The men’s college basketball season has reached the point where rankings feel less like decorations and more like challenges. Monday’s Associated Press Top 25 kept Arizona alone at the summit, yet almost everything beneath the Wildcats shifted.
A Poll With Teeth
February has arrived with urgency, and the poll now reads like a map to a wild month ahead.
Arizona Keeps Writing History
Arizona improved to 22-0 with another composed win over Arizona State, stretching the best start in program history. All 59 first-place votes again belonged to the Wildcats, a sign that the national respect is no longer debated.
Tommy Lloyd’s team does not overwhelm with one star as much as it overwhelms with habits. The ball moves, the defense travels, and late in games Arizona looks older and calmer than its opponent. A win Saturday at Oklahoma State would set a new school record with 23 straight victories, passing teams from the Pop McKale era more than a century ago.
Michigan Makes Its Move
The week belonged to Michigan as much as anyone not wearing Arizona red. The Wolverines jumped to No. 2 after knocking off previously unbeaten Nebraska and rival Michigan State in a span of days. Dusty May has built a roster that can win in multiple styles, and the confidence is obvious.
UConn slid to third despite another comfortable victory, while Duke and Illinois rounded out the top five. Gonzaga held at six, Iowa State and Houston crept up, and Nebraska tumbled to ninth after its first two losses. Michigan State landed at 10th following the rivalry setback.
Stories Across the Board
Kansas rose to No. 11 after its home win over BYU, Purdue stayed 12th, and Texas Tech checked in at 13th. North Carolina and Vanderbilt completed the top 15, both looking like teams built for March rather than January headlines.
Saint Louis continued to be one of the best stories in the sport, climbing to 19th with a 15 game winning streak. Miami of Ohio remained unbeaten at 22-0 and reached No. 23, though the NET numbers still question the strength of that résumé.
A Week That Could Reshape Everything
The upcoming schedule feels like a tournament bracket dropped into early February. Monday night opens with Syracuse at No. 14 North Carolina and a massive Big 12 battle between No. 11 Kansas and No. 13 Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Tuesday brings No. 23 Miami of Ohio at Buffalo as the RedHawks try to protect their perfect record, while No. 2 UConn hosts Xavier and No. 4 Duke welcomes Boston College to Cameron. Saint Louis faces a tricky road trip to Davidson, and Virginia meets Pittsburgh in an ACC test.
Wednesday delivers another wave. Michigan State travels to Minnesota, No. 8 Houston hosts UCF, and No. 5 Illinois meets Northwestern. BYU heads to Oklahoma State, Gonzaga visits Portland, and Clemson crosses the country to face Stanford.
Thursday keeps the spotlight on the Big Ten as No. 3 Michigan hosts Penn State in Ann Arbor.
The weekend is stacked from morning to night. Saturday features Baylor at No. 7 Iowa State, Utah at No. 14 Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse, and Oklahoma at No. 18 Vanderbilt. The biggest stage belongs to No. 4 Duke visiting No. 14 North Carolina in one of the sport’s signature rivalries.
Later that day No. 1 Arizona hosts Oklahoma State with history on the line, Illinois travels to Michigan State in a top ten clash, and No. 10 Houston meets No. 13 BYU in Provo. Florida visits Texas A&M, Alabama faces Auburn, and Gonzaga goes to Oregon State.
Sunday closes the week with No. 3 Michigan at Ohio State and Texas Tech at West Virginia, two games that could again reshape the top 10.
The Wildcats’ Latest Statement
Arizona’s win over Arizona State looked simple on paper and revealing on the floor. The Wildcats absorbed an early run, controlled the glass, and slowly pulled away without ever looking rushed. Ivan Kharchenkov gave them interior energy, and the backcourt managed the pace like a veteran group that trusts its identity.
March Madness Around the Corner
Arizona remains the standard, yet the distance between the Wildcats and the field feels thinner by the night. Michigan looks dangerous, UConn still carries championship DNA, and the Big 12 and Big Ten are loaded with teams capable of deep runs. With a week this heavy on ranked matchups, the next poll could tell an entirely new story.
AP Men’s Top 25 Poll
- Arizona 22-0
- Michigan 20-1
- UConn 21-1
- Duke 20-1
- Illinois 19-3
- Gonzaga 22-1
- Iowa State 20-2
- Houston 19-2
- Nebraska 20-2
- Michigan State 19-3
- Kansas 16-5
- Purdue 18-4
- Texas Tech 16-5
- North Carolina 17-4
- Vanderbilt 19-3
- BYU 17-4
- Florida 16-6
- Virginia 18-3
- Saint Louis 21-1
- Clemson 18-4
- Arkansas 16-6
- St. John’s 16-5
- Miami Ohio 22-0
- Louisville 15-6
- Tennessee 15-6