As we head into the final month before March Madness, teams around the country are looking to bolster their resumes […]
As we head into the final month before March Madness, teams around the country are looking to bolster their resumes and land in the top 25 so they can get an automatic bid into next month’s tournament.
With that in mind, our all-new college basketball rankings reveal which are the best men’s teams in the nation as we head into February.
25. Alabama (LW: 17)
Alabama can be a problem for every team because a top 10 offense that is posting 92.0 points a night and is led by likely lottery pick Labaron Philon Jr. The guard is scoring 22.0 a game, which is ninth-best in the country.
Yet, despite their offensive firepower, they have been an inconsistent group all season and have struggled against top-25-level competition. They deserve respect, but will remain in the back half of our college basketball rankings until further notice.
24. Louisville (LW: 24)
Louisville owns a rock-solid 14-6 record due to the strong play of its trio of talented guards. Mikel Brown Jr. could be a top 10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, senior Ryan Conwell has been just as good, and Cardinals veteran Isaac McKneely is as reliable as ever.
The trio is not easy to defend, and it showed in wins over Kentucky and Indiana this season. However, Louisville has struggled more often against the top 25. Losing four games to ranked teams, including to Duke twice.
23. St. John’s (LW: UR)
There were huge expectations for St. John’s this season after a big year in 2024-25. However, things have been bumpy for the Red Storm throughout the end of this year, including losses to Kentucky and Auburn.
However, since the calendar hit 2026, the team led by Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins has gotten on a roll in recent weeks. Winning seven straight and earning their way back into our top 25.
22. Saint Louis (LW: 23)
Don’t look now, but Saint Louis may have their best team in school history. The A-10 program has gotten off to an outstanding 20-1 start, and it is due to a high-powered offense that is posting 90.9 PPG — which is eighth best in the nation.
Leading the way is senior big man Robbie Avila. The starting center is posting 13.1 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting an outstanding 47.1% from three. While they don’t have a win against a ranked school, they have fairly earned a spot in our latest college basketball rankings.
21. Clemson (LW: 19)
Coach Brad Bromwell is in the best groove of his 16-year stint leading Clemson, and he has the 2026 Tigers in a position to win 23 or more games for a fourth straight year due to some really nice play from forwards Carter Welling and RJ Godfrey.
The duo is combining for over 20 points and 11 boards a night for Clemson. Although they suffered a frustrating loss to NC State in OT last week, it came after a nine-game win streak that was made possible by a good defense giving up 65.1 points a night.
20. Miami (OH) (LW: 25)
While it took a couple of seasons to change the program from the bottom up, Miami (OH) head coach Travis Steele has put together what is turning into the greatest team in school history.
The Redhawks head into the weekend with an outstanding 21-0 record and sit atop the MAC. Their fantastic start is thanks to an offense that is first in the nation (94.1 PPG) and has six players posting 10 or more points a night. Miami won’t face a ranked team until the tournament, but they are a dark horse to keep an eye on.
19. Florida (LW: 15)
The first couple of months of the season for defending champs Florida were tough as they lost four of their first nine games. However, since back-to-back defeats to Duke and UConn, the Gators have gotten hot. Since Dec. 13, they are 10-2 with wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Juniors Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh have been leading the way during their resurgence. However, big man Rueben Chinyelu has been the X-factor as the center is having a breakout season. Averaging a 12 and 11 double-double each night. But a recent loss to Auburn shows the Gators still have work to do if they want to get back into the top 10.
18. Vanderbilt (LW: 13)
Vanderbilt’s backcourt duo of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles leads a Commodores offense that is scoring 89.6 PPG, which is 11th best in the nation. It’s why the team is off to one of their best starts in program history at 18-3.
For much of the season, they lacked a marquee victory over a ranked team. However, they got that earlier this month with a key win over Alabama. But, they have tumbled in our college basketball rankings recently after three straight losses this month, including to Florida and Arkansas.
17. Arkansas (LW: 21)
Arkansas is going with a pair of freshmen in the backcourt with Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. Both have made a big impact this season. However, Acuff has emerged as the Razorbacks’ top star and is generating a lot of NBA Draft buzz in 2026.
In year two with legendary head coach John Calipari, Arkansas has played well. Scoring big wins over four ranked teams. The most recent against Vanderbilt was badly needed after losing two of their previous three, including to Georgia.
16. North Carolina (LW: 22)
Hubert Davis’ North Carolina team is worthy of a spot in our top 25 due to the outstanding performance of future lottery pick Caleb Wilson. The freshman leads the Tar Heels in points (19.9), rebounds (10.1), and steals (1.6). However, he is also getting big support from veterans Henri Veesaar (16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds) and Seth Trimble (14.2 points).
While the Tar Heels got a big win over Virginia this week, it followed losing three of five and falling out of our college basketball rankings for a week.
15. Kansas (LW: 18)
Kansas has been a frustratingly inconsistent group this season. You never truly know what you will get from week to week. They have the talent to beat teams like Tennessee and blow out Iowa State, but have also lost to West Virginia and UFC.
Despite being up and down for much of the season, Kansas remains dangerous because of future top-three NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson. The Freshman has been very impressive in his one-and-done season and leads the Jayhawks in scoring with 21.6 PPG.
14. Virginia (LW: 14)
Head coach Ryan Odom had a rough start in his first year overseeing Virginia. However, year two has been far better due to the strong play of Belgian big man Thijs de Ridder. The freshman forward leads the team with 17.0 points and is second in rebounds (6.4) for the 17-3 team.
The only thing that has stopped the Cavaliers from closing in on the top 10 is the lack of wins against top-25 programs. They got one this month with a W over Louisville. However, that was soon followed by a setback against North Carolina.
13. Purdue (LW: 5)
Purdue has something most elite schools lack: Top players with a boatload of experience. Seniors Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith are leading the way for the Boilermakers in 2026 and are combining for close to 30 points a night — Smith is also adding nine assists per game.
Following their blowout loss to Iowa State in December, they responded with nine straight wins. However, they fall out of the top 10 after three straight setbacks, including a big upset to Indiana.
12. BYU (LW: 10)
Led by the player who could go No. 1 in June’s NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa, BYU has had another good season. The No. 1 scorer in the nation is also posting 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals a night. However, the team also has a very good backcourt combination in Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III.
Following a November loss to UConn, BYU reeled off 13 straight wins. However, they have stumbled in recent weeks, falling to both Texas Tech and the top team in the land, Arizona.
11. Texas Tech (LW: 16)
Texas Tech has progressed a lot during Grant McCasland’s first two seasons overseeing the Red Raiders program. And if the formidable duo of JT Toppin and Christian Anderson can continue to play like they already have — they account for over 40 points a night — Tech could make some serious noise in March.
While they’ve struggled against top 25 competition, they did own a win over Duke to hang their hat on. However, over the last couple of weeks, they have posted gigantic victories against BYU and revenge against Houston for a previous loss. Texas Tech is a team to watch in February.
10. Iowa State (LW: 8)
In his final season at Iowa State, Joshua Jefferson is getting the full attention of NBA Draft evaluators. The Las Vegas native leads the teams in rebounds (7.8) and is second in points (17.4), assists (5.2), and blocks (1.0). Furthermore, the Cyclones have gotten very good play from guard Tamin Lipsey and top scorer Milan Momcilovic (18.8).
They are an 18-2 team that owns a destructive victory over one-time No. 1 team Purdue. However, big losses to Kansas and Cincinnati are why they fell out of the top five.
9. Illinois (LW: 12)
Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a top program in the Big Ten, and this is looking like another big season. Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic (13.9 PPG) has immediately become one of their team’s top scorers. However, freshman guard Keaton Wagler is turning into one of the breakout stars in the nation this year. The native of Kansas leads the Fighting Illini in scoring (17.5) and assists (4.0).
While Illinois hit some bumps in the road over the first couple of months, they have picked up real steam in the new year and have scored big wins over Iowa and Purdue in January.
8. Houston (LW: 7)
Kelvin Sampson’s Houston squad is again among the top teams in the nation. Senior Emanuel Sharp (16.5 PPG) has been as important as ever. However, if they make another deep run in March, it will be because of the continued growth of freshman Kingston Flemings (17.5 points and 5.4 assists). The star guard is fast emerging as a potential lottery pick in June.
Yet, the main reason the Cougars head into the weekend with an 18-2 record is an elite defense that is limiting opponents to just 62.1 points a night — which is third-best in the nation. However, a recent setback to Texas Tech is why they end up near the back of our latest top 10.
7. Michigan State (LW: 11)
Legendary coach Tom Izzo has another very good Michigan State team on his hands in 2026. While they can score buckets, the Spartans have proven to be a handful for opponents because of a top-10 defense that is giving up just 63.5 PPG.
There is no better proof of their potential than owning victories over three ranked teams, including North Carolina. While they aren’t seen as a serious title contender right now, they are still a team to watch in the final weeks of the season.
6. Nebraska (LW: 9)
Fred Hoiberg has his best team yet at Nebraska. The school heads into the weekend with a 20-1 record and is led by former Bradley recruit Rienk Mast. The Dutch senior is second on his team in points (14.6 PG) and rebounds (6.0). But he is also getting a lot of help from junior Pryce Sandfort, who leads in scoring with 17.4 PPG.
Nebraska has emerged as a real title contender in recent weeks after wins over Illinois and Michigan State. This week, they had a chance to lay claim to a top-three spot if they could beat Michigan. Unfortunately, they came up just short in a hard-fought battle.
5. Gonzaga (LW: 6)
Mark Few’s Gonzaga squad is off to an impressive 21-1 start because of what their veteran front court of Braden Huff and Graham Ike gives them each night. The duo is posting close to 40 points and 15 boards a game for the WCC-leading Bulldogs.
Following a 40-point loss to Michigan in November, Gonzaga has been a machine. Reeling off 14 straight Ws, including over Kentucky and UCLA.
4. Michigan (LW: 4)
After 20 games, Michigan is showing that head coach Dusty May has a team than win the program’s first championship in close to 40 years. While former UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg is getting a lot of attention for being the tip of their scoring spear (14.1 PPG), the Wolverines’ front line, in general, is arguably the best in the nation.
Their rise to elite status in 2026 features wins over four ranked teams, including a red-hot Nebraska squad recently.
3. Duke (LW: 3)
Duke is off to a vintage Blue Devils start because of the outstanding play of super prospect Cameron Boozer. The freshman, who stepped in to replace Cooper Flagg, leads the team in points (23.5) — which is also third best in the nation. He also tops the team in rebounds (9.9), assists (4.1), and steals (1.8).
Beyond the superb play of the man who could go No. 1 in June’s draft, Duke is also getting important minutes from sophomores Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II. They are why Duke has wins over seven top 25 teams, including Michigan State and Louisville twice.
2. UConn (LW: 2)
It’s another season in college basketball, and UConn is once again among the elite programs in the country. Although they took a step back last season, they retooled with stud recruit Braylon Mullins and are going to be a favorite to go all the way in March.
Senior big man Taris Reed Jr. (14.5 points and 7.9 rebounds) and junior guard Solo Ball (14.8 PPG) lead the way for a team that is formidable on offense, but it is the team’s strong defense that makes them a problem for even elite teams.
1. Arizona (LW: 1)
Arizona has been the cream of the crop in college basketball throughout the 2025-26 season. Led by impressive freshman Brayden Burries (15.2 points and 4.4 rebounds) and big-time NBA prospect Koa Peat (14.5 points and 5.8 rebounds), the Wildcats have already posted wins over six top 25 teams, including UConn and BYU.
They have five players posting 10 or more points a game for the 11th-ranked scoring offense in the country (89.6 PPG). This may be Tommy Lloyd’s best team since the group that went 33-4 four years ago.
Related Headlines
Category: General Sports
