Michigan Rises to No. 1 in AP Men’s Basketball Poll, Faces Purdue and Duke

Michigan ascended to the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 men’s basketball poll on Monday, February 16, 2026, for the first time since January 2013. The Wolverines (24-1) received 60 of 61 first-place votes, with Houston receiving the remaining vote. This marks only the second time since the 1992-93 season that Michigan has held the top ranking, the previous instance being during the Fab Five era when they reached the national championship game.

Key Matchups on the Horizon

Michigan’s reign at No. 1 will be immediately tested with challenging road games. They are scheduled to face No. 7 Purdue on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 and then will play No. 3 Duke on Saturday in Washington, D.C. These games represent two of seven contests this week featuring ranked teams.

Upcoming Ranked Matchups

• Monday: No. 2 Houston at No. 6 Iowa State (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Tuesday: No. 1 Michigan at No. 7 Purdue (6:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)
• Wednesday: No. 20 Arkansas at No. 25 Alabama (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), No. 23 BYU at No. 4 Arizona (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Saturday: No. 4 Arizona at No. 2 Houston (3 p.m. ET, ABC), No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 3 Duke (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), No. 6 Iowa State at No. 23 BYU (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Poll Movement and Notable Teams

Arizona, previously holding the No. 1 position for over two months, slipped to No. 4 following consecutive losses to No. 8 Kansas, and No. 13 Texas Tech. Houston and Duke moved up to No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. UConn rounds out the top five.

Purdue experienced the biggest jump in the poll, climbing six spots to No. 7 after victories over Nebraska and Iowa. Michigan State and North Carolina both fell five positions, landing at No. 15 and No. 16, respectively. Wisconsin and Alabama are the new additions to the poll at No. 24 and No. 25, while Clemson and Kentucky were dropped.

Game Previews and Picks

No. 1 Michigan at No. 7 Purdue (6:30 p.m. ET, Peacock): Despite the challenging environment at Mackey Arena, Michigan is favored to win, demonstrating their strength as the top team in college basketball. Pick: Michigan -1.5

No. 16 North Carolina at North Carolina State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN, fuboTV): North Carolina is navigating a period of adjustment without star freshman Caleb Wilson, who suffered a hand fracture. Despite potential absence of Henri Veesaar, UNC is expected to secure a win. Pick: North Carolina +6.5

No. 21 Louisville at SMU (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2, fuboTV): With the return of Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville has shown significant improvement, going 6-1 since his return. Brown is expected to have another strong performance against SMU. Pick: Louisville -3.5

Georgia at Kentucky (9 p.m. ET, ESPN, fuboTV): Kentucky remains a difficult team to predict, but is expected to win at home against Georgia. Pick: Kentucky -6.5

No. 9 Nebraska at Iowa (9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network, fuboTV): Iowa is looking to add a top-10 win to their resume after a recent six-game win streak. Pick: Iowa -1.5

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.