Seven NCAA teams remain without a loss this season. This is the first edition of ClutchPoints' men's college basketball power rankings that features all seven of them. Teams jumping into the top 25 means that others have to fall down the rankings, or be out of them altogether. Florida, for example, is just narrowly holding onto a spot, despite the fact that they won the national championship last year. With that said, here is the top 25.
25. Tennessee
Tennessee lost three straight games. They then didn't have a chance for redemption over the last week, as they didn't play in a single game, but the time off may have given them the chance to right the ship. The team's two best players, Nate Ament and Ja'Kobi Gillespie, will need to start hitting their 3-point shots with more frequency. They both get up a lot of long bombs, but Ament is shooting 28.9% from deep, and Gillespie is at 33.8%. Tennessee led at halftime in all three of their losses, and they can prove that the late-game collapses were fluky if they can get the better of Louisville in their return to action.
24. Georgia
Georgia's 98.3 points per game are the most in the nation. The team has somewhat of a seven seconds or less style of play. They play fast and look to score in transition. They also launch a lot of 3-point shots, even if they aren't clean looks, which is what leads to a poor shooting percentage from deep (30%). Michael White rotates players in and out so everybody stays fresh. The team's lowest scoring output of the season did come in their most recent contest, an 84-65 win over Cincinnati.
23. Miami (OH)
There are seven unbeaten teams left in college basketball. While Miami (OH) has had the easiest schedule of the bunch, there is still a lot to like when it comes to the RedHawks. The team is scoring the eighth most points per game in the nation (93.2) on the back of elite 3-point shooting.
22. Texas Tech
The talent at the top in Lubbock, Texas, is impressive. JT Toppin was chosen as ClutchPoints' preseason best player, and he has produced as such thus far. Texas Tech has an impressive second option, too, as Christian Anderson is averaging 19.8 points to Toppin's 21.8. However, the talent after those two is lacking, which is resulting in the Red Raiders losing game even when the star duo goes off. Most recently, Texas Tech lost to Arkansas despite the fact that both of their stars surpassed 25 points.
21. Florida
The defending champions continue to crumble. Florida went 1-1 over the last week, which included a loss to UConn. The Gators figured out how to win big games last season, but that hasn't been the case this year. They've lost all three of their games against ranked opponents. Perhaps the good news is that Xaivian Lee has stepped up in recent games.
20. Seton Hall
Seton Hall's lone loss on the season came in the Maui Invitational championship game against the next team in these power rankings. The Pirates don't do any one thing at a particularly elite level, but they are well-rounded and don't make many mistakes. Seton Hall's team-first style of play keeps them inside the top 25.
19. USC
USC is 10-1 despite the fact that they've had some injury woes to start the season. Most notably, Rodney Rice is out with an injury, which could keep him out for most of, if not all of the season. Alijah Arenas, the son of Gilbert Arenas, had a tough start to his collegiate career before it even got going. He was involved in a car crash and tore his meniscus in the offseason, but his debut could be right around the corner. Arenas was one of the top recruits in the nation and could supplement the scoring lost by Rice's injury. Chad Baker-Mazara is averaging 21.6 points per game.
18. Illinois
Illinois is one of the biggest fallers in ClutchPoints' power rankings this week. The team is loaded with talent and size, but they keep letting games slip away. Most recently, there was a buzzer-beating defeat at the hands of Nebraska. Zvonimir Ivisic, Tomislav Ivisic, and David Mirkovic are all 6-foot-9 or taller and punish smaller teams, but fellow ranked programs are handling them quite well.
17. Alabama
Alabama has had one of the toughest schedules in the nation so far. They've faced five ranked opponents, and they came away with wins over St. John's and Illinois earlier in the year. Their prior losses to Purdue and Gonzaga were relatively close, too, but the team was blown out by Arizona this past week, and that leads to the team falling down the power rankings. The Crimson Tide have an offense that will keep them in each and every game, but their defense is vulnerable to giving up insurmountable leads.
16. Kansas
Darry Peterson is back to playing starter minutes after recovering from an early-season injury. The potential number one overall pick doesn't have to do it all, though. Melvin Council Jr. had 36 points and nine 3-point makes in an overtime win over NC State.
15. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is 10-0 thanks to their high-octane offense. The Commodores score 95.4 points per game. Diego Pavia may have thought he was robbed of winning the Heisman Trophy, and Vanderbilt might not be playing in the College Football Playoff, but their basketball team gives fans something to be excited about.
14. UNC
Caleb Wilson is racking up high-scoring double-doubles for UNC. He had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the Tar Heels' most recent matchup. While draft conversations to begin the season were surrounded by talks involving Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer, Wilson has played his way into the top five of the 2026 NBA Draft.
13. Nebraska
Nebraska has a veteran, well-balanced squad, and it has resulted in an undefeated season thus far. Most recently, Jamarques Lawrence hit a game-winning 3-pointer over Illinois. The Cornhuskers' 11-0 start is the best in program history.
12. Michigan State
Michigan State followed up a loss to Duke by just narrowly escaping with a victory over an unranked Penn State squad. Still, the team has three ranked wins this year, and their gritty style of play will keep them in every game.
11. Arkansas
Arkansas has a roster loaded with potential. They are seemingly putting it all together, as they have December wins over Louisville and Texas Tech. Freshmen Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas lead the way when it comes to the scoring department, but John Calipari has a number of veterans who know their roles and play them well.
10. Louisville
Louisville has an elite backcourt. All of Isaac McKneely, Mikel Brown, and Ryan Conwell can carry the scoring burden on any given night. Louisville combines a downhill attack with tons of outside scoring pop.
9. BYU
AJ Dybantsa is doing his best to separate himself from the rest of the pack when it comes to the number one overall pick. BYU's star freshman has been displaying his athletic prowess all season long. The Cougars are more than just their premier recruit, though. Richie Saunders and Robert Wright help form an electric scoring trio.
8. Gonzaga
When Gonzaga wins, they tend to win big. Their recent win over UCLA was tied for their closest victory of the season, but it came by double digits nonetheless. Graham Ike and Braden Huff form a dominant frontcourt duo.
7. Houston
Houston's lone loss of the season, which came against Tennessee, is looking more and more like a fluke. Houston has a suffocating defensive attack, and they have had two of the most dominant wins in the nation over the last week. Houston beat Jackson State 80-38 before besting New Orleans by a score of 99-57. Granted, the Cougars weren't necessarily beating up on elite competition, but the team took care of business as they needed to in order to confirm their placement in the top 10 of these power rankings.
6. Purdue
Purdue bounced back from their Iowa State loss with two straight wins. However, Braden Smith still isn't scoring the ball as well as hoped. He is arguably the best playmaker in the NCAA, but more scoring was expected, and he had just seven points against Marquette.
5. UConn
UConn squared off against Florida this past week. The two teams are responsible for winning each of the past three NCAA Tournaments. UConn prevailed as the superior champions. They also collected a win over Texas. The Huskies have a roster that is built the same way as their championship teams were. They have a rim protector in a Tarris Reed, a slasher in Solo Ball, and plenty of shooting in Alex Karaban.
4. Iowa State
After knocking off then-number-one-ranked Purdue, Iowa State beat in-state rival Iowa, as well as Eastern Illinois. The victory over Iowa was expectedly close, and it shows their grit that the Cyclones came out on top. Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, and Milan Momcilovic play well together, and there are few teams, if any, that have enough defensive firepower to neutralize all three.
3. Michigan
Michigan won a national title in 1988-89. The only Wolverines team that has matched the early-season production from that year is this Michigan squad. Michigan has surpassed the 100-point threshold five times already this season. The Wolverines certainly have a case as the best team in the nation, but the top six is stacked this year.
2. Duke
Duke falls one spot in the college basketball power rankings, not because of anything they did, but because they didn't have a game over the last week. While the Blue Devils were resting up, the next team on this list collected another impressive victory. Cameron Boozer is still the Player of the Year favorite, and Duke's roster is still loaded with future first-round picks.
1. Arizona
Arizona now has five ranked wins on the year en route to a 9-0 start. No team in AP Poll history has as many ranked wins through nine games. Their resume is the most impressive in college basketball, so they are deserving of taking over the number one spot for now.
