The undefeated Michigan Wolverines this week looked — dare I say it! — fallible for the first time in more than a month. If only briefly. In their first conference road game of the 2025-26 season, U of M trailed by as many as nine points in the second half to Maryland in College Park. That preceded a classic Wolverines barrage of buckets down the stretch in an eventual 101-83 Michigan win.
And it was enough to keep Michigan, which briefly looked as if its three-week streak at No. 1 in the Power Rankings was in real peril, atop the standings yet another week.
The gap between Michigan and No. 2 this week is as close as it has been since taking over the No. 1 spot last month, though. That’s because Arizona (10-0) added to its already-stellar resume this week with another Quad 1 win — this time over Alabama in a quasi road game. The 96-75 win gives the Wildcats a perfect 4-0 record vs. Quad 1 opponents and they now own five wins over ranked opponents.
You could make a case for Michigan or Arizona at No. 1 and I wouldn’t push back too much, to be clear. But I’m siding with Michigan here because it has not done enough to lose its spot at the top. Still, the gap is closing between it and the new No. 2. We could see some changes in the near future if things continue to trend the same way in Tucson.
Let’s get to the rankings.
Week 1: Purdue | Week 2: Arizona | Week 3: Michigan | Week 4: Michigan | Week 5: Michigan
College Basketball Power Rankings