In the ever-shifting landscape of college basketball, there's a new king on the throne. Duke has ascended to the top spot in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches polls, riding high after a commanding victory over Syracuse and an upset against the previously top-ranked Michigan.
Duke's impressive performance garnered them 771 points and 27 first-place votes in the USA Today Coaches poll. Meanwhile, Arizona, climbing from fourth to second, secured 733 points and the remaining four first-place votes. Michigan, after a tough week, slipped to third with 723 points.
Houston, after facing setbacks against Arizona and Iowa State, found themselves in fourth place with 647 points. Iowa State rounded out the top five with 629 points. Arizona is gearing up for a showdown against 12th-ranked Kansas this Saturday, a team that dropped two spots following a home loss to Cincinnati.
Texas Tech experienced a slight dip, falling three spots to 16th after losses to Arizona State. BYU stands at 23rd among the Big XII teams. Arizona's season has been a gauntlet, facing off against several ranked teams including number six Connecticut, number seven Florida, and number 18 Alabama.
In the AP Top 25, Duke leads with 1,520 points and 56 first-place votes. Arizona follows closely with 1,439 points and five first-place votes.
Michigan, Iowa State, and Houston complete the top five with points tallying 1,433, 1,272, and 1,251 respectively. Arizona’s challenging schedule continues as they face teams ranked fourth through seventh by the season's end.
Kansas took a tumble, dropping six spots to 14th in the AP rankings. Texas Tech and BYU are positioned at 16th and 19th, respectively, as the Big XII maintains a strong presence in the polls. With the NCAA Tournament on the horizon, Houston and Iowa State are both eyeing potential number one seeds, setting the stage for an exciting run to March Madness.