1. Arizona (18-0)
It’s been a constant energy out of Arizona that this team has the talent to be a national threat. We knew it right off the bat with that win over Florida and it’s only been increased in the weeks that have followed. Wins over UConn and Alabama and everyone in between fueled that fire and the Wildcats’ remarkable play early in the Big 12 is adding even more to those flames.
Let’s not pretend like it’s been easy, as Arizona trailed rival Arizona State at the half on Wednesday before producing an 89-82 win. Tobe Awaka had 25 points while Koa Peat put up 24 points and 10 rebounds. The weekend wasn’t a blowout either but the Wildcats aren’t disappointed with an 84-77 road win over UCF. Jaden Bradley emerged with 23 points, Brayden Burries added 18 points and the Wildcats took care of business to continue their perfect start.
Teams don’t start 18-0 without a lot of good plays from great players and Arizona has one of the most talented lineups in the nation. This team continues to answer every bell and now has five straight wins to kick off Big 12 play, with three of them on the road. Frankly, Arizona’s rough stretch in league play doesn’t come until much later in the season but they’re doing exactly what they need. It’s home games against Cincinnati and West Virginia ahead and very much an open path to 20 straight wins.
More brilliant basketball has led us through another week and we’ve learned a bit more about each of these teams. Now that we’ve considered the Top 25, do you agree with where they stand and how we’ve edited our rankings for this week?