College Basketball Power Rankings: Duke, Nebraska, BYU jump up; Michigan, Vanderbilt fall after first loss
The Cornhuskers continued their winning ways, but the Wolverines and Commodores fell from undefeated ranks
By
Kyle Boone
•
5 min read
The number of undefeated teams in college basketball dropped in the last week from six to three as Michigan, Iowa State and Vanderbilt -- and in that order -- all suffered their first losses of the season in a five-day span. In some ways that complicates the Power Rankings this week because of the emphasis I place on recent results, but in other ways it simplifies how the rankings shake out. The most obvious example of the latter is this: Arizona and Nebraska -- two of the three remaining unbeaten teams -- are 1-2 in this week's rankings.
Arizona simply retained its spot at No. 1 after supplanting Michigan last week. But Nebraska moved from No. 6 to No. 2 after the chaotic week. The other unbeaten team, Miami (Ohio), moved up to its highest ranking of the season after its Tuesday win over Central Michigan advanced it to a perfect 18-0 entering the weekend.
I punished the newly-imperfect teams in this week's Power Rankings but only marginally because, despite the emphasis on recent results, it's hard to justify putting Michigan, Vanderbilt or Iowa State outside the top-10. Because of my rankings criteria I do occasionally overcorrect. Not so this week.
Bracketology: Duke, UConn move to No. 1 seeds in NCAA Tournament bracket after Vanderbilt, Iowa State lose
David Cobb
Let's get to the rankings.
Week 1: Purdue | Week 2: Arizona | Week 3: Michigan | Week 4: Michigan | Week 5: Michigan | Week 6: Michigan | Week 7: Michigan | Week 8: Arizona
College Basketball Power Rankings
| 1 |  |
| Arizona was one first-place vote away from becoming the first unanimous No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll this week. And it strengthened its hold on No. 1 in the Power Rankings space this week, too, after wins over TCU and Arizona State to remain undefeated. The Wildcats are 18-0 and will be favored in at least their next three games. Last week: 1 | |
| 2 |  |
| No team has a longer winning streak than Nebraska, which is 17-0 and riding a 21-game winning streak after closing its 2024-25 season with four consecutive wins in the CBI. It beat Indiana on the road as an underdog by multiple possessions then blasted Oregon mid-week to remain perfect on the season. Last week: 6 | |
| 3 |  |
| I've consistently given UConn a fair share of praise in the Power Rankings this season and that trend continues with a two-spot jump to No. 3 this week. The Huskies beat DePaul then went on the road and defeated a gritty Seton Hall team in the Prudential Center -- a place it had lost to the Pirates in four consecutive seasons. Last week: 5 | |
| 4 |  |
| A big, and worthy, leap for BYU from No. 7 into the top five this week. BYU has 13-straight wins under its belt and is one of only three unbeaten teams in Big 12 play entering the weekend. It faces Texas Tech on the road Saturday in what is its biggest test since facing UConn in November. Last week: 7 | |
| 5 |  |
| Two of Duke's last three wins came against ranked opponents as it improved to 16-1 on the season. Its lone loss on the season came to ranked Texas Tech by a single point. Last week: 11 | |
| 6 |  |
| Kansas jumped on Iowa State early Tuesday and it got ugly in a hurry. It happens. Iowa State didn't have its best stuff, and the result was its first loss of the season. I'm not punishing the Cyclones too much for it. They remain comfortably inside the top-10 and ranked the highest among the other two teams who suffered their first loss of the season this week. Last week: 4 | |
| 7 |  |
| It took an insane shooting showing from Wisconsin to down Michigan for the first time this season (Wisconsin went 15 of 33 from 3-point range), but Michigan has quietly looked a bit leaky for nearly two weeks now. A five-spot freefall puts the Wolverines in prime position to climb back into the top five soon with Indiana, Nebraska and Michigan State, among others, coming up the next two weeks. Last week: 2 | |
| 8 |  |
| The preseason No. 1 Boilermakers hold steady at No. 8 this week, though the gap between it and No. 4 is razor-thin. Now 16-1, this Purdue team is looking the part and finding a groove with the meat of Big Ten play on deck. Last week: 8 | |
| 9 |  |
| There aren't five teams in college basketball I'd bet as a national title pick over Houston. So admittedly having it at No. 10 feels borderline disrespectful. But as I noted above in the Purdue blurb, the gap between No. 4 and roughly No. 11 is so thin they are nearly interchangeable. Houston's wins over Baylor and West Virginia by 22 and 29 points this week, respectively, only solidifies that argument. Last week: 9 | |
| 10 |  |
| The first loss of the season for Vandy came Wednesday vs. Texas in a crash-and-burn that saw its typically high-flying offense muster a season-low 64 points. It has Florida and Arkansas up next in its next two outings. Last week: 3 | |
| 11 |  |
| Since Dec. 22 -- when Illinois began its current six-game winning streak -- no team is rated higher at BartTorvik.com than Illinois. That's right: Not Arizona, not Iowa State, not Nebraska, not Michigan. Its offense and defense are both rated fourth in adjusted efficiency at the site in that span and it has logged wins over Missouri, Iowa and Northwestern during that run. Last week: 12 | |
| 12 |  |
| AP voters continue to disrespect Travis Steele's RedHawks by leaving his perfect (18-0) Miami (Ohio) team out of the top 25. I mean, what's a team gotta do to get some respect?! In this house, we respect perfection, and this RedHawks team is No. 12 this week, marking its highest spot in the Power Rankings all season. Last week: 15 | |
| 13 |  |
| Gonzaga is ho-humming its way to another 30-plus win season and it extended its winning streak to 11 on Thursday by blasting Washington State by 21 points. It could be favored by double digits in every remaining regular season game in the WCC. Last week: 10 | |
| 14 |  |
| Sparty's won seven of their last eight -- with wins by 29 and 19 over USC and Indiana, respectively, since the calendar flipped to 2026. This team's defense and selfless offense is keeping it in the Big Ten title race and there are few teams who are a tougher matchup because of their physicality. Last week: NR | |
| 15 |  |
| Doubt Ryan Odom's Cavaliers at your own peril. (Actually, no, don't. I can't in good faith advise you to doubt them at all.) They are very good. And they proved that again and again this week with wins over Stanford and at Louisville. This might be the best team in a top-heavy ACC. Last week: NR | |
| 16 |  |
| The only blemish on Saint Louis' resume keeping it from perfection is a 78-77 neutral- court loss to Stanford the day after Thanksgiving. Josh Schertz's Billikens are 15-1 on the season with 10 consecutive wins. Last week: NR | |
