For the first time in 2026, there’s a new No. 1 team sitting atop the AP Top 25-and it’s a familiar name with a fresh edge. Michigan has leapfrogged Arizona to claim the top spot in the latest poll, and they didn’t just sneak in-they dominated the vote. The Wolverines earned 60 of the 61 first-place votes, with only Houston receiving the lone outlier.
This marks Michigan’s first appearance at No. 1 in over a decade. The last time they held the top spot was back in late January of 2013, during a season that ended with a trip to the national title game.
Before that, you’d have to rewind all the way to the Fab Five era in 1993 to find Michigan atop the rankings. So, yeah-this doesn’t happen often in Ann Arbor.
But this year’s group is making history of its own.
At 24-1, the Wolverines are off to the best 25-game start in program history. Since dropping a home game to Wisconsin, they’ve rattled off 10 straight wins and now hold a two-game cushion over Illinois in the Big Ten standings. With just five conference games left, Michigan is in the driver’s seat-and they’ve got a chance to put the pedal down this week.
The road ahead isn’t exactly smooth, though. Michigan faces a pair of ranked opponents that could test their mettle.
First up is a trip to Purdue on Tuesday-a tough environment and a team that’s always ready to scrap. Then comes a high-profile neutral-site showdown with Duke this weekend.
These are the kind of games that can either solidify a No. 1 ranking or shake it loose.
Meanwhile, Arizona’s stumble opened the door for Michigan’s rise. The Wildcats, who had been one of the last two undefeated teams standing, went 0-2 last week with losses to Kansas and Texas Tech. That slide dropped them to No. 4 in the latest rankings, behind Michigan, Houston, and Duke.
Speaking of Duke, their week was a mixed bag. After getting stunned by North Carolina, the Blue Devils bounced back and now sit at No.
- As for the Tar Heels, they followed up that big win with a letdown loss to Miami on the road.
That inconsistency cost them five spots in the poll, falling to No. 16.
And to make matters worse, UNC will be without standout freshman forward Caleb Wilson for the foreseeable future. He’s dealing with a fracture in his left hand-an injury that could shake up the Tar Heels’ rotation heading into the stretch run.
Here’s how the rest of the AP Top 25 shakes out:
AP Top 25 (First-place votes in parentheses):
1.
Michigan (60)
2.
Houston (1)
3.
Duke
4.
Arizona
5.
UConn
6.
Iowa State
7.
Purdue
8.
Kansas
9.
Nebraska
10.
Illinois
11.
Gonzaga
12.
Florida
13.
Texas Tech
14.
Virginia
15.
Michigan State
16.
North Carolina
17.
St. John's
- Saint Louis
- Vanderbilt
- Arkansas
- Louisville
- Miami (OH)
- BYU
- Wisconsin
- Alabama
As we head into the final stretch of the regular season, the race for seeding, conference titles, and momentum heading into March is heating up. Michigan’s got the pole position now-but holding onto it? That’s the real challenge.