaos. If you thought we were just going to ease into the season, you were dead wrong. We had upsets, freshmen phenoms announcing their arrival, and enough drama to make a soap opera blush. Forget the preseason rankings—it’s time to talk about who showed up when the lights were bright.
Week 1 College Basketball Recap: Upsets and Breakout Stars
Right out of the gate, the season decided to get spicy. The defending champs, the Florida Gators, walked into Vegas holding the No. 3 spot and walked out with a loss. Why? Because a freshman named Koa Peat decided to have the game of his life for No. 13 Arizona. He dropped 30 points, grabbed 5 boards, dished 5 assists, and nabbed 3 steals. You have to go back two decades to find another player who put up those kinds of numbers in their college debut. It was a statement game that sent shockwaves through the rankings.
But Peat wasn’t the only freshman making noise. Over at the Dick Vitale Invitational, Duke’s Cam Boozer looked like he’d been playing college ball for years. Against a tough Texas team, he put up a cool 15 points and 13 rebounds, looking every bit the superstar he was hyped up to be.
Then you had Caleb Wilson at North Carolina. The Tar Heels, ranked No. 25, took on No. 19 Kansas, and Wilson went off for 24 points. UNC looked unstoppable in the second half, hitting 18 of its first 23 shots. That’s not just good; that’s video-game mode. Kansas had no answer, and UNC danced its way into the top 20.
Big Wins and Bracket Previews
Week 1 wasn’t just about the new kids on the block. Some established programs picked up massive wins that will look golden on their NCAA Tournament resumes come March. You know, the kind of Quad 1 victories that can make or break your seeding.
First up, No. 16 Alabama strolled into Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of basketball, and took on Rick Pitino’s No. 6 St. John’s. It was a heavyweight bout, and Bama’s freshmen, Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway, delivered the knockout punch with a combined 46 points. The Crimson Tide pulled away late, and suddenly, they look like a serious contender.
Then we had a clash of titans in East Lansing. Two Hall of Fame coaches, Tom Izzo and John Calipari, went head-to-head as No. 21 Michigan State hosted No. 15 Arkansas. It was a back-and-forth thriller that went down to the final buzzer. Arkansas had a shot to tie it with a three-pointer, but it clanked off the rim, and the Spartans escaped with a massive win. You could feel the March Madness energy in that building, and it’s only November.
New-Look Top 25 College Basketball Rankings
So, after all that madness, how does the landscape look? The polls are in, and there’s been a serious shake-up. Here’s a peek at how the experts at the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25 see things after Week 1.
USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Highlights
Purdue grabs the top spot with 21 first-place votes, but Houston is breathing down their neck. The big movers are Arizona, jumping up to No. 6, and Alabama cracking the top 10 at No. 9. Meanwhile, Florida and Kansas took a tumble, learning the hard way that every night is a battle.
- Purdue (21)
- Houston (7)
- UConn
- Duke (1)
- Michigan
AP Top 25 Poll Highlights
The AP voters are a bit more divided at the top, with Purdue getting more first-place votes but Houston snagging the No. 1 position. Arizona makes a huge leap to No. 5, and Alabama also gets some love at No. 8. North Carolina climbs to No. 18 after their big win.
- Houston (18)
- Purdue (36)
- UConn (3)
- Duke (2)
- Arizona
The biggest takeaway early in the college basketball season? This season is going to be a wild ride in college basketball. If Week 1 taught us anything, it’s that rankings are just numbers. The real test is what happens on the court. Buckle up, folks. We’re just getting started in the 2025 – 2026 college basketball season.
