Tomorrow's Top 25 Today: Michigan jumps over UConn for No. 2 in AP Top 25 ranking projection
The Wolverines are positioned to potentially leap the Huskies when the AP Top 25 poll is released Monday
By
Kyle Boone
•
5 min read
Monday could bring substantial shifting near the top of the AP Top 25 poll after three top-10 teams suffered losses this week. Those changes could start as high as No. 2.
UConn, last week's No. 2, went 2-0 this week with wins over Providence (by six points) and Creighton (by 27). But last week's No. 3, Michigan, also went 2-0, beating No. 5 Nebraska and No. 7 Michigan State in a four-day span.
The gap between UConn and Michigan was just 23 total points in the AP poll's system — and two wins over top-five teams gives the Wolverines ammo to leapfrog the Big East-leading Huskies. UM is No. 1 in the NET, No. 1 at KenPom, No. 1 at BartTorvik, and second (behind Duke and Arizona) with eight Quad 1 wins.
Voters have a strong case to make the move — and I predict they will Monday.
I'm also predicting some other notable movement in the rankings after surprising outcomes across the country this week that included Arkansas falling to Kentucky, Texas Tech dropping one at UCF and Florida smacking Alabama in stunning fashion.
Below is how I think the AP Top 25 will shake out on Monday.
| 1 |  |
| Arizona will be the unanimous No. 1 for a third consecutive week Monday after wins over BYU and Arizona State this week — both in tough road environments. The Wildcats are 22-0 and off to their best start in program history. | |
| 2 |  |
| Two wins over two top-10 teams this week could, and I think should, propel Michigan up to No. 2 in the AP Top 25. Now 20-1, the Wolverines are No. 1 among major-conference teams in scoring margin and are No. 1 at analytics websites KenPom and BartTorvik. | |
| 3 |  |
| UConn's won 17-straight since taking a 71-67 home loss on Nov. 19 to now-No. 1 Arizona. It ended its week with a thumping of rival Creighton in Nebraska 85-58. | |
| 4 |  |
| Duke remained one of only three major-conference teams to have an unbeaten record in conference play with wins over Louisville and Virginia Tech by 31 and 14 points, respectively, this week. It is 9-0 vs. ACC opponents and 20-1 overall. | |
| 5 |  |
| San Francisco and Saint Mary's both played the Zags close at home -- but both fell victim to the WCC's top dog. Gonzaga is now 10-0 in WCC play and 22-1 overall. Its first and only loss -- on a neutral to Michigan by 40 points in November -- remains its only blemish. | |
| 6 |  |
| Illinois went on the road and took down Nebraska inside Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday in a 78-69 win to extend its winning streak to 11 games. The Illini could push as high as No. 5 in this week's poll. | |
| 7 |  |
| The Big 12 schedule has been favorable for Iowa State after a two-game skid in mid-January. It passed two easy tests vs. Colorado and Kansas State in league play this week by 30 and 34 points, respectively. The Cyclones are riding a four-game winning streak. | |
| 8 |  |
| Kelvin Sampson's Cougars shook off a tough 90-86 road loss to Texas Tech last Saturday with two wins this week: at TCU and at home vs. Cincy. They are 1.5 games out of first behind league-leading Arizona in the Big 12. | |
| 9 |  |
| Nebraska began the week a perfect 20-0 and ended it 20-2 with close losses to Michigan and Illinois. The Cornhuskers should remain inside the top-10 of the rankings despite the stumbles given their body of work. | |
| 10 |  |
| A home loss to top-five Michigan shouldn't hurt Michigan State too much in this week's rankings. Sparty's 19-3 and tied for the third-most wins vs. Quad 1 opponents on the season. | |
| 11 |  |
| Don't look now, but Kansas has won five-straight after a bumpy 11-5 start to its season -- with wins in that span over then-No. 2 Iowa State and No. 13 BYU. The Jayhawks are looking like a not-so-darkhorse Big 12 title contender with the way Bryson Tiller and Darryn Peterson are playing of late. | |
| 12 |  |
| UNC had a bumpy January and closed the month 4-3 overall, but finished on a high note with three consecutive wins. Its only outing this week was an important road win over ACC cellar dweller Georgia Tech. | |
| 13 |  |
| An eight-point loss at UCF over the weekend snapped Tech's five-game winning streak and will push it down at least a few spots in Monday's rankings. | |
| 14 |  |
| BYU is 1-3 in its last four games after a 16-1 start to its season. It speaks to the strength of the Big 12 that those three losses were to top-15 teams. It also should be a major factor in the calculation of AP voters, and I don't expect BYU to fall precipitously as a result. | |
| 15 |  |
| A 100-77 beatdown of Alabama in Gainesville on Sunday was an eye-opener that highlighted how good the Gators *can* be at their best. They have won seven of eight now and are 1.5 games out of first in the SEC standings. | |
| 16 |  |
| Road wins over Notre Dame and Boston College this week should keep UVA in the teens in the AP poll. It is 18-3 on the season. | |
| 17 |  |
| I have Vanderbilt moving up one spot here from last week's rankings but there's a chance the Commodores climb a bit higher. They have won three-straight after their three-game swoon in mid-January, headlined by an 80-55 beatdown of Kentucky on Tuesday. | |
| 18 |  |
| Purdue will likely plummet -- again -- in the AP poll this week, as reflected here. It is 1-3 in its last four games with its lone loss in that span coming Sunday vs. a hapless Maryland team. | |
| 19 |  |
| An ugly 85-77 home loss to Kentucky this weekend will cost Arkansas several spots in this week's poll. Two of the three SEC losses for the Razorbacks are to unranked teams. | |
| 20 |  |
| Saint Louis kept its perfect A-10 record intact this week with wins over George Washington and Dayton. The 21-1 Billikens appeared in the AP poll for the first time two weeks ago and are poised to rise Monday for a third consecutive week. | |
| 21 |  |
| Clemson has won 11 of its last 12 and sits alone in second in the ACC standings one game back of Duke. | |
| 22 |  |
| Travis Steele's perfect Redhawks (22-0) will be ranked Monday for a third consecutive week thanks to wins over UMass and Northern Illinois this week. They go on the road twice in the next week where they will look to keep their undefeated season alive. | |
| 23 |  |
| Preseason No. 5 St. John's has quietly strung together seven consecutive wins and sits alone in second in the Big East standings looking up at UConn. | |
| 24 |  |
| Alabama's 23-point loss Sunday at Florida was its largest loss of the season. It is in jeopardy of falling out of Monday's poll with four losses in its last seven games. | |
| 25 |  |
| Louisville lost at Duke by 29 points to begin its week and won by 14 at home vs. SMU on Saturday to end it. The Cardinals are in line to drop a bit but should stay inside the rankings. | |
