Michigan Basketball Is Back on Top - And This Time, It Feels Different
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - For the first time in over a decade, Michigan basketball sits atop the college hoops world.
Thirteen years and change since the Wolverines last claimed the No. 1 spot in the AP poll, they’re back - and this time, the vote wasn’t even close.
Michigan received 60 of 61 first-place votes in the latest AP poll, a near-unanimous nod from voters after a wild week that saw previously unbeaten Arizona drop two games - first at Kansas, then in an overtime thriller against Texas Tech. The lone dissenting vote went to Houston, a 23-2 squad that’s been quietly stacking wins, even with a couple of blemishes on their résumé.
But make no mistake: Michigan earned this.
The Resume Speaks for Itself
At 24-1, Michigan isn’t just winning - they’re beating quality opponents and doing it consistently. They hold an 18-1 record in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, the kind of stat that makes selection committees and analytics models swoon. And while their lone loss came against Wisconsin - a team now ranked No. 24 - the rest of the résumé is airtight.
Compare that to other one-loss teams like Saint Louis and Miami (OH), and it becomes clear why the Wolverines rose to the top. Saint Louis has played the majority of its schedule against Quad 3, Quad 4, or non-D1 opponents.
Miami (OH) has only one game inside the top two quadrants. Michigan’s path?
Significantly tougher, and they’ve handled it with poise.
They’re not just No. 1 in the polls - they’re also leading nearly every major computer ranking: KenPom, KPI, Strength of Record, Torvik, Wins Above Bubble. The only outlier? ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, where they trail only Duke.
A Familiar Spot - But Can They Stay There?
History tells us that holding onto the No. 1 ranking is no easy task - especially in Ann Arbor.
Back in 2013, Michigan grabbed the top spot for just one week before falling to No. 3 Indiana in a high-profile Big Ten showdown. That team, led by Trey Burke - whose jersey now hangs in the Crisler Center rafters - had all the talent, but couldn’t hold the throne for long.
Now, the challenge is just as steep.
Michigan’s next two games? A road trip to Purdue’s Mackey Arena, one of the toughest environments in college basketball, followed by a neutral-site clash with No.
3 Duke in Washington, D.C. Purdue, now ranked No. 7, is coming off back-to-back Big Ten road wins and was the biggest riser in this week’s poll.
Duke, meanwhile, looks as dangerous as ever after dominant wins over Pittsburgh and No. 20 Clemson.
If Michigan wants to prove this No. 1 ranking is more than just a midseason high point, they’ll need to weather this gauntlet - and do it with the target squarely on their backs.
A Look Back at Michigan’s No. 1 History
This isn’t uncharted territory for the Wolverines, but it’s certainly rare air.
Before 2013, the last time Michigan held the top ranking was during the Fab Five era. In their second season together, the Fab Five entered the year ranked No. 1 and held onto it for the first two weeks - before even playing a game.
But a loss to No. 4 Duke in their second contest knocked them off the perch, and they never returned to it that season.
Go back further, and you’ll find the 1976-77 squad, led by Phil Hubbard and Rickey Green, which opened the year at No. 1 and held the top spot through five in-season rankings. A one-point loss at Providence dropped them to No. 5, but they clawed back to No. 1 late in the regular season with a 24-3 record before falling to Charlotte in the Elite Eight.
And then there’s the 1964-65 team, powered by the legendary duo of Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin. That group was No. 1 for 10 of the 15 AP poll releases that season, including both the preseason and final rankings. They went 19-3 in the regular season and reached the national title game before falling to UCLA in Portland.
So yes, Michigan has been here before. But sustaining it - that’s always been the challenge.
Week 15 AP Top 25 Rankings
Here’s how the rest of the poll shakes out:
- Michigan
- Houston
- Duke
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Iowa State
- Purdue
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Illinois
- Gonzaga
- Florida
- Texas Tech
- Virginia
- Michigan State
- North Carolina
- St.
John’s
18.
Saint Louis
19.
Vanderbilt
20.
Arkansas
21.
Louisville
22.
Miami (OH)
23.
BYU
24.
Wisconsin
25.
Alabama
The Road Ahead
Being No. 1 is a badge of honor, but it’s also a challenge. Every team Michigan faces from here on out will treat it like their Super Bowl. The Wolverines have the depth, the defense, and the discipline to hold the top spot - but their next two games will tell us a lot about whether they’re built to stay there.
For now, Michigan fans can enjoy the view from the top. It’s been a long time coming.