2026 College Basketball Rankings: Massive Upsets Reshape the Top 25

The February 16 update of the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball rankings delivered a seismic shift just two weeks before March Madness selection Sunday, sending search traffic for “college basketball rankings” soaring. Below is everything fans and bracketologists need to know, from the new No. 1 to the sleeper that could bust your bracket. Michigan’s rise, Arizona’s slide • Michigan (25-1) leap-frogged two spots to claim its first No. 1 ranking since 2013 after throttling UCLA and running its win streak to 10 games. The Wolverines own a Division I-best 10 victories by 30+ points and visit Purdue on Tuesday before a neutral-site showdown with Duke on Saturday — a one-seed résumé that could be cemented this week. • Former No. 1 Arizona plummeted three spots to No. 4 after back-to-back losses at Kansas and vs. Texas Tech, ending a 20-0 start. The Wildcats host surging BYU on Wednesday in a must-win to stay on the top seed line. The new top five 1. Michigan (25-1) 2. Houston (23-3) – Six-game win streak visits Kansas Monday. 3. Duke (24-2) – 29 straight at Cameron; faces Notre Dame Tuesday. 4. Arizona (24-2) – Needs a rebound week. 5. UConn (24-3) – Karaban chasing program 3-pt record, Creighton next. Bracket-impact movers • Up seven: Purdue rockets to No. 7 behind Braden Smith’s 12th 10-assist game. The Boilermakers host Michigan Tuesday in what projects as the committee’s final data point for a protected seed. • Back in: Wisconsin and Alabama re-enter at Nos. 24 and 25 respectively, each owning three quadrant-one wins over the past 10 days, a metric the selection committee values heavily. Unbeaten but underrated Miami (Ohio) is still perfect at 27-0 yet sits No. 22. The RedHawks’ 92.6 PPG lead the nation, but a 215 NET strength-of-schedule keeps voters cautious. A potential MAC title game vs. surging Toledo could be the résumé booster Miami needs. Games that will reshape next week’s poll • Houston at Kansas – Monday, 9 p.m. ET • Michigan at Purdue – Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. ET • BYU at Arizona – Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET • St. John’s at UConn – Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET • Duke vs. Michigan (Washington, D.C.) – Saturday, primetime Why the rankings matter now With committee preview seed lines due this weekend, each top-10 clash doubles as a de-facto audition. Metrics like NET, KenPom efficiency and résumé-seeding add context, but voters’ perceptions help shape national narratives and betting markets, influencing everything from ticket prices to transfer-portal buzz. SEO takeaway Search interest in “college basketball rankings” historically spikes the Monday after each poll release and again on selection Sunday. Content that updates quickly, lists the full Top 25, analyzes movement, and previews upcoming marquee games captures both immediate clicks and evergreen search traffic through the tournament.