Michigan tops final AP Poll after ending 37-year national title drought
Michigan is No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll for the 2025-26 season after winning the program's first national championship in 37 years.
The Wolverines (37-3) claimed all 57 votes in Tuesday's poll in the third year the AP has released its final rankings after the completion of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan beat UConn 69-63 in Indianapolis on Monday night to complete the winningest season in program history, along with winning its first NCAA title since 1989 and the Big Ten's first since 2000.
| Rank | Team | Record | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 37-3 | 3 |
| 2 | UConn | 34-6 | 7 |
| 3 | Arizona | 36-3 | 2 |
| 4 | Duke | 35-3 | 1 |
| 5 | Illinois | 28-9 | 13 |
| 6 | Purdue | 30-9 | 8 |
| 7 | Houston | 30-7 | 5 |
| 8 | Iowa State | 29-8 | 6 |
| 9 | Florida | 27-8 | 4 |
| 10 | St.John's | 30-7 | 10 |
| 11 | Michigan State | 27-8 | 11 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 25-12 | 23 |
| 13 | Arkansas | 28-9 | 14 |
| 14 | Nebraska | 28-7 | 15 |
| 15 | Iowa | 24-13 | 15 |
| 16 | Alabama | 25-10 | 18 |
| 17 | Virginia | 30-6 | 9 |
| 18 | Gonzaga | 31-4 | 12 |
| 19 | Vanderbilt | 27-9 | 16 |
| 20 | Kansas | 24-11 | 17 |
| 21 | Texas Tech | 23-11 | 20 |
| 22 | Texas | 21-15 | - |
| 23 | Louisville | 24-11 | - |
| 24 | Miami (FL) | 26-9 | 25 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 24-11 | 19 |
Michigan spent a week at No. 1 in mid-February and didn't rank lower than fourth after November in its second season under Dusty May.
UConn finished second, followed by Arizona, Duke and Illinois. The Huskies jumped five spots and the Fighting Illini eight after their runs to the Final Four. Purdue, Houston, Iowa State, Florida and St. John's rounded out the top 10.
Iowa and Texas both wound up in the poll after being unranked heading into March Madness. The Hawkeyes finished the season ranked No. 15 after reaching the Elite Eight in a run that included a second-round upset of defending champion Florida, while the 22nd-ranked Longhorns went from the First Four to the Sweet 16.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball