Duke tops Andy Katz's men's basketball Power 44 rankings after Week 1

Duke took over the top position in Andy Katz's Power 44 rankings following the opening week of the 2026-27 men's basketball season, according to NCAA.com.

Katz highlighted Duke's frontcourt duo of Patrick Ngongba II and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje as potentially the best 1-2 scoring punch in the country. Ngongba II is averaging 19 points and 8 rebounds per game, while Boumtje-Boumtje is contributing 12 points and 6 rebounds.

Florida sits at No. 2 in the Power 44 after Thomas Haugh scored 19 points in the Gators' opening win over Miami. Haugh returned for another season to chase a national title. Illinois rounds out the top three, with freshman Quentin Coleman stepping up in the absence of David Mirkovic, who is out with a knee and appendix issue.

UConn checks in at No. 4 after beating Michigan in Boston, looking like a national title contender behind freshman Colben Landrew, who is averaging 12 points per game. Michigan State is fifth, with Jeremy Fears Jr. averaging 10 assists and just 3.5 turnovers per game.

The Power 44 differs from the AP Top 25 in several spots. UCLA sits sixth in Katz's rankings after Nikola Kusturica scored 26 points on perfect shooting against North Florida, while the Bruins jumped into the AP top 10. Vanderbilt is seventh with Tyler Tanner described as a first-team All-American caliber scorer. Louisville, Virginia, and Kansas complete the top 10.

Several teams appear with conditional placements. Houston is listed at No. 12 assuming the Cougars beat Cal, with Kelvin Sampson praising lead guard Dedan Thomas. USC is 16th assuming a win over Wichita State, with Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas back healthy. Arizona sits 11th after bouncing back from a loss to UCLA behind Mo Krivas' 30 points against Cal Poly.

The rankings extend through 44 teams, including notable mid-majors like Grand Canyon at No. 44, VCU at 34 as the projected A-10 favorite, and Saint Louis at 27 after beating Missouri without Robby Avila. Georgetown appears at No. 30 after dismantling Maryland, while DePaul checks in at 40 following a win over USF under new coach Chris Holtmann.