Latest NCAA NET Rankings: Arizona moves ahead of Big Ten teams

In the only college basketball rankings that matter, the Arizona Wildcats (11-5, 5-0) are now in the top 12.
Still unranked in the AP Top 25 and Coaches polls, the Wildcats moved up to No. 12 in the nation in the latest NCAA NET Rankings, updated Friday.
The NCAA NET Rankings are important because the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses the NET as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness. A top-12 ranking has historically translated to a No. 4 seed (or higher) in the NCAA tournament.
The Wildcats are currently projected to be a No. 6 seed in the West Region in ESPN's latest Bracketology predictions, but they should rise much higher if they continue playing as well as they have been. Arizona has won seven in a row and is 5-0 in the Big 12.
Arizona Moves Ahead Of Michigan
The top of the Big 12 is really strong. The Wildcats are the fourth-highest ranked team in the Big 12, behind No. 3 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 9 Kansas.
The SEC has the most teams in top 12 with five: No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 6 Florida, No. 8 Alabama and No. 10 Kentucky.
The Big Ten is down to just one team in the top 12 of the NET: No. 7 Illinois. Purdue is No. 14 and Michigan plummeted from No. 10 to No. 15 after its loss to Minnesota on Thursday.
Arizona's Next Three Games
If the Wildcats can beat No. 19 Texas Tech on Saturday, they'll have a great shot at extending their winning streak to 10 before a Jan. 27 showdown with No. 5 Iowa State.
After the Texas Tech game, Arizona plays Oklahoma State and Colorado — two teams they should beat.
Iowa State will also be favored in its next three games, which means that Jan. 27 game at McKale could be for first place in the Big 12 between two 8-0 teams. Stay tuned.