Arizona maintained its position as the unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday, while Michigan surged past UConn to claim the second spot after victories over previously unbeaten Nebraska and rival Michigan State.
The Wildcats, boasting a school-record start of 22-0, received all 59 votes from a national media panel, securing the top ranking for the eighth consecutive week. Following UConn and Michigan, Duke and Illinois completed the top five.
“We prioritize consistency,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, whose team is set to face Oklahoma State on Saturday before embarking on a challenging four-game stretch against Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU, and Houston. “Many people talk about momentum, but I believe there’s greater value in being steady and consistent.”
If the Wildcats defeat the Cowboys, they will establish a school record with their 23rd consecutive victory. They are currently tied with Arizona teams from 1914 to 1917 that achieved 22 straight wins under their arena namesake, Pop McKale.
Gonzaga held steady at No. 6, while Iowa State and Houston each moved up one position. Nebraska dropped four spots to No. 9 following losses to Michigan and Illinois, and Michigan State fell three spots to No. 10 after their win against Rutgers and loss to the Wolverines.
The defeats experienced by Nebraska left only Arizona and No. 23 Miami (Ohio) unbeaten in Division I men’s college basketball.
“After back-to-back losses, we need to review the film and learn from it,” Huskers forward Pryce Sandfort said. “We have to keep our spirits up and move on as we prepare for Rutgers this week.”
Kansas moved up three spots to No. 11 after its win over BYU on Saturday, while Purdue stayed at No. 12 and Texas Tech, which faced the Jayhawks on Monday night, remained at No. 13. North Carolina and Vanderbilt rounded out the top 15.
BYU, Florida, Virginia, Saint Louis, and Clemson followed next. The Billikens, winners of 15 straight games, achieved their highest ranking since March 10, 2014, when they were No. 18 the year they clinched the Atlantic 10 championship.
Arkansas, St. John’s, Miami (Ohio), Louisville, and Tennessee filled the final five positions in the Top 25. The RedHawks moved up one from last week and reached their highest ranking since they were No. 22 on November 30, 1998.
“The deeper you go,” RedHawks coach Travis Steele noted after a victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday, “the more challenging it becomes.”
Rising and falling
Kansas, Vanderbilt, and St. John’s gained the most ground this week, each climbing three spots, while the Volunteers reentered the poll at No. 25 after two weeks away, recovering from a ranking as high as No. 13 this season.
Tennessee’s return came at the expense of Alabama, whose 42-week active poll streak was snapped.
Update on the NET
The latest NET rankings released on Sunday, utilized by the NCAA to aid in selecting its tournament field, have Duke at No. 1, with the Wildcats in second and Michigan in third. The remainder of the rankings closely mirrored the AP poll, except for one significant divergence: the RedHawks were placed at No. 53 in the NET rankings due to a weak schedule that lacks a Quad 1 win.
Conference watch
The Big 12 topped the list with six teams in the Top 25, while both the Big Ten and ACC had five. yet, the Big Ten had four teams within the top 10. The SEC featured four ranked teams, with the Big East containing two and the West Coast, A-10, and MAC each having one.
