NCAAM Top 25: Down Goes #1 Arizona, Cougars and Red Storm Rise

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The college basketball landscape shifted dramatically on Monday night when No. 9 Kansas pulled off a thrilling 82–78 upset over No. 1 Arizona. While Arizona remains the official No. 1 in the current AP Poll (released hours before their loss), the “live” rankings have effectively crowned a new king.

Here is the state of the Top 25 as we head into a massive weekend of conference play.

The AP Top 10 (Week 15)

Released Monday, Feb. 9, 2026

Rank	Team	Record	Trend	Note
1	Arizona	23–1	—	Unanimous #1 before Monday’s loss to Kansas.
2	Michigan	22–1	—	Many analytics (KenPom) now favor them for #1.
3	Houston	22–2	▲ 5	Biggest jump in the Top 5 this week.
4	Duke	22–2	—	Held steady despite a rivalry loss to UNC.
5	Iowa State	21–3	▲ 2	Hosting No. 9 Kansas this Saturday.
6	UConn	22–2	▼ 3	Rebounding after their 18-game win streak ended.
7	Nebraska	21–3	▲ 2	Emerging as a serious Big Ten title contender.
8	Illinois	20–5	▼ 3	Slipped after an OT road loss to Michigan State.
9	Kansas	19–5	▲ 2	The Giant Killers: Just beat #1 Arizona without Peterson.
10	Michigan St.	20–4	—	Cementing their status as a top-tier defensive unit.

Risers and Fallers

St. John’s (#17): Rick Pitino’s squad matched Houston for the week’s biggest jump (+5) after upsetting UConn. They have won nine straight entering the weekend.

Kentucky (#25): The Wildcats are back! After a two-month absence from the rankings, a signature win over Tennessee returned John Calipari’s group to the Top 25.

Gonzaga (#12): The Zags suffered their biggest tumble of the season, falling 6 spots after a shocking upset loss to Portland.

Miami (OH) (#23): Still the story of the mid-majors. At 24–0, the RedHawks are the nation’s only remaining undefeated team following Arizona’s loss.

The “New” No. 1?

While the official AP Poll won’t update until next Monday, various “Top 25 +1” and Power Index rankings have already moved Michigan to the No. 1 spot. The Wolverines (22–1) have been the most consistent team in the country, led by Roddy Gayle Jr., and currently hold the #1 spot in the NET rankings.