College Basketball Week 2 AP Poll: 5 Teams Ranked Too Low
Updated November 9, 2026
Updated November 9, 2026
The first week of college basketball is in the books, and we finally have some game results to work with. After getting their first look at teams in action, AP voters released an updated Top 25 Poll on Monday afternoon, with some changes from the preseason rankings.
But the AP voters and computer models don't necessarily agree on where every team belongs. Advanced power ratings like KenPom, Bart Torvik, and EvanMiya have several teams ranked much higher than they are in the AP Poll.
With that in mind, I've picked out five college basketball teams that may be ranked too low heading into Week 2. I'll break down what the computer models are seeing and why these teams could be better than their current rankings suggest.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the AP Poll and computer rankings is Kansas. The Jayhawks are sitting at No. 15 despite all three models having them among the top five teams in the country.
To be fair, I can understand why some voters might be hesitant. Kansas went just 1-2 in exhibition play, including home losses to Louisville and Duke. Bill Self also has a lot of new pieces to work with, so it could take some time for everything to come together.
But the early numbers suggest Kansas has plenty of potential on both ends of the floor. KenPom ranks the Jayhawks ninth in adjusted offensive efficiency and third defensively, while Bart Torvik has them sixth and third, respectively. They've also been dominant inside, shooting 75.0% on two-pointers while holding opponents to just 24.7%, according to Torvik.
Granted, Kansas hasn't faced much competition in its first two regular-season games, beating Fordham 95-65 and Middle Tennessee 89-45. Still, there are some encouraging signs, especially on defense.
Freshman Tyran Stokes has already shown what he's capable of, putting up 27 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists against Duke in the preseason. Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn has also looked comfortable, scoring 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting against Middle Tennessee.
There are still some things to clean up, particularly the outside shooting and turnovers. But with the talent Kansas has and what the advanced numbers are showing, I wouldn't be surprised if the Jayhawks climb back into the top 10 sooner rather than later.
I can understand why AP voters dropped Iowa State out of the Top 25 after its season-opening 80-76 loss to Memphis. After all, the Tigers finished just 13-19 last season and followed up that upset by needing a late comeback to escape with an 89-88 home win over VCU.
Still, dropping the Cyclones from No. 18 in the preseason poll to completely unranked after just one loss might be a bit of an overreaction, especially when you look at the advanced numbers.
KenPom ranks Iowa State eighth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, while Bart Torvik has the Cyclones fourth. That's not too surprising considering how good T.J. Otzelberger's teams have been defensively over the years. The offense isn't quite as highly rated, but KenPom still has Iowa State at No. 28 in adjusted offensive efficiency.
There are some legitimate concerns, though. The Cyclones shot just 4-of-20 (20.0%) from three against Memphis while allowing the Tigers to hit 45.0% of their outside shots. They also forced just 13 turnovers, which isn't what you'd expect from a team that typically relies on creating pressure defensively.
Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton has been one of the bright spots so far, averaging 19.5 points and 10.0 rebounds through two games. He followed up a double-double against Memphis with 28 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in an 83-57 win over Southern Miss.
Iowa State still has some things to figure out, especially with its outside shooting. But given the Cyclones' defensive track record and where all three computer models have them ranked, I think there's a good chance they'll be back in the Top 25 before long.
Nebraska lost four of its five starters from last season's Sweet 16 team, including Rienk Mast and Sam Hoiberg. That might explain why AP voters have the Cornhuskers at just No. 25, while KenPom and Bart Torvik both have them much closer to the top 10.
But Nebraska has already shown some encouraging signs, including a 67-58 win over Providence on Saturday. The Cornhuskers managed to win despite shooting just 5-of-24 (20.8%) from three and committing 15 turnovers.
The biggest reason? Defense. Nebraska held Providence to 30.6% shooting, forced 18 turnovers, and recorded 12 steals. Those numbers line up with the computer models, as KenPom ranks Nebraska ninth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, while Bart Torvik has the Cornhuskers 10th.
Offensively, returning starter Pryce Sandfort has done most of the heavy lifting so far. He's averaging 22.5 points through two games, including 25 against Providence on 9-of-14 shooting. The question is how much help he'll get as Nebraska works several new players into the rotation.
The outside shooting and turnovers are worth keeping an eye on, especially against tougher competition. But if Nebraska can continue playing defense at this level while getting more consistent production offensively, there's a good argument that the Cornhuskers belong closer to the top 15 than No. 25.
Vanderbilt just beat Wake Forest by 23 points despite shooting only 38.9% from the field. Not bad for a team that lost four starters from last season's 27-win squad.
The Commodores made up for their poor shooting by outrebounding Wake Forest 48-33, including 17 offensive rebounds. They also held the Demon Deacons to just 35.2% shooting and 51 points.
That helps explain why KenPom has Vanderbilt ranked seventh nationally, 15 spots higher than the AP Poll. The Commodores are sixth in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom and 11th on Bart Torvik, which also ranks them 13th in defensive rebounding percentage.
There are still some questions, of course. Vanderbilt has only played two games, both at home, and has seven freshmen and four sophomores on its roster. But Tyler Tanner hasn't had to do everything himself. He's averaging 18.5 points through two games, while Ace Glass and freshman Anthony Brown Jr. combined for 30 against Wake Forest.
Next up is Memphis on Tuesday, which should be a good test considering the Tigers already knocked off Iowa State. If Vanderbilt keeps defending and rebounding like this, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Commodores climb well above No. 22 in the coming weeks.
Gonzaga is ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll, but all three computer models have the Bulldogs in the top 10. KenPom has them at No. 10, Bart Torvik at No. 9, and EvanMiya as high as No. 5.
The Bulldogs opened the season with a 78-72 win over Purdue, although that result looks a little less impressive after the Boilermakers followed it up with a double-overtime loss to Valparaiso. Gonzaga then blew out New Mexico State 109-68, shooting 61.3% from the field.
The offense has been the biggest reason for Gonzaga's high computer rankings. KenPom ranks the Bulldogs sixth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, while Torvik has them second. They're averaging 93.5 points through two games, shooting 53.0% from the field and 47.5% from three.
Davis Fogle has led the way with 22 points in both games, but he's had plenty of help. Florida transfer Xaivian Lee scored 18 against Purdue before dishing out 10 assists against New Mexico State, while Braden Huff and Isiah Harwell also scored 20-plus against the Aggies.
Of course, it's a small sample, and Gonzaga probably won't keep shooting nearly 50% from three. But the Bulldogs also rank 22nd in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom and 16th on Torvik, so they're not relying entirely on their offense. If those numbers hold up against tougher competition, Gonzaga could turn out to be one of the more underrated teams in this week's AP Poll.
