BYU basketball opens 2026-27 season ranked in preseason AP Top 25

PROVO — For the second consecutive year, BYU basketball enters a season as a ranked team.

On Monday, the preseason AP Top 25 for men’s basketball in the 2026-27 season was released. BYU snuck into the poll at No. 25 in the rankings.

It’s the first time since 1980 that BYU has begun two straight years in the preseason AP Top 25.

BYU basketball checks in at No. 25 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. pic.twitter.com/XgwA7YeFsn

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 19, 2026

BYU basketball opens the 2026-27 season at No. 25

BYU basketball enters the 2026-27 season with an intriguing roster led by All-American candidate Robert Wright III. The star point guard entered the transfer portal for a brief period of time before returning to Provo for his junior season.

BYU also brings in freshman star Bruce Branch III, who is a potential top-five NBA draft pick next season, as Kevin Young’s program looks to continue building the NBA pipeline after AJ Dybantsa was selected No. 1 in this past year’s draft by the Washington Wizards.

Then, BYU hit the transfer portal and added veteran power-conference players former Kentucky guard Collin Chandler and former Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler.

Kohler can play a fifth season of college basketball because of a temporary restraining order he received, along with dozens of other athletes in the Glancey v. NCAA case. If Kohler remains eligible, he could help BYU climb the rankings and join the national conversation this season.

BYU appearing in the preseason AP Top 25 poll marks the fourth straight season the Cougars have appeared in at least one AP Top 25 poll. It’s now the second-longest stretch of consecutive rankings with at least one appearance in the rankings.

The longest is five consecutive years from 2006 to 2011.

BYU is one of six Big 12 teams that were ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The Cougars join Arizona (5), Houston (10), Kansas (17), Iowa State (18), and Texas Tech (19).

AP Top 25: College Basketball rankings for the 2026-27 season

Released: October 19, 2026

1. Florida

2. Duke

3. Illinois

4. UConn

5. Arizona

6. Michigan State

7. Texas

8. Tennessee

9. Virginia

10. Houston

11. Louisville

12. Arkansas

13. St. John’s

14. Miami (FL)

15. Gonzaga

16. Michigan

17. Kansas

18. Iowa State

19. Texas Tech

20. Alabama

21. USC

22. UCLA

23. Kentucky

24. Vanderbilt

25. BYU

Others receiving votes: Missouri, Nebraska, Purdue, Ohio State, North Carolina, TCU, Saint Louis, VCU, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Indiana, Texas A&M, Villanova, Auburn, Marquette, Nevada, Grand Canyon, Utah State, Santa Clara.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

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