There’s a new top dog in college basketball, and it’s wearing maize and blue.
Michigan basketball has climbed to No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, reclaiming the top spot for the first time since early January. The Wolverines now sit at 24-1 overall and 14-1 in Big Ten play, riding a wave of dominance that’s seen them win 10 straight games - nine of those by double digits.
Their only blemish this season? A home loss to Wisconsin back on Jan.
- Since then, it’s been nothing but business.
Last week, Michigan took care of Northwestern on the road before dismantling UCLA at home. With previous No.
1 Arizona stumbling to back-to-back losses, the door swung wide open - and Michigan walked right through it.
Historically speaking, this is rare air for the Wolverines. In 108 seasons of Michigan basketball, the program has now been ranked No. 1 for just 38 games.
And this is the latest in a season they’ve held that spot since March 7, 1977 - the final AP poll before that year’s NCAA Tournament. That run ended in heartbreak with an upset loss to Charlotte in the second round.
Before that? You’d have to go back to 1965, when Cazzie Russell led the Wolverines to the national title game after holding the top ranking for more than three months.
But this 2026 team isn’t living in the past. They’re making a case as one of the most balanced squads in the country - and the numbers back it up.
Defensively, Michigan has been suffocating. They lead the nation in defensive efficiency, allowing just 88 points per 100 possessions.
They’ve been elite at contesting shots, ranking second in both 2-point defense (42.8%) and effective field goal defense (43.2%). And they’re not just staying in front - they’re swatting shots at the fourth-highest rate in the country (18.7%), while holding opponents to just 29.1% from beyond the arc (No. 7 nationally).
On the other end of the floor, the Wolverines are just as dangerous. They’re second in the country in 2-point shooting percentage (63%) and fourth in offensive efficiency (126.6 points per 100 possessions).
Their ball movement and shot selection have been sharp - they’re seventh in effective field goal percentage (58.9%) and average just 15 seconds per possession, a sign of how quickly and decisively they operate. Add in a top-25 offensive rebounding rate (36.6%), and you’ve got a team that’s not just efficient - they’re relentless.
But here’s the thing: being No. 1 in February is nice. It’s a statement.
It’s a badge. But it’s not the goal.
As center Aday Mara put it last week: “It feels really good, but as you said, we have tough games now coming up. We got to focus on, on that, on our scout, on practicing, getting better. ... Our goal is not being No. 1 in the country - our goal is to win everything.”
That mindset will be tested immediately. Michigan hits the road Tuesday for a heavyweight showdown with No.
7 Purdue - a team with size, experience, and a home crowd that knows how to make its presence felt. Then on Saturday, it’s a neutral-site clash with No.
3 Duke at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. That’s two top-10 matchups in five days, and both will go a long way in shaping Michigan’s path to March.
Meanwhile, Michigan State is heading in the opposite direction. The Spartans have dropped three of their last four and slipped to No. 15 in the latest poll - down from No. 10 a week ago. It’s been a rocky stretch for Tom Izzo’s squad, and with the Big Ten race heating up, the margin for error is shrinking fast.
But right now, the spotlight belongs to the Wolverines. They’ve got the resume.
They’ve got the metrics. And now, they’ve got the No. 1 next to their name.
The question is: can they keep it there when it matters most?