Kansas has maintained its position at the top of the first Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll of the regular season following a victory over North Carolina. The Jayhawks received 44 of 62 first-place votes after a hard-fought 92-89 win against the Tar Heels, where they managed to hold on despite blowing a 20-point lead.
Alabama and UConn held onto the second and third spots in the rankings, with Alabama receiving six first-place votes and UConn receiving seven. Gonzaga moved up to fourth place after impressive wins over Baylor and Arizona State, while Auburn made a significant leap to fifth place after defeating Houston.
St. John's, led by Rick Pitino, made a notable return to the rankings at No. 22, marking Pitino's first appearance in the Top 25 since his time at Louisville in the 2016-17 season. Pitino took over at St. John's last season after coaching at Iona.
Ohio State also entered the rankings at No. 21, their first appearance since January 2023. Texas and UCLA dropped out of the poll from the preseason rankings.
Several teams saw significant movements in the rankings, with Kentucky rising to No. 19, Marquette and Cincinnati climbing three spots each, and Texas A&M falling 10 spots to No. 23.
The Southeastern Conference led all conferences with eight ranked teams, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, and Mississippi. The Big 12 followed with six teams, while the Big East and Big Ten had four each. The ACC had two teams ranked, and the West Coast Conference had one.
As the college basketball season progresses, fans can stay updated on the latest AP Top 25 rankings by signing up for poll alerts and visiting the AP college basketball hub.
Sources: AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll and AP College Basketball
