Conference play is officially here, and with it comes the first NET picture that really starts to matter. After games played on January 4, the NET rankings are beginning to separate true contenders from teams still living off nonconference results.
There is still a long way to go before Selection Sunday, but this update gives a clear picture of who has built strong resumes early, which conferences are flexing real strength, and which teams already have work to do in Quad 1 opportunities.
This is the point of the season where numbers start matching the eye test. Some teams are climbing quickly. Others are learning that clean records mean less without quality wins.
Michigan Has Held the Standard at the Top
No team looks more complete in the early NET than Michigan. Sitting at No. 1 with a 13-0 record, the Wolverines have paired efficiency with consistency from the opening week. They are unbeaten in Big Ten play, spotless in Quadrants 2 through 4, and already 4-0 in Quad 1 games. That last number is what truly separates Michigan from the rest of the field right now. Dusty May's team is at the top of college basketball so far this season. They are not just winning games. They are winning the right games, over and over again, and doing it by a lot.
Arizona remains right behind them at No. 2, also undefeated at 14-0, with four Quad 1 wins of its own. Iowa State rounds out the top three, another unbeaten Big 12 team that has quietly built a powerful resume without many scares.
The Big Ten’s Depth Is Showing Early
The Big Ten may not have the most undefeated teams, but its depth jumps off the NET page.
Michigan sits at No. 1, but they are far from alone. Purdue is sixth with multiple Quad 1 wins. Illinois remains inside the top 10 despite three losses. Nebraska is still unbeaten and sitting at No. 11. Michigan State, Iowa, Ohio State, and UCLA are all positioned inside the top 45.
This is a league where simply surviving the schedule will produce Quad 1 chances. Every road game matters, and there will be very few soft landings. Fred Hoiberg's Cornhuskers are one of the biggest pleasant surprises of the season.
Big 12 Still the Most Brutal Nightly Test
If the Big Ten has depth, the Big 12 has teeth.
Arizona, Iowa State, Houston, BYU, Kansas, Texas Tech, and UCF are all firmly inside the top 32. Several of those teams already have multiple Quad 1 wins, and even the teams with losses are protected by schedule strength.
Kansas sits at 18th with four losses, but already has six Quad 1 games on its resume. That volume matters. Big 12 teams are going to lose games. The difference is that very few of those losses will hurt.
SEC Resumes Are Splitting at the Top
The SEC shows a clear divide in this update.
Vanderbilt remains unbeaten and checks in at No. 5 with a perfect Quad 1 record. Alabama sits at No. 12 despite three losses, backed by strong metrics and quality wins.
Below that tier, the margins tighten quickly. Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU, and Florida all sit in dangerous territory where Quad 1 opportunities have been limited or unsuccessful so far. The top half of the league looks strong. The bottom half is already playing catch-up. The Commodores are the talk of the league, and how far they can remain unbeaten is the question.
ACC: Strong at the Top, Uneven Beneath It
The ACC will produce tournament teams, but the separation is obvious.
Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, and Virginia are all safely inside the top 25. Duke in particular has stacked early Quad 1 wins, giving itself real breathing room.
Below them, teams like NC State, Miami, Clemson, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame are hovering in the middle ground where one bad week can shift a season. The ACC still has quality, but it is far less forgiving than it has been in recent years.
Quad 1 Records Are Already Separating Teams
This is the clearest takeaway from the January 4 NET update.
Michigan, Arizona, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Duke, BYU and UConn already own four or more Quad 1 wins. That is enormous for early January.
Meanwhile, several notable teams still sit winless in Quad 1 games. Utah State, Georgia, Saint Louis, Iowa and Indiana all fall into that category. None are in trouble yet, but the longer that stays true, the tighter the margin becomes.
Mid-Majors Quietly Building Strong Profiles
Several mid-major programs are doing real work beneath the surface.
Utah State, Saint Mary’s, Saint Louis, VCU, McNeese, Yale, and Miami (OH) all sit comfortably inside the top 60 with strong efficiency numbers and limited bad losses. These are the teams that can turn strong regular seasons into at-large bids if they avoid slip-ups.
Miami (OH) stands out at 12-0, with multiple Quad 2 wins already banked. The Redhawks have yet to lose.
What This NET Update Really Tells Us
The January 4 NET rankings are not about locking seeds. They are about direction.
Michigan has held the standard. The Big Ten and Big 12 are separating from the pack. Quad 1 wins are already becoming currency. And for many teams, the window to build a clean profile is closing quickly.
From here forward, every conference road game carries weight. The NET is no longer theoretical. It is shaping the tournament picture in real time.
Complete NET Top 25 (Through January 4)
- Michigan
- Arizona
- Iowa State
- Gonzaga
- Vanderbilt
- Purdue
- Duke
- UConn
- BYU
- Illinois
- Nebraska
- Alabama
- Iowa
- Louisville
- Houston
- Michigan State
- Villanova
- Kansas
- Texas Tech
- Utah State
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- Saint Mary’s
- SMU
- Virginia
It is still early, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. The teams stacking Quad 1 wins now are buying flexibility for February and March, while those missing chances are already running short on time. The NET will continue to shift, but the direction is clear. What teams do over the next few weeks will matter far more than what they did in November.