Where Michigan basketball ranks in AP poll following 2-0 week

Michigan Wolverines basketball was No. 2 in the Associated Press top 25 last week and, after going 2-0 with wins over Villanova (89-61) and Maryland (101-83), remains in that same spot in this week’s release. The Wolverines are still No. 1 in the country in the coaches poll.

Receiving 15 first-place votes, Michigan is behind No. 1 Arizona (42 first-place tallies). The Wildcats are 9-0 and picked up two huge wins over the last week, beating Auburn (97-68) and Alabama (96-75).

Here’s the AP top 10: No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Duke, No. 4 Iowa State, No. 5 UConn, No. 6 Purdue, No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 8 Houston, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 10 BYU.

While it’s on the cusp, Michigan hasn’t been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll since the Jan. 28, 2013 release. The Wolverines were No. 1 that season for one week, falling to Indiana at the end of it and dropping down to No. 3.

The Wolverines entered this season No. 6 in the preseason poll, their highest spot at the beginning of a year since 2021-22. Michigan is 8-0 on the year and has Villanova up next, Tuesday at Crisler Center.

Michigan is one of five Big Ten teams currently in the top 25, joined by No. 6 Purdue, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 15 Nebraska and No. 18 Illinois.

The Wolverines play at Purdue (Feb. 17) and Illinois (Feb. 27), will host Nebraska (Jan. 27) and have a home-and-home with Michigan State (Jan. 30 in East Lansing, March 8 in Ann Arbor). The Maize and Blue will also take on No. 3 Duke Feb. 21 in Washington D.C.

Coming out of the fifth week of the college basketball season, Michigan is the No. 1 team in the nation on KenPom, slotting No. 7 on offense and No. 1 on defense. The Wolverines are also No. 1 in the NET rankings, with four Quad 1 wins (over Wake Forest, TCU, Auburn and Gonzaga).

College basketball AP poll

1. Arizona (42 first-place votes)
2. Michigan (15)
3. Duke (3)
4. Iowa State (1)
5. UConn
6. Purdue
7. Gonzaga
8. Houston
9. Michigan State
10. BYU
11. Louisville
12. North Carolina
13. Vanderbilt
14. Arkansas
15. Nebraska
16. Alabama
17. Kansas
18. Illinois
19. Texas Tech
20 Tennessee
21. Auburn
22. St. John’s
23. Florida
24. Virginia
25. Georgia