Sports
Men’s AP Top 25 poll reaction: Highlights, what’s next for every team
After a break in the last week of the 2025 calendar year, the men’s AP Top 25 poll has returned in 2026.
Nebraska rises from No. 13 to 10 while Michigan State falls from No. 9 to 12 — the top 10 otherwise remain in tact, with Houston and Gonzaga swapping spots, and BYU rising one.
Florida and USC fall out while SMU and UCF crack the rankings following big wins over North Carolina and Kansas, respectively.
Let’s run through statistical highlights and the next game for each of the Top 25 teams.
All times Eastern. All stats courtesy of ESPN Research unless otherwise noted.
Previous polls: Preseason | Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Previous ranking: 1
2025-26 record: 14-0
Stat to know: One of six unbeaten teams in Division I, the Wildcats’ 14-game win streak is tied for their third longest to start a season in program history. They had 21 straight wins in 2013-14, 16 straight in 1931-32 and 14 straight in 2012-13.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Kansas State, 9 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 2
2025-26 record: 13-0
Stat to know: The Wolverines are 3-0 against AP-ranked teams this season, winning all of them by 30 or more points. That makes them the first team in AP poll history with three straight 30-point wins against AP-ranked teams. They are the third team in AP poll history with three 30-point wins against ranked teams in a season, joining 1993-94 Minnesota and 1996-97 Kentucky.
What’s next: Tuesday @ Penn State, 7 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 3
2025-26 record: 14-0
Stat to know: Another one of the six unbeatean teams in D-I this season, the Cyclones are tied with their 2013-14 selves for their best start in program history. The 14-game win streak is also tied for the second longest active win streak in D-I, with Miami (OH) — only Nebraska has more with 18.
What’s next: Wednesday @ Baylor, 8 p.m., Peacock
Previous ranking: 4
2025-26 record: 14-1
Stat to know: The Huskies have rattled off 10 straight wins this season, their longest single-season win streak since they closed out 2023-24 with 13 wins in a row — and the national championship. This is also their second 14-1 or better start in the past 15 seasons, along with the 2022-23 national championship-winning season.
What’s next: Wednesday @ Providence, 5 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN
Previous ranking: 5
2025-26 record: 13-1
Stat to know: Braden Smith now owns the Big Ten career assists record, passing Cassius Winston with 12 assists in the win against Wisconsin.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Washington, 8:30 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 6
2025-26 record: 13-1
Stat to know: Duke has won 13 of its first 14 games in a season for just the sixth time in the past 15 years.
What’s next: Tuesday @ Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 8
2025-26 record: 13-1
Stat to know: Kingston Flemings had a team-leading 19 points, 6 assists and 5 steals in Houston’s narrow win against Cincinnati. He’s the only freshman in Division I with more than one game of 15 points, 5 assists and 5 steals this season, after racking up 21 points, 5 assists and 8 steals against Florida State on Dec. 6.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Texas Tech, 9 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 7
2025-26 record: 16-1
Stat to know: Since first joining a Division I conference in 1963-64 (the Big Sky back then), Gonzaga has won 90 games by at least 30 points in conference play. The next-closest D-I team to win like that, in that span, is Kentucky with 71. Mark Few is responsible for 79 of those 90 wins, since he became the head coach in 1999-2000. The next closest team to win like that, in that span, is Belmont with 38.
What’s next: Thursday vs Santa Clara, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 10
2025-26 record: 13-1
Stat to know: BYU has won 10 straight games, its first such streak since it had 10 straight during Jimmer Fredette’s senior season in 2010-2011. This is, overall, the Cougars’ best start to a season since that 2010-11 season, when it also started 13-1.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Arizona State, 9 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN
Previous ranking: 13
2025-26 record: 14-0
Stat to know: Nebraska got its first home win in an AP-ranked matchup since defeating Kansas in 1991. The win against Michigan State on Saturday is its second ranked vs. ranked win overall this season, after defeating then-No. 13 Illinois on the road on Dec. 13. The Cornhuskers had won just three ranked matchups in program history before this season. Their 18-win streak (dating back to last season) is the longest active win streak in Division I and the longest in program history.
What’s next: Monday @ Ohio State, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 11
2025-26 record: 14-0
Stat to know: This is the second time in school history that Vanderbilt — another of the six unbeaten men’s D-I teams — has started a season 14-0. The other time was in 2007-08, when it started 16-0.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Alabama, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 9
2025-26 record: 12-2
Stat to know: Jaxon Kohler owns Michigan State’s longest double-double streak (5) after the loss to Nebraska, after Paul Davis had seven straight between 2004-06.
What’s next: Monday vs. USC, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 14
2025-26 record: 11-3
Stat to know: Alabama has now had 34 games in which it has made 15 or more 3s under Nate Oats (since 2019-20). The Tide trail only North Florida (36 games) in Division I in this respect.
What’s next: Wednesday @ Vanderbilt, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 15
2025-26 record: 9-3
Stat to know: There have been four instances of a Texas Tech player scoring or assisting on at least 50 points in a game over the past 15 seasons — all belong to Christian Anderson this season. Those are also the four highest games in terms of “points created” by a Texas Tech player over the past 25 years.
What’s next: Tuesday @ Houston, 9 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 18
2025-26 record: 11-3
Stat to know: Head coach John Calipari is now tied with Rick Barnes for most career wins among active coaches, with 846.
What’s next: Wednesday @ Ole Miss, 9 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: 20
2025-26 record: 11-3
Stat to know: Illinois has 14 straight wins over unranked opponents, tied for its longest such win streak in the past 20 seasons (last done February-November 2024).
What’s next: Thursday vs. Rutgers, 8:30 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 12
2025-26 record: 13-2
Stat to know: The Tar Heels allowed 97 points in the weekend’s 14-point loss to SMU — the most they’ve allowed against an unranked team since Wake Forest scored 98 in 2022. The 14-point margin is also their largest as a ranked team against an unranked team since they lost by 21 to Louisville in 2019.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Wake Forest, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Previous ranking: 23
2025-26 record: 13-1
Stat to know: Georgia leads the nation in scoring (99.4 points per game) as well as blocks (7.9 per game).
What’s next: Tuesday @ Florida, 7 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: 25
2025-26 record: 12-2
Stat to know: Iowa’s 12 wins are the team’s most through 14 games since 2020-21 (12-2).
What’s next: Tuesday @ Minnesota, 8 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 16
2025-26 record: 11-3
Stat to know: Louisville is now 1-3 on the road this season, following Friday’s loss to Stanford. It was 9-2 on the road last season. There is a bright spot, though: The Cardinals are 10-0 at home or at a neutral site this season.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 19
2025-26 record: 10-4
Stat to know: Tennessee lost its SEC conference opener on Saturday despite shooting better than Arkansas from the field (49% vs. 42%) and from the 3-point line (38% vs. 30%). The Vols lost the game at the free throw line, going 12-for-23 (53%) compared to the Razorbacks’ 88% (29-for-33).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Texas, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 17
2025-26 record: 10-4
Stat to know: Darryn Peterson has scored 103 points in 128 minutes of playing time so far this season. Those 103 points are the fourth most through five career games in Big 12 history, behind Michael Beasley (150), Trae Young (141) and Kevin Durant (112).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. TCU, 8 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 21
2025-26 record: 12-2
Stat to know: Virginia was 13-for-33 from beyond the arc in Saturday’s 15-point win over NC State — the Cavaliers’ sixth game this season attempting more than 30 3s, their most in a season since at least 1996-97.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. California, 9 p.m., ACC Network
Previous ranking: Unranked
2025-26 record: 12-2
Stat to know: SMU’s 97-83 win over North Carolina this past Saturday was the Mustangs’ first victory against a Top 25 team since the 2021-22 season. It snapped a 12-game losing streak against ranked opponents.
What’s next: Wednesday at Clemson, 9 p.m., ESPNU
Previous ranking: Unranked
2025-26 record: 12-1
Stat to know: UCF’s 81-75 victory over Kansas this past Saturday marked the second time the Knights defeated a ranked Jayhawks team at home in the past three seasons.
What’s next: Tuesday at Oklahoma State, 8 p.m., ESPN+
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The United States came away with 33 total medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, and many came from the female athletes who showed out in Italy this month.
There were 17 medals won by the U.S. female athletes, including eight of the 12 gold medals.
As many Americans enjoyed watching the events at home, LPGA Tour legend Michelle Wie West was in Milan watching the U.S. reach the podium in several events.
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Michelle Wie attends Netflix’s “Happy Gilmore 2” New York Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on July 21, 2025, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
“I had the honor to be in Milan with Nike and got to see some Winter Olympic Games for the first time in person. It’s amazing to see all these competitors,” she told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “Got to see [silver medalist] Chloe [Kim] do her halfpipe, and that was incredible.
“Women’s hockey, I mean, incredible. I got to go to the first game, and it was just lights out.”
From Mia Manganello in speed skating, to Alysa Liu’s captivating gold medal in figure skating, Wie West admitted the Olympics made her a bit emotional seeing the athletes achieve their dreams.
“This whole Winter Olympics season has been so — I think every Olympic season is so uplifting,” she said. “But this one in particular was so inspiring, and it feels like the female athletes really knocked it out of the park.
“I feel like every Olympics gets me really emotional. I can see athletes achieve their dreams, and it’s so cool. It was really cool to see it in person.”
Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Single Skating on day thirteen of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Wie West also added that Lindsey Vonn’s “heartbreaking” crash, after competing through a torn ACL, was hard to see. However, “seeing her journey up until that moment and even afterwards has been so inspiring to me.”
Breanna Stewart, a three-time gold medalist with Team USA women’s basketball, shared Wie West’s sentiments about seeing American success overseas.
“I think there were so many events I really learned a lot about, whether it was bobsledding, or curling, or watching hockey,” she said. “Just wanting to cheer on the USA in whatever event they were doing, and see the pride and passion the athletes were having whenever they stepped up to compete with their sport.”
LPGA player Michelle Wie West plays her shot from the 14th tee during the Golden Bear Pro-Am prior to the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 28, 2025, in Dublin, Ohio. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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Stewart even mentioned getting “goosebumps” thinking about what it feels like getting a medal around your neck, and better yet, seeing the flag raise with the national anthem playing.
“It’s really just satisfaction and justification of why you’re doing it and why you’ve gone through those hard moments and times,” she explained. “To me, the Olympics is the highest of the high. You’re playing your sport at the highest level against everyone else in the world, and you see that. It’s just a goosebump feeling no matter how many times you do it. Just the pride and knowing you’re representing something bigger than yourself always comes through full circle.”
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PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State forward Emmanuel Ugbo, who is currently under a court order resulting from allegations of stalking and harassment, has been suspended for the remainder of the season.
Coach David Riley told reporters this week that Ugbo, who has neither played nor practiced for the Cougars since he was suspended on Jan. 28, will sit out the rest of the way.
“As an institution,” Riley told reporters, “we believe that’s the best course of action.”
Ugbo was accused by a Washington State women’s volleyball player of stalking and harassment after she ended their relationship. Last week, a Whitman County judge granted the woman a full protection order against Ugbo.
Ugbo’s suspension began with Washington State’s home game on Jan. 31, shortly after the woman filed for a temporary protection order. Ugbo averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18 minutes this season. He previously played for Boise State.
Sports
Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones
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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.
The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.
Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.
Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.
A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.
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When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
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