Florida Opens at No. 1 in ESPN Men’s College Basketball Rankings
Florida opened at No. 1 in ESPN's first Power Rankings of the 2026-27 season, published November 12, 2026. Kansas and UCLA made the biggest jumps since the preseason, while UConn and Michigan State joined the top tier of title contenders after strong starts.
Florida opened at No. 1 in the first ESPN men's college basketball rankings of the 2026-27 season, published November 12, 2026. The Gators lead a list reshaped by seven games between ranked teams in the season's first 10 days, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello.
Kansas and UCLA are the biggest risers since the preseason rankings. Both landed notable early wins.
Kansas and UCLA climb
The Jayhawks added former Purdue star Trey Kaufman-Renn, then blew out Kentucky 89-69 at the Champions Classic in Chicago on November 10. UCLA beat Arizona on opening night and has a rising star in freshman Nikola Kusturica, Borzello wrote.
UConn and Michigan State sit squarely among the top national championship contenders after stellar starts. Duke and Illinois are not expected to be at their best until later. The Blue Devils are adjusting to new go-to players, and Illinois has suffered multiple injuries.
Florida's tight rotation
The Gators beat Miami 77-67, Jacksonville 88-57 and Florida State 81-72. Coach Todd Golden has settled quickly on an eight-man rotation.
His five starters plus reserves Urban Klavzar, Domen Petrovic and Isaiah Brown played 199 of a possible 200 minutes against Miami. Against Florida State, they played all 200.
UConn and Michigan State statements
UConn beat Michigan 85-77 in Boston on November 6. Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins outplayed Michigan's Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney. Demary said afterward he believed he and Mullins were the best backcourt in the country.
Demary is averaging 14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.7 steals. Mullins scored 20 or more in each of his first two games.
Michigan State beat Duke 79-73 in Chicago on November 10. Sophomore forward Jordan Scott had nine defensive rebounds, six blocks and two steals, and he stifled Duke's offense in the first half. "He just really impacts winning," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said.
Lawsuits and what is next
Summer lawsuits are already affecting the season. Arizona is awaiting a decision on forward RJ Godfrey. Kansas and Texas Tech each won big games behind players who suited up under injunctions or temporary restraining orders.
Next week brings the Players Era 8 tournament in Las Vegas. Florida meets Notre Dame there on November 17, and Michigan State plays UNLV the same day. On campus, UConn visits Tennessee on November 17, and Florida plays at Arizona on November 18. Borzello said more changes to the rankings likely loom.
