The USA TODAY Coaches Poll Top 25 has been updated following an exhilarating first week for the 2024-2025 men’s college basketball season.
A couple big time, ranked matchups had an effect on this week’s edition. Kansas defeated North Carolina by three on Friday, while Baylor and Houston escaped the opening week with huge victories as well, defeating Arkansas and Houston, respectively.
With that in mind, the sport’s brightest coaching minds put their brains together to come up with some rankings after Week 1. Check out the Top 25 below, and see if your team made the cut at the onset of a new campaign.
Kansas ranked No. 1 in the preseason Top 25 and did nothing to convince voters to go elsewhere. They now hold one of the best wins in the country as well, after a home win against North Carolina on Friday.
The Jayhawks will have two games this week to continue proving why they’re the best team in the nation. They’ll face Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, followed by welcoming Oakland to town on Saturday.
Alabama opened the season with a pair of wins, including a game against Arkansas State where they were pushed into the second half, but pulled away despite the injuries they continue to bounce back from in the rotation.
The Crimson Tide have a tough November, and it begins to take shape this week. A matchup against Purdue on Friday looms large, and whichever team gets the win will be in tremendous shape moving forward.
After the opening week, UConn gave no reason for anyone to think a drop-off is coming. The Huskies took care of business and looked like the new-look roster has plenty to build on.
They’re 2-0, and they likely won’t be tested too much this coming week. The Huskies only have one game, and it’ll be a home contest against 1-2 Le Moyne on Wednesday evening.
Auburn probably holds the best win of the season, heading on the road to beat Houston over the weekend. To make the feat more impressive, the Tigers overcame some controversy during the travel there and still made a big statement.
Bruce Pearl’s team receives a slight reprieve during Week 2. Auburn only has one game, as they’ll welcome Kent State to Neville Arena on Wednesday evening.
Gonzaga started the season with a bang, beating Baylor by a huge margin in a game which changed the perception of the Top 10 outlook. The Bulldogs had to hang on late vs. Arizona State to end the weekend, but kept themselves in the win column.
Mark Few’s team won’t be in action again until Friday night. The McCarthey Athletic Center will be the sight of UMass Lowell facing off against Gonzaga.
Duke brings in a highly-anticipated freshman class, just like it has proven able to do so many times. The real reason for optimism outside of that group is the investment in veteran transfer able to help the young core through the growing pains which will keep them in this tier until they prove themselves.
They’ll have to grow up quick though, as the Blue Devils have a tough showdown this week. Duke will face Kentucky on Tuesday during the State Farm Champions Classic.
Another team which rolled to early wins, Iowa State remains in the mix as a Top 10 team in the Coaches Poll this week. The Cyclones look to build throughout the non-conference slate and cement their chances in the Big 12 conference title race.
Only one week is on the docket for Iowa State. The Cyclones will face Kansas City on Monday, a game they should win, for all intents and purposes.
Arizona opened the season with two blowout wins over small schools, and did nothing to make Coaches Poll voters believe they should move anywhere but up in the Top 25 this week. The schedule now starts to pick up for the Wildcats.
Wisconsin is on the docket this week, and that’s Arizona’s only game of the week. It’ll take place on Friday evening, with the Wildcats taking their show on the road to Madison.
Tennessee is 2-0 after their tremendous win against Louisville on Saturday. The Volunteers are off to a fantastic start once again, and they’re looking to keep it going throughout November.
They won’t be challenged much in Week 2, with showdowns against Montana and Austin Peay on the docket. However, a clash with Virginia the following week looms large for the Volunteers.
The top-ranked team with a loss, Houston falls down the board with a few teams picking up big wins. However, the loss against Auburn should do nothing to convince voters the Cougars are less likely to make a run back up the Coaches Poll Top 25.
A bounce back opportunity is afoot for Houston in Week 2. They’ll play Louisiana and Hofstra this week, before an all-important game against Alabama in Week 3.
11. North Carolina
12. Purdue
13. Creighton
14. Baylor
15. Marquette
16. Indiana
17. Cincinnati
18. Kentucky
19. Florida
20. Illinois
21. Arkansas
22. Ohio State
23. Texas A&M
24. Rutgers
25. St. John’s
Schools Dropped Out: No. 19 Texas; No. 22 UCLA; No. 25 Ole Miss
Others Receiving Votes: Texas Tech 75; Ole Miss 60; Texas 54; Xavier 38; Oregon 37; Michigan State 29; BYU 29; UCLA 18; UCF 17; Wake Forest 12; Saint Mary’s 12; Kansas State 9; Clemson 9; New Mexico 8; Dayton 8; North Florida 7; Maryland 5; Providence 4; Mississippi State 4; Nevada 2; San Francisco 1; Grand Canyon 1
As you can tell, this is where college basketball’s top coaches landed this week on their rankings. Check back next week to find out if your team made a move up the ladder in the USA TODAY Coaches Top 25 Poll, which is bound to fluctuate throughout the season.
On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this article.
