AP Top 25: Unstoppable Arizona Chases History, Michigan Crashes the Top Two
TUCSON, Ariz. — Perfection is becoming routine in the desert. The Arizona Wildcats didn’t just hold onto the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday; they strangled it. Earning all 59 first-place votes, the Wildcats (22-0) remained the unanimous king of the hill for the eighth straight week, inching closer to a historic school record.
But the real noise came from Ann Arbor. The Michigan Wolverines vaulted past reigning champion UConn to snatch the No. 2 ranking, capitalizing on a monster week that saw them dismantle previously unbeaten Nebraska and silence rival Michigan State. The reshuffled top five now reads: Arizona, Michigan, UConn, Duke, and Illinois.
The Quiet Juggernaut
While the rest of the country obsesses over “hot streaks,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is preaching the gospel of boredom. His Wildcats are one win away from shattering the school record for consecutive victories—a mark standing since the Pop McKale era of 1914-17.
With a trip to Oklahoma State looming on Saturday, Lloyd isn’t buying the hype train.
Locker Room Talk
“We value steadiness. A lot of people talk about momentum, momentum, momentum. I understand what momentum is, but I think there’s way more value in being steady and consistent.” — Tommy Lloyd, Arizona Head Coach
If Arizona survives the Cowboys, they enter a brutal four-game gauntlet against Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU, and Houston. That stretch will determine if this team is just great—or legendary.
Mid-Major Magic & The Fall of the Cornhuskers
The list of the undefeated is down to two: The mighty Wildcats and the Cinderella story of the year, No. 23 Miami (Ohio). The RedHawks moved up to their highest ranking since November 1998, sitting at 22-0. Coach Travis Steele’s squad is defying gravity in the MAC, but he knows the target on their back just grew ten times larger.
“The further you go,” Steele warned after dropping Northern Illinois, “the harder it gets.”
Meanwhile, reality hit Lincoln hard. Nebraska plummeted four spots to No. 9 after a nightmare week that handed them their first two losses of the season against Michigan and Illinois. For Huskers forward Pryce Sandfort, the prescription is simple: amnesia.
“Obviously, back-to-back losses, we just have to look at the film and learn from it. Keep our heads high and flush it as we get ready for Rutgers this week.” — Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska Forward
Rankings Roulette: Who’s Up, Who’s Down
The poll wasn’t kind to the SEC. Alabama saw its 42-week poll streak—the fifth-longest active run—snap completely, falling out of the rankings to make room for a resurging Tennessee at No. 25. The Volunteers clawed their way back in after a two-week hiatus.
- Risers: Kansas (No. 11), Vanderbilt (No. 15), and St. John’s (No. 22) all climbed three spots.
- Fallers: Nebraska dropped four spots to No. 9; Michigan State slid to No. 10.
- Watch Out For: The Saint Louis Billikens. Riding a 15-game winning streak, they hit No. 19—their best mark since winning the A-10 title in 2014.
Playoff Implications: The NET Truth
Here is where things get messy. While the AP voters love Arizona, the computers have a different darling. The latest NET rankings—the primary tool for the NCAA Tournament selection committee—installed Duke at No. 1 on Sunday, pushing Arizona to second and Michigan to third.
The biggest red flag? Miami (Ohio). Despite the perfect record and No. 23 AP ranking, the RedHawks languish at No. 53 in the NET due to a soft schedule lacking a single Quad 1 win. If they trip up in conference play, their March Madness resume might look shakier than their record suggests.
What’s Next: Keep eyes on the Big 12. With six ranked teams and Arizona entering the meat grinder of their schedule, the “unanimous” No. 1 label is about to be tested like never before.