Michigan did not just climb the AP poll this week. The Wolverines kicked the door down and announced themselves as a legitimate national title threat before the calendar even flips to Christmas. After rolling through Las Vegas and capping it with a demolition of Gonzaga, voters had no choice but to bump Michigan up to No. 3. It was one of several big shifts in a poll that suddenly carries a lot more intrigue than it did seven days ago.
Below is a full breakdown of the movement, what it means, and why December college hoops already feels like March.
Michigan’s Surge Turns Heads Across College Basketball
Michigan came into the Players Era Championship looking like a potential top ten team. They left looking like something far scarier. Dusty May’s group outclassed San Diego State, hammered Auburn, and then stunned the sport with a 40-point beatdown of Gonzaga, the worst loss in Mark Few’s 902-game tenure.
That week alone moved Michigan past Duke and UConn, earning the Wolverines 15 first-place votes and a bunch of national respect.
Climbing the Ladder: Who Helped Themselves Most
Several teams made major moves, starting with Vanderbilt. The Commodores rose up seven spots to No. 17 after capturing the Battle 4 Atlantis title and looking every bit like a team with staying power.
Iowa State made its own five-spot jump after a clean sweep at the Players Era Championship. Michigan State climbed four places into the No. 7 slot following a dominant stretch capped by a convincing win over North Carolina. Tennessee also rose four spots, riding the momentum from a gutsy win over Houston before falling to Kansas. The Jayhawks leaped back into the poll at No. 21 after a tough week earlier in November.
Teams Feeling the Heat After a Rough Week
Not everyone left Thanksgiving week smiling. St. John’s took the biggest tumble, dropping nine spots to No. 23 after a roller-coaster performance that saw losses to Iowa State and Auburn.
Florida slid five spots to No. 15 after a setback against TCU. Alabama dropped four spots to No. 12 after falling to Gonzaga. Both teams still look dangerous, but their margin for error is shrinking fast.
Two ACC programs fell out completely. UCLA exited after a stunning loss to California, and NC State departed the rankings without receiving a single remaining vote.
The Conference Race Tightens as December Begins
The SEC remains the early season heavyweight with seven ranked programs and a few more lurking just beyond the top 25. The Big Ten and Big 12 each placed six teams in the poll, showing once again that the road through either league will be brutal once conference play begins. The Big East has two teams represented, and Gonzaga stands alone for the WCC.
With early season tournaments now in the books, the next few weeks will shape how teams position themselves heading into the new year. But for now, the biggest headline belongs to the rising blue giant in Ann Arbor.
AP Top 25 Men’s Basketball Rankings (Released December 1, Week 5
1. Purdue (7-0)
2. Arizona (7-0)
3. Michigan (7-0)
4. Duke (8-0)
5. UConn (6-1)
6. Louisville (7-0)
7. Michigan State (7-0)
8. Houston (7-1)
9. BYU (6-1)
10. Iowa State (7-0)
11. Gonzaga (7-1)
12. Alabama (5-2)
13. Tennessee (7-1)
14. Illinois (6-2)
15. Florida (5-2)
16. North Carolina (6-1)
17. Vanderbilt (8-0)
18. Kentucky (5-2)
19. Texas Tech (6-2)
20. Auburn (6-2)
21. Kansas (6-2)
22. Indiana (7-0)
23. St. John’s (4-3)
24. USC (7-0)
25. Arkansas (5-2)
Others receiving votes: Iowa 100, UCLA 59, Nebraska 53, TCU 36, Missouri 28, Utah State 16, Saint Mary's 15, Baylor 13, Oklahoma State 12, SMU 12, Clemson 11, LSU 7, Seton Hall 6, Wisconsin 6, NC State 5, Wake Forest 3, California 2, Colorado 1, George Mason 1, Buffalo 1.