BYU Basketball Earns Highest Preseason AP Ranking in Program History

BYU wing Richie Saunders scores against Kansas State | BYU Photo

Basketball season is fast approaching as the associated press released their preseason top 25 for the 2025-26 season. Unsurprisingly, BYU made the cut. BYU checks in at no. 8 in the preseason AP sandwiched between Michigan and Kentucky. This ranking is the highest preseason ranking in program history and their highest AP ranking since 2010 when Jimmer Fredette and company rose to no. 3 in the polls.

BYU is joined by five fellow conference mates including Houston (2), Texas Tech (10), Arizona, (13), Iowa State (16), and Kansas (19) with Baylor and Kansas State also receiving votes. Each of these teams will appear on BYU’s schedule this season including Arizona and Texas Tech twice. BYU’s first ranked matchup of the season will actually come in an exhibition against #25 North Carolina in Salt Lake City on October 24th. Their first regular season ranked matchup will presumably be when BYU enjoys a round of 32 rematch with no. 24 Wisconsin on November 21st.

BYU wing Richie Saunders scores against Kansas State | BYU Photo

It's difficult to overstate the uncharted waters in which BYU finds themselves swimming. BYU has been ranked once in basketball AP preseason poll since 1980 and was ranked 24th at that. Then again, BYU has also never had a top five recruiting/transfer class that includes the nations no. 1 overall recruit in AJ Dybantsa while returning an All-American caliber player in Richie Saunders.

Preseason rankings are one thing, predictive metrics are another. The KenPom preseason rankings also dropped this week and had BYU at 18th nationally with a projected record of 24-7 thanks to difficult road tests at Texas Tech, Baylor, Arizona, and Kansas. BYU's only projected home loss is against no. 2 Houston with an additional loss to UConn at the Boston Garden. However, projected home wins over Texas Tech and Arizona with Neutral site wins over Wisconsin and Clemson should be more than enough to bolster BYU's tournament resume and earn BYU among its best NCAA tournament seeds in Program history. Time will tell how well the pieces all fit together, but the national expectation is clearly the highest it’s ever been. One thing is for certain, the Marriott Center is the place to be this winter.