Reactions to men's AP preseason Top 25 basketball poll - ESPN

The 2026-27 preseason men's college basketball AP Top 25 poll results are out!

Reigning titleholder Michigan is not No. 1 — the Wolverines are ranked at No. 16 after the departure of head coach Dusty May in the offseason. Instead, the No. 1 team to open the preseason is Florida, followed by Duke.

The offseason has been defined by 54 coaching changes, a busy transfer portal and college eligibility battles playing out in the courts — which, coupled with tournament expansion, will make the 2026-27 campaign all the more intriguing.

Let's break down the projected starting lineups (players awaiting eligibility decisions are marked with an asterisk) and biggest early-season games for each of the 25 men's hoops teams in the AP poll rankings.

All times Eastern

2025-26 record: 27-8 (lost to 9-seed Iowa in round of 32)

Season opener: Nov. 2 vs. Miami in Tampa, 6 p.m., ESPN2

Biggest early-season game: Dec. 1 vs. Duke (ACC/SEC Challenge), 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Projected starting lineup:
Boogie Fland (11.7 PPG)
Denzel Aberdeen (13.5 PPG at Kentucky)*
Thomas Haugh (17.1 PPG)
Alex Condon (14.9 PPG)
Rueben Chinyelu (11.2 PPG)

2025-26 record: 35-3 (lost to 2-seed UConn in Elite Eight)

Season opener: Nov. 2 vs. Army, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU

Biggest early-season game: Nov. 25 vs. UConn in Las Vegas, 7 p.m., Prime Video

Projected starting lineup:
Caleb Foster (8.5 PPG)
John Blackwell (19.1 PPG at Wisconsin)
Dame Sarr (6.4 PPG)
Drew Scharnowski (10.7 PPG at Belmont)
Patrick Ngongba II (10.5 PPG)

2025-26 record: 28-9 (lost to 2-seed UConn in Final Four)

Season opener: Nov. 2 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 8 p.m., BTN

Biggest early-season game: Nov. 17 at Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN

Projected starting lineup:
Stefan Vaaks (15.8 PPG at Providence)
Quentin Coleman (No. 23