The newest version of the AP Ballot was launched with few surprises on Monday, and whereas it definitely made sense, we’ve some completely different concepts right here at Ballislife. As convention schedules throughout the nation descend right into a full swing, listed here are our NCAA males’s basketball energy rankings this week.
After Michigan’s stumble towards unranked Wisconsin on Saturday, there’s little argument available for every other crew moreover Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona Wildcats within the No. 1 spot. Arizona tops the AP Ballot for the fifth consecutive week, incomes an awesome 60 of 61 potential votes this week. The Wildcats have the nation’s greatest power of file thus far in keeping with ESPN’s SOR, with wins over ranked opponents together with Florida, UCLA, UConn, Auburn and Alabama. Arizona is presently slotted No. 2 in each the KenPom and Torvik rankings and each statisticians presently have the Wildcats slated to complete regular-season play with a 28-3 file.
Nonetheless ☝️ pic.twitter.com/ifqmFasjZT
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) January 12, 2026
TJ Otzelberger’s Iowa State Cyclones aren’t a confirmed blue blood like Arizona, however in addition they definitely aren’t a stunning feel-good story like different unbeatens, Vanderbilt and Nebraska. The Cyclones are merely essentially the most dominant crew within the nation thus far, successful 14 of their first 16 video games by double digits (together with a 24-point trouncing of then-No. 1-ranked Purdue).
Iowa State’s three-headed monster of Joshua Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic is essentially the most potent trio in all of school hoops this season on each ends of the ground. The Cyclones rank within the high 15 in each KenPom and Torvik’s offensive effectivity rankings and within the high six in each of their defensive effectivity rankings, which places them in the identical class as Arizona and Michigan in that regard.
C’mon now, the Iowa State trio deserves some respect!
Jefferson, Lipsey, and Momcilovic are all within the high 18 at https://t.co/cegyfz96ax. No different crew has a trio ranked that prime. https://t.co/xaXwDEAJ07 pic.twitter.com/jsOB80BCJe
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) December 10, 2025
The primary huge shock, and deviation from the AP Ballot, is available in on the No. 3 spot with the nonetheless unbeaten Vanderbilt Commodores. Energy of file skeptics may have rightfully pinned their sizzling begin on a comparatively calm non-conference schedule, however final week’s 96-90 win over No. 13 Alabama that pushed them to 3-0 in SEC play proved that Mark Byington has a respectable power on his fingers in Nashville. The unbeaten Commodores are completely adored by the metrics, clocking an adjusted offensive effectivity score that ranks within the high 5 nationally in each KenPom and Torvik, and a defensive adjusted effectivity score that ranks tenth (KenPom) and eleventh (Torvik) nationally.
It’s laborious to present Michigan the advantage of the doubt after Saturday’s dud towards Wisconsin, the place the Wolverines misplaced 91-88 as whopping 18.5-point favorites at house in Ann Arbor. Nonetheless, the Wolverines had been so dominant of their first 15 video games that you just must. Consecutive 30+ level wins over ranked foes Auburn and Gonzaga in Las Vegas set the tone for his or her dominant beginning run, which additionally included a 41-point win towards Rutgers, a 28-point win towards Villanova, and a 30-point win towards No. 24 USC, amongst a handful of different very spectacular performances.
Yaxel Lendeborg placed on fairly a present for the numerous NBA executives assembled in Las Vegas. Pushing off the glass, discovering teammates on the transfer, creating off the bounce and making photographs. The 6’10 huge man can do some little bit of all the things. pic.twitter.com/SIOxapJWRS
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) November 26, 2025
Michigan is decisively the very best defensive crew within the nation, rating No. 1 in each the KenPom and Torvik metrics, they usually’ve been that dominant towards the second-toughest schedule within the nation in keeping with ESPN. Depend on Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. to proceed placing on a present regardless of Saturday’s setback.
Of all of the one-loss groups trying to earn their approach right into a spot on these rankings, none have a greater power of file than Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies. After a down yr final season, UConn is absolutely again in nationwide championship competition, with ranked wins over BYU, Illinois, Kansas and Florida to show it. The Huskies are as soon as once more taking part in the hard-nosed type of protection that merely wasn’t current final season, and it definitely helps to have veteran leaders Solo Ball and Alex Karaban taking part in like they might be an issue in March. It’s laborious to see this crew slipping up too many instances in Massive East play. Give them a high two seed within the NCAA event and it might be scary hours. And that’s what appears almost certainly at this level.
Six of UConn’s 9 main rotation gamers — Solo Ball, Braylon Mullins, Alex Karaban, Jaylin Stewart, Eric Reibe, and Jayden Ross — have solely worn ONE uniform throughout their school careers.
Retention Issues.
Continuity Issues.
14-1. https://t.co/k4NMZEb4nn
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 4, 2026
The shock of the season to this point has been the unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers, led by former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg. To place Nebraska’s season into context you solely have to look throughout sports activities within the Massive 10 Convention for an apt comparability. Just like the Indiana Hoosiers soccer crew, who will by some means play for a nationwide championship on Monday evening, Nebraska’s basketball crew has been a misplaced trigger for properly over a century. Actually, in 129 years of hoops, the Huskers by no means superior previous the primary spherical of the NCAA event and have solely made the Massive Dance eight instances complete.
Indiana soccer 🤝 Nebraska basketball15-0
We’re formally dwelling within the Upside Down. pic.twitter.com/ukOgwroOLN
— Faculty Sports activities Solely (@CSOonX) January 10, 2026
Enter the 2025-26 squad. A 16-0 begin, headlined by a pair or ranked upsets towards Illinois and Michigan State and punctuated by a come-from-behind win at Indiana this previous Saturday, has heads spinning in Lincoln. The Huskers have the second-best power of file within the nation, trailing solely Arizona, and their No. 8 rating on this week’s AP Ballot is the very best in program historical past. Effectively, for now. One factor is for sure, nonetheless, and it’s that this Huskers crew is must-see-TV.
You might make a respectable case that Purdue deserves to be ranked increased on this listing, however the actuality is the one blemish they’ve suffered this season is a severely ugly one. That aforementioned 24-point loss to Iowa State at house on Dec. 7 is a tough one to look previous, however one other reality is the Boilermakers have the No. 1-ranked adjusted offensive effectivity score within the nation to this point this season, and decisive blowout wins towards ranked opponents Texas Tech and Auburn have proven that their setback final month was nearly definitely extra of a fluke than a real indictment.
⚖️ Balancing act in B1G play. pic.twitter.com/4eJx1HqHrf
— Purdue Males’s Basketball (@BoilerBall) January 13, 2026
Duke is one other crew that’s only one slip-up away from contending for the No. 1 spot in these rankings, nevertheless it appears they’re simply beginning to absolutely get well from that uncharacteristic 82-81 loss to Texas Tech on Dec. 20. Nonetheless, the Blue Devils characteristic the clear Nationwide Participant of the Yr frontrunner in Cameron Boozer they usually’re an equally efficient crew offensively and defensively, by the metrics, as they play each ends of the ground at an elite stage. North Carolina is trailing simply off previous this High 10, so count on some actual wars on Tobacco Street this season with the ACC crown on the road.
Duke freshman Cameron Boozer is on tempo to be one of many biggest one and achieved’s of all time:
22.9 PPG9.5 RPG4.2 APG0.7 BPG1.8 SPG57.9% FG38.1% 3PT77.5% FT
Would you’re taking him over Dybantsa and Peterson within the draft?? 🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/Y441OaM8WA
— MBB Performances (@mbbperformances) January 13, 2026
At a degree in late November, it seemed like there was a really actual likelihood this Gonzaga crew was the very best group that Mark Few has ever assembled. Having made it to January, I received’t go that far, however you’d be making a mistake if you happen to discounted the likelihood that this was the crew that would convey the trophy again to Spokane. Decisive wins over Creighton, Alabama, Kentucky and UCLA proved the Zags can nonetheless topple the large names in an influence convention, and their lone (albeit huge) 41-point setback towards Michigan has largely what’s saved this crew’s hype from skyrocketing.
Graham Ike leads the nation in factors on post-ups. Particularly on entry passes from Braden Huff… pic.twitter.com/KF3GoP3Pdu
— Matt Kraemer (@RealMattKraemer) January 9, 2026
Houston undoubtedly has its work lower out for it if it needs to return to the nationwide championship sport this season, however there’s no purpose the Cougars can’t come collectively to make one other run at it. Their lone loss this season was a 3-point determination in Las Vegas towards a Tennessee crew that was taking part in on the peak of its powers, though that was the one actual likelihood for Houston to show its mettle towards a top-tier opponent this season. Anticipate to see them stand up the listing as they set up themselves as extra of a menace in Massive 12 play, led by rising freshman guard Kingston Flemings.
Kingston Flemings will get higher each day out, child is so rattling good.
Could be my favourite PG on this freshmen class. All American seasonpic.twitter.com/lSp1E5kIm7
— Ryan Hammer🔨 (@ryanhammer09) January 7, 2026
