College basketball power rankings: Margin tightens between top-ranked Michigan and No. 2 Arizona
The undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores made a big jump in this week's Power Rankings.
By
Kyle Boone
•
4 min read
The undefeated Michigan Wolverines this week looked -- dare I say it! -- fallible for the first time in more than a month. If only briefly. In their first conference road game of the 2025-26 season, U of M trailed by as many as nine points in the second half to Maryland in College Park. That preceded a classic Wolverines barrage of buckets down the stretch in an eventual 101-83 Michigan win.
And it was enough to keep Michigan, which briefly looked as if its three-week streak at No. 1 in the Power Rankings was in real peril, atop the standings yet another week.
The gap between Michigan and No. 2 this week is as close as it has been since taking over the No. 1 spot last month, though. That's because Arizona (10-0) added to its already-stellar resume this week with another Quad 1 win -- this time over Alabama in a quasi road game. The 96-75 win gives the Wildcats a perfect 4-0 record vs. Quad 1 opponents and they now own five wins over ranked opponents.
You could make a case for Michigan or Arizona at No. 1 and I wouldn't push back too much, to be clear. But I'm siding with Michigan here because it has not done enough to lose its spot at the top. Still, the gap is closing between it and the new No. 2. We could see some changes in the near future if things continue to trend the same way in Tucson.
Let's get to the rankings.
Week 1: Purdue | Week 2: Arizona | Week 3: Michigan | Week 4: Michigan | Week 5: Michigan
College Basketball Power Rankings
| 1 |  |
| Despite trailing by nine points in the second half on the road vs. Maryland, Michigan dug its way out of the deficit and then subsequently buried the Terps for good measure. The Wolverines closed the game on a 24-12 run over the final 10:09. Last week: 1 | |
| 2 |  |
| Despite a grueling nonconference schedule, Arizona is seventh nationally in scoring margin with its latest two outings -- 21 and 34 point wins over Alabama and Abilene Christian , respectively -- adding to the tally. This team is not just undefeated but is dominant so far in remaining perfect. Last week: 4 | |
| 3 |  |
| Duke supplants Iowa State at No. 3 in the Power Rankings this week after moving to 11-0 on the season with a 24-point win over Lipscomb in its lone outing. It has wins over Florida , Michigan State and Arkansas all in the last three weeks. Last week: 3 | |
| 4 |  |
| Iowa State's off to its best start since 2021-22 after extending its winning streak to 11 games this week with a win over Eastern Illinois . ISU has two gimme games on tap at home before kicking off Big 12 play on Jan. 2. Last week: 2 | |
| 5 |  |
| There were no lingering effects from a physical battle vs. Florida last week for UConn : It won by eight and 19 points over Texas and Butler , respectively. Huskies now 11-1 overall and the toast of the Big East until further notice. Last week: 5 | |
| 6 |  |
| Vanderbilt has the No. 5 scoring offense in college basketball, has the fewest percentage of its shots blocked in the sport, rates 16th in defensive efficiency and is now 11-0. In this house we give flowers when due. Mark Byington has himself a TEAM. Last week: 10 | |
| 7 |  |
| Nebraska has a 15-game winning streak that extends back to last season and includes its 11-0 start to this year. That hot start culminated with a huge 83-80 road win over Illinois on Saturday. A deserving welcome to the Power Rankings. Last week: Unranked | |
| 8 |  |
| Wins over UCLA and Campbell this week has Gonzaga sitting 11-1 heading into the weekend for its nonconference finale vs. Oregon . And here's a scary fact: KenPom projects Gonzaga to win not only that game -- but all its remaining regular-season games. People haven't grasped yet just how good these Bulldogs are. Last week: 7 | |
| 9 |  |
| BYU won by a combined 83 points this week vs. UC Riverside and Pacific . Now 10-1, BYU will be heavy favorites in its next two games vs. Abilene Christian and Eastern Washington before Big 12 play begins. Last week: 6 | |
| 10 |  |
| KenPom data has Purdue with the No. 1-rated offense in adjusted efficiency metrics this season and the No. 25 defense to boot. The Boilermakers (10-1) remain every bit as dangerous as they did as the preseason No. 1 behind an elite offense led by Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Last week: 8 | |
| 11 |  |
| In a laughably loaded Big Ten, Michigan State is quietly lurking as a reminder of this league's depth. Spartans are 10-1 with wins over Arkansas, Iowa and UNC among others. Last week: 9 | |
| 12 |  |
| An 89-80 win over Arkansas on Dec. 3 has gotten Arkansas in a groove of late. It is on a four-game winning streak that included a biggie over Texas Tech last Saturday. Razorbacks are 9-2 overall with single-digit losses to Michigan State and Duke. Last week: 11 | |
| 13 |  |
| Houston is 10-1 and riding a four-game winning streak into the weekend with Arkansas on deck. The Cougars are top-10 in defensive efficiency and 10th nationally in scoring margin. Last week: Unranked | |
| 14 |  |
| This is a pivotal year for coach Hubert Davis and it's hard to draw up a much better start. UNC is 10-1 entering Saturday's CBS Sports Classic matchup vs. Ohio State. Last week: Unranked | |
| 15 |  |
| December's 3-0 start for UVA has included double-digit wins over Texas and Dayton to push the Cavaliers into the Power Rankings. They face Maryland and American over the next two games before conference play kicks off on New Years Eve. Last week: Unranked | |
| 16 |  |
| Georgia with its No. 1 scoring offense makes an appearance in this week's Power Rankings after hanging 112 points on Western Carolina on Thursday -- the fifth time this season it has hit 100 or more in a game. Mike White's Bulldogs are flying under the radar and lurking just beneath the surface as an SEC darkhorse with the way they can score. Last week: Unranked | |
