Sports
Men’s AP Top 25 poll reaction: What to know about every team
A full week of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season is in the books, which means it’s time for the first AP Top 25 poll!
Purdue entered the season as the No. 1 team over Houston and Florida.
The Cougars instead have the top spot over the Boilermakers despite receiving 18 fewer first-place votes. The reigning champion Gators fell seven spots to No. 10. Joining the Cougars and Boilermakers in the top 5 are UConn, Duke and Arizona.
The biggest risers from the Oct. 13 preseason poll were Arizona (eight spots to No. 5), Alabama (seven spots to No. 8) and North Carolina (seven spots to No. 18). St. John’s saw the steepest drop of eight spots (to No. 13), followed by the Gators, Arkansas (seven spots to No. 21) and Kansas (six spots to No. 25).
Let’s take a look at the top 25 teams of the first week of 2025-26, how they got there and what’s coming up next for each team.
All times Eastern. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of ESPN Research.
Previous polls: Preseason
Preseason ranking: 2
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: The Cougars’ freshmen made program history early in Saturday’s win over Towson. Kingston Flemings became the first Houston freshman with 20 points on 80% or better shooting from the field in at least 30 seasons. Chris Cenac Jr. became the first Houston freshman with 10-plus rebounds in the first two games of the season in at least 30 seasons.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Oakland, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Preseason ranking: 1
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Purdue hasn’t lost a nonconference game at home since Nov. 2019 against Texas. Braden Smith has 26 points and 20 assists through two games this season; he’s the only Purdue player in the past 20 years to average at least 10 PPG and 10 APG through two games in a season. (He did it last season, too.)
What’s next: Thursday at Alabama, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Preseason ranking: 4
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: UConn defeated UMass Lowell by 63 points, the Huskies’ largest win in a game since December 2005 vs. Morehead State (68). They had a 47-point lead at halftime, the largest lead at the break by any team against a Division I opponent since Pepperdine led Pacific 56-9 in the 2024 WCC tournament.
What’s next: Monday vs. Columbia, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Preseason ranking: 6
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Freshman Cameron Boozer is in rarified air. He’s the fifth Duke freshman to make his college debut with a double-double over the past 30 seasons, following Kyle Filipowski (2022), Jalen Johnson (2020), Marvin Bagley III (2017) and Jay Williams (1999). He’s also the sixth Duke freshman with 25 points and 5 assists in a game in the past 20 seasons, joining Cooper Flagg (three times), Kon Knueppel, Paolo Banchero, RJ Barrett (four times) and Zion Williamson (twice). Boozer and Williamson are the only Duke players in the past 30 seasons with 25 points, 5 assists and 5 offensive rebounds in a game.
What’s next: Tuesday at Army, 7 p.m., CBSSN
Preseason ranking: 13
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Arizona is the first team to beat an AP top-3 opponent in a season opener since 2019 when No. 2 Kentucky beat No. 1 Michigan State and No. 4 Duke beat No. 3 Kansas in the Champions Classic. This is not the first time Arizona has started a season with a win over an AP top-3 team, however. In 2001, the unranked Wildcats took down No. 2 Maryland at Madison Square Garden to set up a meeting the next night with … Florida. (They beat the Gators then, too.)
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Northern Arizona, 9 p.m., ESPN+
Preseason ranking: 7
2025-26 record: 1-0
Stat to know: The Wolverines’ offense was ticking in their season opener: They had the most points (121) by the Wolverines in a game since a 127-96 win over Iowa on March 10, 1990. That was also the most points in a season opener in program history, surpassing a 115-107 win over Bradley in 1986. The Michigan bench had 55 points, the most since scoring 56 points off the bench on March 2, 2002, against Ohio State.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Wake Forest, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Preseason ranking: 8
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: AJ Dybantsa’s 21 points against Villanova are the fifth-most points in a college debut by the No. 1 player in the SC Next 100 over the past 15 years. The names ahead of him? Duke’s RJ Barrett (33 vs. Kentucky in 2018), Memphis’ James Wiseman (28 vs. South Carolina State in 2019), Duke’s Marvin Bagley III (25 vs. Elon in 2017) and Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (23 vs. Marist in 2011).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Delaware, 9 p.m., CBSSN
Preseason ranking: 15
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: With the 103-96 win over St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, Alabama is the first team to score 100-plus points on the road against a top-5 team since No. 2 Oklahoma in January 2016 (106 points in a 3OT loss at No. 1 Kansas), and the first to score 100-plus points in regulation against a top-5 team since No. 8 Kansas in Dec. 2001 (105 points at No. 4 Arizona). Its 103 points are also tied for its most points scored against a top-10 ranked team in program history.
What’s next: Thursday vs. Purdue, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Preseason ranking: 9
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Kentucky is 10-0 against nonconference opponents at Rupp Arena under coach Mark Pope.
What’s next: Tuesday at Louisville, 8 p.m., ESPN
Preseason ranking: 3
2025-26 record: 1-1
Stat to know: Florida is the first reigning champion to lose its season opener (to Arizona) since Syracuse in 2003-04, and the fourth reigning champion to start 0-1 in the past 30 seasons. Only one of the previous three returned to the Final Four: Kentucky in 1996-97, though the Wildcats lost to Arizona in the title game. (2003 national champion Syracuse lost in the 2004 Sweet 16, while 1999 national champion UConn lost in the 2000 round of 32.)
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Florida State, 7 p.m., SEC Network
Preseason ranking: 10
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: JT Toppin is a double-double machine. He has four career 30-point double-doubles — all other Texas Tech players have combined for three such double-doubles in the past 20 seasons. He’s also tied with Hunter Dickinson and Trae Young for fourth-most 30-point double-doubles by a Big 12 player in past 20 seasons, after Michael Beasley (13), Kevin Durant (7) and Blake Griffin (6).
What’s next: Tuesday at Illinois, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Preseason ranking: 11
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: The Cardinals are 2-0 to start their season for the first time since 2020-21.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Kentucky, 8 p.m., ESPN
Preseason ranking: 5
2025-26 record: 1-1
Stat to know: With their first loss of the season against Alabama on Saturday, the Red Storm snapped a 12-game win streak at Madison Square Garden; that was their second-longest win streak at the iconic venue in program history, behind a 14-game streak spanning the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons.
What’s next: Saturday vs. William & Mary, 6 p.m., truTV
Preseason ranking: 17
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Illinois beat Florida Gulf Coast 113-70, and Jackson State 113-55. The Fighting Illini have scored 110-plus points in consecutive games for the second time in the AP poll era; they last did it Nov. 23 and Nov. 26, 2019, against Hampton and Lindenwood, respectively.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Texas Tech, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Preseason ranking: 12
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: First-team All-Big Ten preseason pick Donovan Dent had quite the debut in his first Bruins game: 21 points and 9 assists, with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 6 assists coming in the first half alone. — The Associated Press
What’s next: Monday vs. West Georgia, 10 p.m., B1G+
Preseason ranking: 16
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: This is the Cyclones’ fifth straight season starting 2-0; they made the NCAA tournament in each of the past four seasons. This opening week is also the second time in three seasons that they won their first two games by 35 or more points (last done in 2023-24).
What’s next: Monday vs. Mississippi State, 8 p.m., ESPNU
Preseason ranking: 22
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Michigan State has the longest active streak when it comes to defeating top-15 teams, with five straight regular-season victories. The Spartans are now 15-1 in their past 16 home games as a ranked team.
What’s next: Thursday vs. San José State, 6:30 p.m., BTN
Preseason ranking: 25
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Is UNC hoops back? The Tar Heels snapped a five-game losing streak against Kansas, which was tied for their longest active losing streak against any opponent (along with Texas and West Virginia). They also snapped a four-game losing streak in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups, tied for the fifth-longest losing streak in such matchups in the AP poll era (since 1948-49).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Radford, 7 p.m., ACC Network
Preseason ranking: 21
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Gonzaga has 12 consecutive wins against unranked SEC opponents after defeating Oklahoma 83-68, the longest streak since UConn’s 15 straight from 1989-2011. The Bulldogs’ last loss to an unranked SEC team was Dec. 16, 2006, vs. Georgia.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Creighton, 10 p.m., ESPN
Preseason ranking: 18
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Nate Ament, the No. 4 player in the 2025 SC Next 100, is the first Tennessee freshman with 20 points in a game since Julian Phillips on Nov. 24, 2022.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. North Florida, 7 p.m., SECN+
Preseason ranking: 14
2025-26 record: 1-1
Stat to know: Darius Acuff Jr., the seventh-ranked recruit in the 2025 class, is as advertised: He is the first Arkansas freshman to have 15-plus points and four-plus assists in his first two games of the season in at least 20 seasons. He is also the fourth Arkansas freshman with 15-plus points and four-plus assists in consecutive games in the past 15 seasons, after Boogie Fland (three times), Anthony Black (three times) and Moses Moody.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Central Arkansas, 8 p.m., SECN+
Preseason ranking: 20
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Despite a shaky start to the season under new head coach Steven Pearl, Auburn has added to its nonconference home win tally: 62 straight, dating back to 2016-17. It is the fourth-longest active streak in the SEC as of Nov. 6, following Oklahoma (75), Texas A&M (79) and Missouri (81).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Wofford, 8 p.m., SECN+
Preseason ranking: 23
2025-26 record: 1-0
Stat to know: Last Monday’s 92-75 win against South Dakota was coach Greg McDermott’s 500th in 25 seasons as a Division I head coach, and the Bluejays’ 16th straight win in an opener. — The Associated Press
What’s next: Tuesday at Gonzaga, 10 p.m., ESPN
Preseason ranking: 24
2025-26 record: 2-0
Stat to know: Wisconsin beat Northern Illinois 97-72 and Campbell 96-64 to open its 2025-26 campaign. The Badgers last scored 95-plus points in consecutive games in 1993 (Nov. 27 and Dec. 4 vs. Milwaukee and Loyola Marymount).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Ball State, 8:30 p.m., BTN
Preseason ranking: 19
2025-26 record: 1-1
Stat to know: Kansas suffered its first loss to North Carolina under Bill Self (5-1). A bright spot, however, is Darryn Peterson, who had 22 points (8-14 FG, 3-5 3PT) and 2 steals, becoming the first Kansas freshman in at least 30 seasons with consecutive 20-point-plus games to begin a season.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 8 p.m., ESPN+
So, Xabi Alonso becomes the tenth permanent Real Madrid manager of Florentino Pérez’s 21-plus-year presidential reign to be sacked without even completing a year in charge.
Just when the 44-year-old Madrid playing legend seemed to have calmed the stormy waters that had threatened to overwhelm him since autumn, the biggest sin in the entire dictionary of Must Not Commit for Bernabéu managers, losing to Barcelona when a trophy is at stake, has cost him his job. Those around Alonso — who leaves with Madrid only four points off the top of LaLiga, safely in the UEFA Champions League top eight and with a nervy Copa del Rey tie at Albacete on Wednesday — will look back at the final moments of Sunday’s Supercopa final and think about Álvaro Carreras and Raúl Asencio, who each had point-blank chances to score and take the final to penalties.
Alonso, in retrospect, stands condemned, at least in the eyes of Pérez — the only person whose opinion matters when a coach’s fate is concerned — of several offenses.
First: The damage done to Alonso’s public reputation and club credibility when, on substituting Vinícius Júnior in the victorious Clásico last October, the Brazil international erupted in anger while showing disrespect for his manager. Even in victory, the player’s actions hogged the headlines because he screamed into the night air, “This is why I’m going to leave this team. This is why I’m leaving!”
Pérez wants Vinícius to renew his contract, at all costs. So although Alonso palpably repaired much of the damage with his 24-year-old star, and on Sunday helped him produce his best goal and best performance since Carlo Ancelotti left, it’s now clear that irreparable damage was done to Pérez’s view of his coach.
Second: Losing to Barcelona in a big final remains, it seems, a capital offense. Just as a reminder, it has been about five weeks since I wrote in this very space, “If the 44-year-old coach, who won all there is to win in his playing career and then made history by making Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga champions for the first time, can beat Atlético Madrid in the Supercopa semifinal and either Barcelona or Athletic Club in the final, then he’ll finally be left alone to do his job until the end of the season. But to come home without a trophy? Alonso will almost certainly be sacked.”
Third: When Madrid played anodyne, point-dropping football against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona, and then lost consecutively at home to Manchester City and Celta Vigo, there was a massive manhunt mounted, by the club and by the media, to find someone to blame. Correctly or not, and I think the answer is firmly “not,” it has been the coach — rather than the president or the players — who has been found guilty.
Fourth: Alonso, it must be said, hasn’t “played the game.” Managing upward is an increasingly key skill when you’re coaching at a big club — that’s true anywhere in the world, but particularly when your direct boss is the unaccountable Pérez.
Throughout his life, either as the son of the excellent player Periko Alonso; or while coming through the ranks at Real Sociedad; playing brilliantly for Liverpool, Madrid, Bayern Munich and Spain; or making history by taking Bayer Leverkusen to their best-ever trophy season; Xabi Alonso has been the man. Venerated, respected, ultra talented, backed, fêted, desired, rewarded and awarded deity status. Don’t take my word for it, just think how he’s regarded by Spain (European and world champion), at Liverpool (hero of the greatest match in their entire history), local boy made good at Real Sociedad, José Mourinho’s lieutenant at Madrid and Pep Guardiola’s chosen linchpin while winning trophy after trophy at Bayern. He simply didn’t need to kowtow to anyone. Ever.
It’s different at Madrid and, so, when his friend and mentor, Guardiola, used a vulgar expression in support of Alonso before City won at the Bernabéu in December, it went down very badly indeed when Alonso’s postmatch response, teased out by a journalist, seemed to be sympathetic to what City’s Catalan coach was suggesting about Alonso’s relationship with Pérez.
Until very recently, Alonso, never rude, was standoffish and cool with the assembled, hard-nosed, some would say Pérez-aligned media who turned up to news conferences six times a week at the Madrid training ground. He changed his stance when he knew he was fighting for his continued employment: He began to expand on answers, share a joke, become a bit more touchy-feely, and it was working. But he played that game a little too late.
It was extremely telling when Alonso suggested to his players on Sunday in Jeddah that they form a guard of honor for Barcelona’s victorious players (as Hansi Flick’s men had done for them while they walked up to get their losers’ medals), but Kylian Mbappé usurped him and fiercely gestured to the squad that he, not Alonso, had the final word and that no way would they be forming two lines and letting the Supercopa winners feel honored. Very, very damaging imagery.
What’s a little bit shocking is that the Spanish football media, having set the table for an Alonso sacking over and over again in November and December, were utterly caught by surprise. Even playing pretty moderately, in victory against Sevilla, Real Betis and Atlético, Madrid’s players were clearly pulling for their coach, they were building results — admittedly from a low base — and they were looking very like steering Los Blancos into the extremely valuable top eight of the Champions League with two winnable matches in their sights this month. Marca’s headlines this morning included “Xabi revives the Mourinho style” and “What a miss from Carreras in the 95th minute.” No blame thrown at the coach. Their famous columnist, Alfredo Relaño, stated, “Xabi Alonso lost the final but saved his situation.” The much more hawkish, Pérez-oriented Diario AS used “Only Raphinha was better than Madrid” as their match headline, and the self-confessed ultra-Madridista columnist Tomás Roncero’s column read “Nothing to reproach you over.”
One of the biggest signs, in my opinion, as to the general mood of this singular, polemic, but highly successful, billionaire president, and something that Alonso could have paid more attention to, is the name of the stadium.
For the longest time, it’s been called the Santiago Bernabéu in honor of the man previously regarded as the greatest leader in Real Madrid’s history. More and more, and often in formal terms, it’s being called “the Bernabéu” — a change that, in my view, will preface a gradual, strategic and corporate-driven moving of Pérez toward the top of the podium of all-time presidents. This 78-year-old has, gradually but consistently, aimed at moving beyond his “Primus inter pares” (“first among equals”) status to be regarded as the all-time greatest. His costly and, so far, not wholly successful redevelopment of the stadium was supposed to be the jewel in the crown but, for a host of reasons, hasn’t hit home with the power he expected it to. I think, a couple of months away from his 79th birthday, he feels that time is flying, and he has none to waste.
He needs, desires, more league wins, more Champions Leagues, fewer sights of Barcelona lifting trophies, less whistling and jeering when Madrid play at their imperious HQ. He craves the formation of a European Super League. Right now, he’s being thwarted in too many of those desires.
Those previous nine coaches he sacked only a few months into their reigns usually, it must be pointed out, made way for more successful, more glorious periods for the club as European and domestic trophies were stacked up and the best players actively chose to move to Real Madrid. This fact is incontestable.
President Pérez, in my opinion, has blamed the wrong man, has ignored the real problems and, now that he has passed the baton to Álvaro Arbeloa, he has perpetuated the real flaws rather than cured them in sacking Alonso. But he won’t care about that opinion and, in the past, his irresistible force has defeated any apparently immovable object. This time? I’m unconvinced.
Bad luck, Xabi. You only partially contributed to this situation. But, as you always said yourself, Real Madrid is different. Real Madrid is unique. Good luck with what comes next.
He will pay penalties as part of his return through the tour’s limited “Returning Member Program.”
Source link
Xabi Alonso has left his job as Real Madrid coach “by mutual consent,” the club announced on Monday.
The news comes a day after Alonso’s Madrid were beaten 3-2 by Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Alonso has been replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa, who had been coach of Madrid’s reserve team, Castilla.
Alonso came under pressure before Christmas after a difficult run of just two wins in eight games, including defeats to Liverpool, Celta Vigo and Manchester City, but the team’s form had improved since, with five victories before Sunday’s Clásico loss.
“Real Madrid C.F. announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his tenure as first-team coach,” the club said in a brief statement on Monday.
“Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans, because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.
“Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new chapter of their lives.”
Alonso took over from predecessor Carlo Ancelotti this past summer after impressing at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the side to the Bundesliga title for the first time in its history in 2024.
Alonso played for Madrid between 2009 and 2014, winning one Champions League, one LaLiga title and two Copas del Rey.
He began his tenure as Madrid coach with a run to the semifinals in this past summer’s Club World Cup, where they were beaten 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain.
In 2025-26, the team began the season with 13 wins in 14 games in all competitions — including beating Barcelona 2-1 in the first Clásico of the season — before November’s poor run of results.
Arbeloa, 42, began his career as a player at Madrid before a spell at Liverpool, where he played alongside Alonso. The defender returned to Madrid in 2009 and spent seven seasons at the club before returning to coach with the academy in 2020.
Arbeloa also helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.
Alonso wasn’t perfect, but sacking him ignores Madrid’s real problems
Minnesota Sues to Stop ICE ‘Invasion’
Brooks Koepka returns to PGA Tour weeks after LIV Golf departure
-
Entertainment1 week agoMinnesota Governor Tim Walz to drop out of 2026 race, official confirmation expected soon
-
Politics5 days agoUK says provided assistance in US-led tanker seizure
-
Sports1 week agoVAR review: Why was Wirtz onside in Premier League, offside in Europe?
-
Entertainment5 days agoDoes new US food pyramid put too much steak on your plate?
-
Entertainment5 days agoWhy did Nick Reiner’s lawyer Alan Jackson withdraw from case?
-
Business1 week ago8th Pay Commission: From Policy Review, Cabinet Approval To Implementation –Key Stages Explained
-
Business5 days agoTrump moves to ban home purchases by institutional investors
-
Sports1 week agoFACI invites applications for 2026 chess development project | The Express Tribune