BYU men’s basketball was ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll released Monday, according to a October 19 report. This marks the third time in program history that the Cougars have been included in the AP preseason poll, and the first time since the 1979-81 seasons.
The Cougars enter the season following a campaign where they finished seventh in the Big 12 and lost to Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The team is competing without AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 recruit and former nation's leading scorer, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Florida earned the No. 1 spot in the preseason poll with 47 of the 59 first-place votes. The Gators are followed by Duke at No. 2 and Illinois at No. 3. Other Top 25 teams include Arizona at No. 5, Houston at No. 10, Kansas at No. 17, Iowa State at No. 18, and Texas Tech at No. 19.
The Big 12 is represented in the Top 25 by six schools. In addition to BYU, the conference includes Arizona, Houston, Kansas, Iowa State, and Texas Tech. Other teams appearing in the preseason poll include Michigan State, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisville, Arkansas, St. John’s, Miami, Gonzaga, Michigan, Alabama, USC, UCLA, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.
BYU will play its final exhibition game at UNLV on Saturday. The Cougars are scheduled to open the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2, against Ohio State at the Delta Center, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. on FS1.
