Now that the confetti has been swept up and the nets have been cut down, there is one final piece of business to close the book on the men’s college basketball season.
Michigan takes its rightful place as No. 1 in the season-ending USA TODAY Sports coaches poll after claiming the program’s second title with a defeat of Connecticut. The Wolverines, who held the top spot for a stretch during the regular season, finishes atop the rankings for the first time since USA TODAY began administration of the coaches poll. Their previous title in 1989. The runner-up Huskies finish at No. 2 overall, though the Huskies did not receive every second-place vote among the 31 panelists.
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Arizona lands at No. 3 overall. Duke, which entered the tournament at No. 1 , finishes ahead of semifinalist Illinois for the No. 4 spot despite falling short of the Final Four thanks to UConn’s buzzer-beater.
TOP 25: Complete final USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll
NEXT YEAR: Our too-early Top 25 for the 2026-27 season
Houston lands at No. 6 in the final rankings, followed by Purdue and Iowa State. Florida, the first top regional seed eliminated, topples to No. 9. St. John’s rounds out the top 10.
It’s an impressive final poll for the Big Ten. In addition to ending its championship drought while sending two representatives to the Final Four, the league ends up with seven ranked teams in all as Wisconsin narrowly edges Utah State for the No. 25 spot.
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The SEC lands six thanks to No. 24 Texas’s surprising run from First Four to Sweet 16. The Big 12 is next with five teams in the top 25, and the ACC lands four.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball final rankings: Michigan leads coaches poll Top 25
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