There wasn’t a ton of movement in these power rankings following the first week of the college basketball season, as there weren’t really any shocking losses. A few dropped games against ranked opponents isn’t a cause for concern at this point in the season - teams are still figuring things out. Though a top-5 win for Alabama has the Crimson Tide making some early moves in the SEC hierarchy. The opening week of the season can only be characterized as a success for the conference. Here are my latest power rankings following the first week of the 2025-26 college basketball season:
16. South Carolina Gamecocks (1-0)
South Carolina only had one game this week, which it won by 19 points. NC A&T only won seven total games last season, so this was never expected to be a close game. The Gamecocks didn’t build much on their 18-point halftime lead, but they also didn’t bleed any points. Winning by nearly 20 points is a good sign for this South Carolina team, but until the Gamecocks face any sort of test, it will be hard to move them up these rankings. Though they aren’t far behind the next couple of teams.
15. LSU Tigers (1-0)
LSU won big in its only game of the week, taking down Tarleton State 96-60. The 36-point victory isn’t the best thing about the Tigers' win - LSU only missed 14 shots all game, making 70.2 percent from the floor. This was never going to be a close game, but I’m still impressed with how efficient the Tigers were. Matt McMahon needed a huge win like this to open the season, but much like South Carolina, I’m going to need to see the Tigers against better competition before deciding whether or not to move them up these rankings.
14. Georgia Bulldogs (2-0)
Georgia’s first two games of the season have had their desired effect - provide the Bulldogs with two of the easiest wins in the country by a P5 team. After beating Bellermine by close to 50 points, Mike White’s squad annihilated Maryland Eastern Shore by 65 points, only allowing 29 points to the Hawks. With just how bad Georgia’s first two opponents were, it’s hard to take these results seriously. That’s not a knock on the numbers the Bulldogs put up; that’s impressive for any team. I need to see Georgia play a competent team before it can make any moves in the rankings.
13. Ole Miss Rebels (2-0)
The Rebels picked up two wins this week, though neither game was ever in doubt. A 30-point win over SE Louisiana and a 21-point win over UL Monroe were about as routine as wins get. I am a little concerned with the Rebels' lack of efficiency so far, but I’m going to chalk that up to playing the end of the bench in these games. Chris Beard has gotten two impressive outings from AJ Storr (18.5 ppg) and Malik Dia (15.5 ppg). I look forward to seeing if these scoring numbers continue against better competition.
12. Oklahoma Sooners (1-1)
It was a roller coaster first week for Oklahoma. The Sooners easily beat Saint Francis by 36 to open the season, then followed that up by losing to Gonzaga by 15 points - props to Porter Moser for scheduling a ranked opponent this early in the season. The Sooners clawed back a few points in the second half, but they were never really in striking distance. While Oklahoma struggled from the floor against the Bulldogs, Nijel Pack (18 points) and Xzavier Brown (21 points) put up big numbers, which is a good sign for this Oklahoma team moving forward.
11. Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-0)
Mississippi State beat North Alabama 86-62 in its only game of the week, though it took a huge second half to pull away from the Lions. The Bulldogs weren’t very efficient in the win, making 43.7 percent from the floor, though they did score 42 points in the paint. As expected, Josh Hubbard put up huge numbers (27 points) in the win. The only other MSU player in double-figures was Ja’Borri McGhee (14 points), which is a little concerning against an ASUN opponent. We’ll see what this offense looks like moving forward, but at any rate, Hubbard can’t do it all himself.
10. Texas A&M Aggies (2-0)
The first two games of the Bucky McMillan tenure went off without a hitch. 30-plus point wins against Northwestern St and Texas Southern were about what was expected. The Aggies made at least 11 threes in each game and recorded at least 13 steals as well. If this holds up against better competition, A&M should be a good basketball team down the stretch. However, much like most power conference teams at this point, the Aggies haven’t really been challenged. This next week should teach us more about how good this Texas A&M team actually is.
09. Texas Longhorns (1-1)
Texas lost to Duke by 15 to open the season, then followed that up by beating Lafayette by 37. With the wild swing of competition, I don’t know what to expect from Texas, though I suspect they lie somewhere in the middle of these two performances. Early returns show that Sean Miller getting Dailyn Swain (13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg) to follow him to Austin was a smart choice. The next real test for Texas is still a couple of weeks away, but through the first week of the season, the Longhorns are right on track.
08. Missouri Tigers (2-0)
Missouri opened the season with a true road game, taking down Howard by 21 points. But it's the Tigers' first home game against SEMO that has them moving down a spot in the rankings. It took a heroic 29-point effort from Mark Mitchell for Missouri to pull out the win to remain undefeated. Turnovers were a huge problem Friday night, but free-throw shooting was terrible in both games. The Tigers are only making 55.8 percent from the line. Until this gets figured out, I’m a little leery about Mizzou’s chances of winning close games.
07. Auburn Tigers (2-0)
Auburn nearly dropped its season-opening game against Bethune-Cookman, eking out a 95-90 win. The Tigers bounced back in a big way against Merrimack, dominating the Warriors 95-57. I knew there was a chance for a rocky start with the coaching change so late in the offseason, but nearly falling to a SWAC team was a wake-up call for the Tigers. Auburn likely would have tumbled down these rankings had it not gotten back on track later in the week. I’m trying not to overreact to the slim opening night win, but I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye on Auburn throughout the non-conference schedule.
06. Vanderbilt Commodores (2-0)
Vanderbilt is absolutely rolling on offense, scoring 105 points in both of its games this week. It wasn’t a surprise in the season-opening game against Lipscomb, but the Commodores needed every one of those points to hold off UCF on the road. Obviously, Vanderbilt's offense will come back to earth, though that doesn’t make this hot start any less impressive. The Commodores are shooting just over 46 percent from three, so it's no wonder that Vanderbilt's offense has been so great. A little better defensive effort against power conference teams, and this Vanderbilt team could be really dangerous.
05. Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)
Tennessee hasn’t been tested so far this season, though a 15-point win over Mercer was a little closer than anyone expected it to be. The Vols absolutely destroyed Northern Kentucky to finish out the week, taking down the Norse 95-56. Without a substantial opponent this past week, Tennessee didn’t prove anything; however, Nate Ament has been exactly as talented as advertised. The freshman big currently leads the team in both points (20.5 ppg) and rebounds (8.5 rpg). I’m confident that Tennessee is a great basketball team, even if its first P5 opponent is still a couple of weeks away.
04. Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1)
Arkansas split its opening week games, beating Southern 109-77 before falling short against Michigan State on the road. The freshmen have been really good so far, with Darius Acuff (19.0 ppg) and Meleek Thomas (18.5 ppg) leading the team in scoring. I still think Arkansas is a super talented team, but its reliance on the freshman is clutch moments might be the team's downfall early on. Against Michigan State, some poor shot selections by the newcomers likely cost the team the win. Luckily for John Calipari and the Hogs, it's still early in the season.
03. Kentucky Wildcats (2-0)
It’s not uncommon for teams to get off to slow starts to open the season, but Kentucky only managed 28 points in the first half against Nichols. But since then, the Wildcats have scored at least 49 points in each of their next three halves of basketball. Kentucky looked to be back on track in its 48-point win over Valparaiso, hitting 11 threes in the win. Colin Chandler is shooting lights out from deep, making 53 percent of his threes on nearly eight attempts per game. I think Kentucky has worked out any early-season jitters, but we’ll know more this week.
02. Florida Gators (1-1)
A six-point loss to No. 13 Arizona in Vegas to open the season was a tough way for Florida to start its title defense. The Gators struggled with the Wildcats’ physicality, but held up well offensively. A 40-point drubbing of North Florida got Florida’s season back on track. One concern so far has been the Gators' three-point shooting; they are only making 22 percent from deep this season after hitting nearly 36 percent a season ago. Luckily for Florida, the season is only a week old, and there is still plenty of time to figure things out.
01. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0)
Alabama already has one of the best wins in the country, and we are less than a week into the regular season. After beating North Dakota by 29 to open the season, the Tide upset No. 5 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden 103-96 on Saturday. Obviously, giving up nearly 100 points to St. John's isn’t ideal, but at this point in Nate Oats' tenure, bad defense isn’t a real concern. Labaron Philon has looked like an All-American through two games, averaging 23.5 points and 5.5 assists. Alabama looks like a title contender after the first week of the season.