Arizona Rules, Nebraska Rises: The Shrinking Circle of College Basketball’s Unbeatens

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The map of the “undefeated” is shrinking by the hour, and as of this morning, college basketball has officially entered its most volatile stretch of the season. From Arizona’s commanding claim to the #1 spot to Nebraska’s historic climb into the top ten, the latest AP Top 25 reflects a landscape where traditional powers are being pushed to the brink, and new giants are emerging. Between the high-stakes battles in the Big Ten and the shocking midweek fall of unbeatens like Vanderbilt, the road to March has never felt more wide open—or more treacherous.

The Top 5: Arizona Takes Control

After a brief period where Arizona and Michigan were separated by a single point, the Wildcats have finally created some breathing room. Arizona (17-0) solidified its #1 status with an 89–82 victory over rival Arizona State this past Wednesday, led by freshman sensation Koa Peat.

The Top 5 as of this week:

Arizona (17-0): The clear #1 with 60 first-place votes.
Iowa State (16-0): Moving up to their highest ranking in years after Michigan’s stumble.
UConn (17-1): Continuing to dominate the Big East, only a narrow loss earlier in the season keeps them from the top spot.
Michigan (15-1): Fell from #2 after a road loss to Wisconsin but bounced back midweek against Washington.
Purdue (16-1): Braden Smith and the Boilermakers remain the most consistent force in the Big Ten.

Trending Up: Nebraska’s Historic Climb

The biggest story in the poll is Nebraska. Currently ranked #8, the Cornhuskers have matched their program’s all-time highest ranking (last achieved in 1966). Fred Hoiberg has them at 17-0 after a gutsy 16-point second-half comeback against Indiana this week.

Other Major Risers:

Virginia (+7 to #16): Ryan Odom’s squad is the talk of the ACC after dismantling the Bay Area schools (Cal and Stanford) by a combined 39 points.
Florida (+16 to #19): After a brief absence from the rankings, the reigning national champions surged back into the Top 25 following blowout wins over Georgia and Tennessee.

Midweek Shakeups: The Fall of Vandy

While the official poll was released on Monday, the events of the last 48 hours have already changed the “real-time” rankings:

Vanderbilt’s Heartbreak: Entering the week at #10 and undefeated, the Commodores finally saw their streak snapped on Wednesday night in an 80–64 loss to Texas. They will likely slide toward the bottom of the Top 15 in the next update.
UNC Stumbles: #14 North Carolina suffered a shocking midweek upset to Stanford, losing 95–90. It’s a significant blow for a Tar Heels team that has struggled to find defensive consistency despite their high-powered offense.

The AP Top 25 (as of Jan 12–16, 2026)

Rank	Team	Record	Rank	Team	Record
1	Arizona	17-0	14	North Carolina	14-3
2	Iowa State	16-0	15	Texas Tech	13-4
3	UConn	17-1	16	Virginia	15-2
4	Michigan	15-1	17	Arkansas	13-4
5	Purdue	16-1	18	Alabama	12-5
6	Duke	16-1	19	Florida	12-5
7	Houston	16-1	20	Louisville	12-5
8	Nebraska	17-0	21	Georgia	14-3
9	Gonzaga	18-1	22	Clemson	15-3
10	Vanderbilt	16-1	23	Utah State	15-1
11	BYU	16-1	24	Tennessee	12-5
12	Michigan State	15-2	25	Seton Hall	14-3
13	Illinois	14-3

Weekend Watch: Marquee Matchups

The rankings will look very different by Monday morning. Keep an eye on these Saturday games:

#2 Iowa State at Cincinnati: A massive road test for the Cyclones to keep their “0” in the loss column.
#19 Florida at #10 Vanderbilt: A high-stakes SEC showdown between two teams trending in opposite directions.
#11 BYU at #15 Texas Tech: A battle for Big 12 positioning between two of the most physical teams in the country.