Arizona’s grip on the No. 1 spot in college basketball is about to be put to the test - twice - and in a big way.
Andy Katz has tabbed the Wildcats’ road showdown at Kansas on Monday and their home clash with Texas Tech on Saturday as the top two matchups in his Top 10 Games of the Week. And he’s not wrong. These are heavyweight bouts with serious implications, not just for rankings, but for how we view the Big 12’s balance of power heading into March.
Arizona, still undefeated at 23-0, sits atop both the AP and Coaches polls heading into the week. Kansas, ranked ninth in both, is riding a seven-game win streak and looking more and more like the team that’s used to owning Allen Fieldhouse.
Monday night’s matchup in Lawrence is part of ESPN’s Big Monday slate, tipping off at 8 p.m. ET - prime time for a prime-time clash.
This isn’t the first time these two have locked horns with stakes this high. Kansas handed Arizona one of its few losses last season at Allen Fieldhouse, but the Wildcats got their revenge less than a week later in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals. Now they’re back, with Arizona trying to extend a school- and conference-record win streak, and Kansas hoping to remind the country why Allen Fieldhouse is one of the toughest places to play in college basketball.
But the Wildcats’ week doesn’t get any easier after Lawrence. They return home to face No.
16 Texas Tech on Saturday - a team that’s already proven it can go toe-to-toe with Arizona. These two split their regular season series last year, each winning at home, before Arizona knocked the Red Raiders out in the Big 12 semifinals.
This year, they meet just once in the regular season, and it’s in Tucson - where Arizona will be well-rested, thanks to a two-day advantage over Texas Tech, who plays Colorado on Wednesday.
And if that wasn’t enough, Arizona’s schedule only intensifies from here. After Texas Tech, they host BYU on February 18 - a matchup that could easily crack next week’s top 10 - before heading to Houston on February 21 to face the No. 3 team in the country.
That one? It might just top the list.
Speaking of Houston, the Cougars are one of three Big 12 teams in Katz’s top five games this week, alongside Kansas and Iowa State. That’s not just a scheduling quirk - it’s a reflection of just how deep and dominant the Big 12 has been this season. Iowa State, currently ranked fifth in the AP and fourth in the Coaches poll, hosts Kansas on Saturday in what Katz ranks as the fifth-best game of the week.
So if you're a college hoops fan, clear your calendar. Arizona’s upcoming stretch isn’t just about maintaining perfection - it’s about proving they can survive the gauntlet of elite competition that defines the Big 12 this season.
And if they do? The Wildcats won’t just be No. 1 in the polls.
They’ll be the clear-cut team to beat come tournament time.