It’s almost time for the 2025-26 college basketball season to tip off. Before things officially begin in November, the hype and chatter is starting to build.
On Oct. 13, the Associated Press released its preseason top 25 rankings. The preseason coaches’ poll will be released at a later date.
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Iowa State AP rankings update
Iowa State men’s basketball opens the season as the No. 16-ranked team, according to the AP poll. It is the Cyclones’ first time appearing in back-to-back AP preseason polls since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, when they were ranked for the third straight time to begin the season.
The Cyclones went 25-10 last season after being hampered by injuries down the stretch. This year’s Iowa State team is anchored by returning starters Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson. Nate Heise and Cade Kelderman are the other two returners on a roster that features nine new players.
Iowa State has preseason exhibition games scheduled against Creighton (Oct. 17) and Northwestern (Oct. 26), before officially opening the 2025-26 season against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 3. That game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. CT.
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Men’s college basketball rankings, preseason
AP Poll
Here is a look at the 2025-26 Associated Press preseason top 25 men’s college basketball poll
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Purdue (35 first-place votes)
Others receiving votes
N.C. State 101, Oregon 98, San Diego St. 74, Texas 35, Ohio State 23, Kansas State 13, Mississippi 11, USC 10, Missouri 8, Washington 7, Vanderbilt 7, Iowa 6, Boise St. 4, Mississippi State 3, VCU 2, Virginia 2, Saint Mary’s 2, Indiana 1, Oklahoma 1, Baylor 1
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball ranking in 2025-26 preseason AP top 25 poll
