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Human vs. computer rankings
How did the preseason AP poll shake out compared to what other media publications and three computers rankings have? Glad you asked. Plus: What to know from American media day, preseason SEC polls, exhibition results, and a big recruiting win for Oklahoma State.
Mike Miller
October 14, 2025
Good morning! Ready for more media day events? The SEC will roll out a host of players and all 18 coaches over the two days at its event. That’s a ton of content, especially with Kentucky on the docket for today.
Today’s Field of 68 Daily is written by Mike Miller. Follow him on X.com/Twitter @mikemillerf68.
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1. Purdue’s atop the preseason AP poll
New KenPom rankings dropped on Sunday. Monday was the AP’s preseason Top 25. no better time for an overall look at how outlets and computers view the upcoming college hoops season.
Humans (except for Gary Parrish) have picked Purdue as the team to beat, while the computers picked Houston. But beyond that, it’s largely the same mix of teams in ALL the rankings. Nineteen teams — Purdue, Houston, Florida, UConn, St. John’s, Duke, Michigan, BYU, Kentucky, Texas Tech, Louisville, UCLA, Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa State, Illinois, Kansas and Gonzaga — appear in every column above. It’s never the same order, but those 19 form a consensus top group.
Also, it’s worth noting that Illinois will be a top 10 team according to all three computer rankings, and that humans are vastly underrating Vanderbilt.
Some factoids on the AP poll:
It’s the first time Purdue’s ever started the season No. 1. It’s also the most times atop the poll by any program since the start of the 2021-22 season, and is one of seven schools to be ranked No. 1 during four years of a five-year span.
The Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 all landed six teams in the preseason poll. The Big East and ACC had three. Gonzaga was the lone program not from a power conference.
It’s the second time Florida started a season in in the top five (2006-07).
St. John’s spot at No. 5 is its highest preseason rank in program history.
It’s the 58th time Kentucky was in the preseason Top 25. That’s in 77 years.
After back-to-back seasons of being No. 1 in the preseason poll, Kansas was voted 19th. That’s its lowest preseason rank since it was 24th in 2008-09.
Finally, there were a handful of notable programs that received a couple votes in the AP poll. Virginia got two. Baylor, Oklahoma and Indiana each got one. And somehow Kansas State garnered 13 votes, more than Ole Miss (11), USC (10), Missouri (8) and Vanderbilt (7). This isn’t to shame the Wildcats, who certainly have one of the sport’s best players in guard P.J. Haggerty. But to receive more than votes than league rival Baylor? Yeesh.
2. ‘Winning is the only option’ for Memphis
Memphis was the runaway pick to win the American when the league announced the results of its preseason poll last week. That’s being embraced by the team.
