AP College Basketball Poll 2026 Week 12 Rankings Released with Top Risers and Fallers
The Associated Press Top 25 poll saw a shakeup near the top for the second week in a row.
Purdue lost back-to-back games, while Houston came up short in a Big 12 battle with Texas Tech. The Boilermakers and Cougars now rank 12th and 10th, respectively, after having sat comfortably in the Top 10.
North Carolina was a big mover in the opposite direction. The Tar Heels climbed six spots up to No. 16.
Week 12 AP Top 25
1. Arizona (20-0)
2. UConn (19-1)
3. Michigan (18-1)
4. Duke (18-1)
5. Nebraska (20-0)
6. Gonzaga (21-1)
7. Michigan State (18-2)
8. Iowa State (18-2)
9. Illinois (17-3)
10. Houston (17-2)
11. Texas Tech (16-4)
12. Purdue (17-3)
13. BYU (17-2)
14. Kansas (15-5)
15. Arkansas (15-5)
16. North Carolina (16-4)
17. Virginia (16-3)
18. Vanderbilt (17-3)
19. Florida (14-6)
20. Louisville (14-5)
21. Saint Louis (19-1)
22. Clemson (17-4)
23. Alabama (13-6)
24. Miami Ohio (20-0)
25. St. John's (15-5)
Purdue had a few days to stew over its 69-67 upset at the hands of UCLA. The Boilermakers were a frosty 7-of-27 from beyond the arc against the Bruins, and they failed to fully capitalize after building a 12-point lead midway through the first half.
Purdue's offense was much better when it returned to Mackey Arena. Unfortunately, the defense must've gotten left behind in Los Angeles.
Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler exploded for 46 points to power Illinois to a ninth straight win. The 6'6" guard went 11-of-13 from the field and hit nine of his 11 three-pointers.
During the AP poll era, no player has scored more points in a road win over a Top-10 foe.
"That was probably the most impressive performance," Purdue coach Matt Painter said after the game. "… Evan Turner came in here one time and played pretty well. That's probably one of the most impressive performances, if not the most impressive performance, we've had in Mackey Arena from an opponent."
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Wagler as the No. 10 pick in his most recent 2026 NBA mock draft. Wagler might be a little higher when Wasserman drops his next mock.
Illinois, meanwhile, is back in the Top 10 for the first time since mid-November. The Fighting Illini were ranked as low as No. 20 after losing to Nebraska. They can avenge that defeat on Sunday, and beating the Cornhuskers might bump them into the top five this time next week.
Over in the Big 12, Texas Tech is doing its best to keep pace with Arizona.
The Wildcats are 20-0 overall and 7-0 in the conference after blowing out Cincinnati and West Virginia by 61 combined points. They once again received all 60 first-place votes in the AP poll and have more than earned their position in the rankings.
The Red Raiders have a slim lead in the tight race for second place in the Big 12. At 6-1, they own a half-game lead on BYU and Houston.
Forty points from guard Kingston Flemings and another 20 from Emanuel Sharp weren't enough for the Cougars to avoid the upset in Lubbock, Texas.
JT Toppin had his eighth double-double (31 points and 12 rebounds) over his last nine games for Texas Tech. Christian Anderson flirted with a double-double as well, scoring 12 points and dishing out nine assists.
Texas Tech lost to the first three ranked teams on its schedule (Illinois, Purdue and Arkansas). A narrow 82-81 win over Duke was a sign things were beginning to click for Grant McCasland's squad.
With subsequent victories over BYU and Houston, the Red Raiders are looking dangerous.
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