Every year since the 2003-04 season, college basketball's national champion has been ranked in the top 12 of the Week 6 AP poll. With more than two decades of precedent established, it's time to take stock of what that could portend for the 2025-26 season.

If the well-established trend holds true again, it means a handful of brand-name programs who entered the season with lofty expectations are already out of the mix. Florida , St. John's , Kentucky and Texas Tech each began the season as top-10 teams but are now ranked outside the top 12.

Additionally, Arkansas , Kansas and Auburn are outside the top 12 and will have to hope this is the year the streak ends. For those wondering, the last team to bust the theory was Syracuse in 2003, led by one-and-done star Carmelo Antho

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