The first AP top 25 poll for March 2026 was released recently. Vanderbilt, Iowa State, UConn, and other programs saw changes in their rankings compared to last week. The number one spot, however, remained unchanged.
Duke, which claimed the top spot last week, maintained its position for the second week in a row. The Blue Devils received 55 of 59 first-place votes. Arizona and Michigan, the number two and three-ranked teams from last week, also kept their positions unchanged.
Several teams moved up and down the rank but it was Vanderbilt that created the most noise. Last week, Vanderbilt was in last place, behind Louisville. In the recent rankings, they are ranked #24 above Saint Louis.
FOX College Basketball recently posted the top 25 ranking on Instagram, and fans were quick to point out Vanderbilt’s jump. But other teams caught some heat, too.
“We beat Vandy by 14 and they move up? 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Lmaoo sh*ts a joke at this point…” a fan wrote.
“Vandy tenessee Arkansas and Saint John’s ranked but uk ain’t alright bro,” a fan wrote.
“I don’t get how msu can be ranked ahead of nebraska when they literally beat them,” a fan wrote.
“As a Florida fan, please stop saying Florida belongs above UConn. If they lose early in the big east tourney and we win out then maybe we can talk. For now, we belong behind them,” a fan wrote.
“St Louis might be the most overrated mid major in history,” a fan wrote.
“i’m a vandy fan but how tf we move up,” a fan wrote.
Vanderbilt has lost three of its last four games, which is one of the main reasons why the list has caused an uproar among fans.
AP Poll Top 25
Texas Tech made a notable jump this week. Last week, they were ranked 16th on the AP poll top 25 list; they have made it to the top 10 in the first top 25 list of March 2026. Here’s a complete list of all 25 teams’ current ranking.
| Team | Rec. | LW |
| 1. Duke (55) | 27-2 | 1 |
| 2. Arizona (4) | 27-2 | 2 |
| 3. Michigan | 27-2 | 3 |
| 4. UConn | 27-3 | 6 |
| 5. Florida | 23-6 | 7 |
| 6. Iowa State | 24-5 | 4 |
| 7. Houston | 24-5 | 5 |
| 8. Michigan State | 24-5 | 13 |
| 9. Nebraska | 25-4 | 12 |
| 10. Texas Tech | 22-7 | 16 |
| 11. Illinois | 22-7 | 10 |
| 12. Gonzaga | 28-3 | 9 |
| 13. Virginia | 25-4 | 11 |
| 14. Kansas | 21-8 | 14 |
| 15. Purdue | 22-7 | 8 |
| 16. Alabama | 22-7 | 17 |
| 17. North Carolina | 23-6 | 18 |
| 18. St. John’s | 23-6 | 15 |
| 19. Miami (Ohio) | 29-0 | 21 |
| 20. Arkansas | 21-8 | 20 |
| 21. Saint Mary’s | 27-4 | – |
| 22. Miami | 23-6 | – |
| 23. Tennessee | 20-9 | 22 |
| 24. Vanderbilt | 22-7 | 25 |
| 25. Saint Louis | 26-3 | 23 |
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