Madison Booker and Rori HarmonMitchell NorthamMon, December 1, 2025 at 1:55 PM UTC·1 min readTexas is legit.
That’s what the Longhorns proved last week in Las Vegas as they beat UCLA and South Carolina on back-to-back nights, handing the Bruins and the Gamecocks their first losses of the season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAny concerns skeptics had about Texas’ ability to assemble another squad capable of returning to the Final Four should be tossed out. No other team in the country this season has taken down a pair of AP-ranked top five opponents, and with Madison Booker and Rori Harmon leading the way again, Texas proved it’s still capable of beating anyone, anytime, anywhere.
With the Longhorns now owning two of the most impressive victories captured by any team so far this season, they jumped to the top of my AP Top 25 ballot, ahead of UConn. While the Huskies’ triumph over Michigan is still remarkable, they didn’t stack any other ranked wins on top of that this week. Sorry, a 65-point win over Big East cellar-dweller Xavier isn’t as good as beating the Gamecocks or Bruins.
Here’s what my AP Top 25 ballot looks like after Week Three of the season…
Just missed: Stanford, Louisville, Nebraska, Fairfield, Princeton
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement25. West Virginia
24. Richmond
23. Ohio State
22. USC
21. Tennessee
20. Ole Miss
19. Washington
18. Oklahoma State
17. Notre Dame
16. Michigan State
15. Baylor
14. Vanderbilt
13. Kentucky
12. LSU
11. Iowa State
10. Iowa
9. Michigan
8. North Carolina
7. Oklahoma
6. TCU
5. Maryland
4. South Carolina
3. UCLA
2. UConn
1. Texas
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