Kansas, St. John's, Gonzaga, Marquette and other takeaways from preseason AP top 25 poll

We’re just three weeks away from the start of the 2025-26 college basketball season, and the latest milestone is the preseason AP top-25 poll. The Florida Gators, the reigning national champions, were slotted at No. 3 in the poll. Whether it’s too high or too low remains to be seen, but there was plenty to take away from the list, including some surprises.

Here were my five key takeaways.

1. Purdue edges Houston for top spot

Throughout the offseason, two consensus teams were vying for the top spot. Purdue has arguably the best player in the nation in Braden Smith, the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year and All-American, along with 20 ppg scoring forward, Trey Kaufman-Renn. Houston brings back a trio of starters from its national runner-up squad, including the guard duo of Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp. With a pair of incoming five-star freshmen joining the Cougars (Chris Cenac and Isiah Harwell), they may have the higher ceiling compared to the Boilermakers. Still, the Big Ten team is probably the safer bet to give the preseason No. 1 nod. 

2. Gonzaga, Kansas, is unusually low

Two programs that have been No. 1 before are Gonzaga and Kansas, two teams with the longest streaks of making the NCAA Tournament. However, the preseason poll suggests they may be vulnerable, with lower-than-normal rankings. For the Bulldogs, this doesn’t include Grand Canyon transfer Tyon Grant-Foster, who still hasn’t been cleared to play by the NCAA this year. Kansas has one of the top incoming freshmen in Darryn Peterson, but a supporting cast that has plenty of questions. Could either team be closer to the bubble than a top seed this year? 

3. St. John’s program-high No. 5

While Gonzaga and Kansas have some questions, St. John’s is viewed much higher by the votes, getting its highest preseason nod in school history. They bring back star big man Zuby Ejiofor, along with a top-tier transfer class, with plenty of talent. However, with active questions at the point guard position, the Red Storm could also be the preseason top-10 team most likely to fall.

4. Marquette with 0 votes

While the Red Storm is getting plenty of love, another Big East team that got the opposite was Marquette, which has been a consistent top-25 team in the Coach Shaka Smart era. However, this group didn’t receive a single vote in the AP poll, making it one of the more notable exclusions. Yes, the Eagles didn’t land anyone from the portal after losing Kam Jones, but the track record suggests breakout players will emerge. Out of everyone who didn’t cut, Marquette may be the one most likely to be ranked during the season.

5. Best of the rest

Marquette wasn’t the only notable exclusion from the list, as teams such as Oregon, NC State, Texas, and USC also were left out. It’s also interesting that only Gonzaga was listed among the teams outside the top five conferences, with San Diego State the next closest at third out. Indiana, Baylor, and Ohio State also got votes along with Washington, looking to rebound after last year’s rough campaign.