1Florida went into a hostile road environment and came away with a nine-point victory over in-state foe Florida State. The Gators now have wins over Miami and Florida, with a marquee showdown against Duke just weeks away.
2Michigan State was simply dominant against Duke on Tuesday in the Champions Classic. The Spartans recorded a wire-to-wire victory over the Blue Devils behind a huge night from Jeremy Fears Jr. That win could come in handy on Selection Sunday.
3The Huskies looked impressive during their win over reigning national champion Michigan last week in Boston. When UConn is on, they're a clear-cut Tier 1 national title contender. The backcourt of Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr. is also must-see TV.
4Texas Tech led by as many as 20 points in the first half against No. 3 Illinois at home and walked away with an impressive win. The Red Raiders are a very dangerous team at full strength. The scary part is that Texas Tech still doesn't have JT Toppin, an All-American-caliber player.
5UCLA owns one of the best wins of the early season (over Arizona) and is off to a 2-0 start. The Bruins have a star on their roster in freshman Nikola Kustrica, who is coming off a 29-point showing against North Florida. UCLA is ranked No. 9 in the AP poll, but should be higher.
6Virginia improved to 4-0 with a blowout win over Bucknell on Tuesday. The Cavaliers looked impressive during their win over Arkansas last weekend. It's clear to see why Virginia is having early success. Coach Ryan Odom returned four of his top six scorers from last season.
7Texas is 3-0 with wins over Chicago State, Gardner-Webb and Grambling. Sean Miller's squad hasn't been tested yet, but that will change this weekend. Texas has a very intriguing neutral-site matchup against Baylor on Sunday.
8Kansas looked sharp during its win over Kentucky in the second leg of the Champions Classic. After playing limited minutes due to the first two games being blowouts, Tyran Stokes looked great against UK. The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NBA Draft finished with 23 points.
9Illinois is still playing without preseason All-American David Mirkovic. The Fighting Illini project to have one of the best offenses in college basketball. A road loss against a tough Texas Tech team is nothing to be ashamed of. However, going 8-for-19 from the free-throw line might lead to some extra running at practice.
10Tuesday should serve as a wake-up call for Duke. The Blue Devils got beat on both ends of the floor against a very good Michigan State team. The good news is that Duke will have plenty of chances to redeem themselves with matchups against Illinois and UConn on the slate this month.
11Houston is coming off an 18-point win over Cal. The Cougars began the season with a 94-55 win over La Salle. Houston's first test won't come until it faces Alabama next month.
12Louisville is off to a 2-0 start after wins over Chattanooga and Morehead State. The Cardinals will be tested this weekend when they face Memphis on the road. Freshman big man Obinna Ekezie Jr. has looked impressive so far.
13Since losing to UCLA in its season opener, Arizona has won back-to-back games against Cal Poly and Northern Arizona. The next two games (Auburn and UConn) will be big measuring sticks for Tommy Lloyd's team.
14Vanderbilt was impressive during its 105-81 win over Memphis. All three of Vandy's wins this season have come by over 20 points. The backcourt of Ace Glass III and Tyler Tanner is one of the best in the country.
15St. John's is coming off a 104-65 win over Iona; the school where Rick Pitino coached before taking the job at St. John's. The early returns on Quinn Ellis, one of the best international players to come to the States to play college basketball, have been positive.
16Gonzaga opened the season with a win over Purdue, which aged worse over the last week after the Boilermakers were upset at home against Valpo. Still, it's a quality win on Gonzaga's resume that could look better on Selection Sunday. The game to watch on Sunday will feature Gonzaga going up against Will Wade's LSU squad. That will be a great measuring stick for both teams.
17I'm not really sure what to make of Tennessee yet. This was a team that entered the season as a near-consensus top-10 team. However, Tennessee's transfers haven't clicked yet. The good news is that there is plenty of time to do just that. It will be sink or swim, with a matchup looming against Michigan State.
18Miami ran into the buzzsaw that is Florida in its season opener and was overwhelmed against the nation's best frontcourt. There's no shame in losing to the top-ranked team in the country. Things still look very positive for second-year coach Jai Lucas. Acaden Lewis looked like a superstar vs. Florida.
19The Year 2 breakout from Alijah Arenas is here. The former blue-chip recruit scored a career-high 30 points in a win over Wichita State last weekend. Eric Musselman's squad is oozing with talent and potential.
