Arizona Jumps to the Top of Power Rankings Nationwide

So far, nobody has been able to stop the Arizona Wildcats.

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'Orso (3) celebrates with guard Jaden Bradley (0) during the second half of the Hall of Fame Series game against the UCLA Bruins at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Arizona is a perfect 5-0 with wins against three ranked teams: Florida, UCLA and UConn, all on the road. The Wildcats' latest win on the road over the Huskies, 71-67, was another indication of how dangerous this team can be in the tournament.

Tommy Lloyd's aggressive scheduling has led to the Wildcats putting together the best resume in the country, with more challenges out of conference still to come. Arizona will host No. 22 Auburn and visit No. 11 Alabama next month.

Nov 7, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd watches the game from the sidelines during the first half of the game against the Utah Tech Trailblazers at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Arizona is the third team in the past three decades to begin the season with wins over three top-15 opponents in the AP preseason poll. That's on Lloyd for scheduling such a grueling stretch, but he trusted this team of reliable veterans and a slew of talented freshmen.

Arizona Rises in Power Rankings

Nov 3, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) celebrates a play against the Florida Gators in the second half of the Hall of Fame Series game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Both CBS Sports and ESPN recently released new power rankings, and both rankings elevated the Wildcats to the top spot following their win over UConn.

Purdue was dethroned from the top spot in both rankings, despite being undefeated as well. It's possible the AP Poll takes a similar approach when the rankings are released next week. Arizona's resume is undeniable and worthy of the top spot until the Wildcats prove that they don't deserves.

Nov 7, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) passes the ball during the first half of the game against the Utah Tech Trailblazers at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

"Tommy Lloyd's team now has wins over Florida, UCLA and UConn, all away from home. According to ESPN Research, the Wildcats are just the third team in AP Poll history to have multiple wins over top-three opponents in their first five games of the season -- and the first since Kansas did it in the 1989-90 season.

"The Wildcats have the most ranked wins in the country and the most impressive catalog of wins away from home, and they've shown the ability to beat teams playing different styles and with different players carrying the load." – ESPN's Jeff Borzello

Nov 3, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) dribbles against Florida Gators guard Urban Klavzar (7) during the second half of the Hall of Fame Series game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Jaden Bradley once again served as the closer for the Wildcats on the road in a tight game. He scored 21 points to lead Arizona and made a layup to put the Wildcats up by three points with 16 seconds to go.

Jaden. Bradley. pic.twitter.com/CceJimPUuH
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) November 20, 2025

Koa Peat bounced back after a rough showing against UCLA. Facing more veteran competition in Alex Karaban and Jaylin Stewart, Peat dropped 16 points and added 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He also had just one turnover after giving the ball away six times against the Bruins.

"Arizona is now 5-0 with a neutral-court win over Florida, a win in the greater Los Angeles area over UCLA and a road win over UConn. Put another way, Arizona is undefeated and now owns victories over the programs that produced the sport's past three national champions (UConn, Florida) – plus another over the program that's won more men's basketball titles than any other (UCLA).

Who knew @kpeat10 was also a big time volleyball player 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/d51KRbmYzT
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) November 20, 2025

"Put another way, Arizona is undefeated and now owns victories over the teams that were ranked third (Florida), fourth (UConn) and 12th (UCLA) in the preseason AP poll, which makes the Wildcats just the third team in the past 30 years to open a season with at least three of their first five wins coming against top-15 opponents." – CBS Sports' Gary Parrish

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'Orso (3) dribbles the ball during the first half of the Hall of Fame Series game against the UCLA Bruins at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Arizona should be able to back up its play against lesser competition like Denver and Norfolk State at home this coming week before facing the SEC programs. It's likely that Lloyd goes deeper into the bench this week and lets some of the freshmen playing more restricted minutes get some extra time on the floor.

Where do you think about Arizona's strong start to the season so far? Let us know by commenting and following us on our X account by clicking on the link.