In the most recent AP Top 25 men's basketball poll released Monday, Arizona maintained its hold on the No. 1 ranking by a razor-thin margin, edging out Michigan by only one point. This marks one of the closest contests for the top spot in the poll's 78-year history.
The Wildcats secured 32 of the 61 first-place votes and amassed a total of 1,494 points, while the Wolverines received 29 first-place votes. This minuscule difference prevented the poll from having its second-ever tie for No. 1—a distinction currently held solely by Oregon State and Virginia, who shared the top place on January 26, 1981.
Arizona has occupied the premier position for the last five consecutive polls. However, Michigan has rapidly closed the gap, driven significantly by their unprecedented achievement of winning three consecutive games against ranked opponents by at least 30 points each. In the previous poll, Michigan trailed Arizona by 20 points, showcasing their recent surge.
"All glory is fleeting, as you guys have heard me say," Michigan head coach Dusty May commented following a significant 96-66 victory against then-No. 24 USC, which sustained Michigan’s status among the six remaining undefeated Division I programs.
Michigan has not held the No. 1 ranking since January 28, 2013, and that tenure lasted only a week.
The upper-tier rankings remained stable with the top six teams identical to those in the final poll of 2025. Arizona and Michigan were followed by undefeated Iowa State, UConn, Purdue, and Duke. Meanwhile, Houston climbed above Gonzaga and BYU, and Nebraska solidified its position in the top 10.
Nebraska’s inclusion in the top 10 marks a significant milestone; the Huskers are riding an 18-game winning streak spanning into the previous season—the longest in the nation—and represent the best start in their school's history. Their last top 10 ranking was at No. 9 on February 28, 1966. Their recent success was punctuated by a closely contested 58-56 win against then-No. 9 Michigan State.
"Happy for Fred Hoiberg. Not that many years ago, everybody was on his butt," commented Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "He did a hell of a job. Nebraska did a hell of a job. That was probably the best game—their biggest game—in 36 years. They responded."
Directly behind Nebraska sits Vanderbilt, ranked No. 11. The Commodores, who remain unbeaten this season, are at their highest ranking since entering the preseason poll at No. 7 in 2011-12. Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington cautioned about the upcoming competition, stating, "SEC play comes at you fast, and now we know the difficulties of this league and what’s ahead of us," following a win over South Carolina and looking forward to a matchup against No. 13 Alabama.
Michigan State dropped three places to No. 12 after their defeat to Nebraska, while the Crimson Tide, Texas Tech, and Arkansas fill out the following ranks. Positions 16 through 25 include Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, Iowa, Louisville, Tennessee, Kansas, Virginia, SMU, and UCF. UCF re-entered the rankings for the first time since March 4, 2019, having opened Big 12 play with a victory over Kansas.
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins remarked, "We’re not just playing the opponent in front of us. We’re trying to play to our standards. I just want them to go out there and just follow their hearts, play for each other, and I thought they did that."
Among notable team movements, Iowa made the most considerable jump by rising six spots to No. 19 following a win over UCLA, while Georgia ascended five places to No. 18. Both Kansas and North Carolina fell five spots after a loss to SMU but maintained a presence in the poll.
SMU entered the Top 25 for the first time since finishing No. 11 at the end of the 2016-17 season, replacing USC and Florida who both recently suffered defeats. Florida lost a close 76-74 contest against Missouri.
Teams just outside the Top 25 include Villanova, which trails UCF by only five points, alongside Utah State and Miami (Ohio), the latter being the last undefeated team not yet ranked.
Regarding conferences, the Big 12 leads with seven ranked teams, including four within the top 10, followed closely by the Big Ten with six ranked teams and three in the top 10. The ACC and SEC each boast five ranked teams, while the West Coast Conference and Big East have one representative apiece.