Arizona Enters Week With Familiar Perch in National Poll

The Arizona Wildcats stayed firm on their positioning in the last AP Poll, coming in at #2 for the second straight week.

Arizona 4 first-place votes this week after victories over Baylor and Kansas. The Wildcats spent several weeks at #1, before two losses sent them down to #4. Now, they’ve been at #2 behind #1 Duke for the past two weeks.

The Wildcats also remain near the top of several other metrics as well. Arizona is 3rd in the NET rankings, and on KenPom behind Michigan and Duke.

Feb 18, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd watches during the first half of the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Arizona’s resume

Arizona has long-established itself as one of the best teams in the country this season, and they have the resume to back it up. The Wildcats have secured 13 quad 1 wins, 5 quad 2 wins, and have taken down 9 ranked teams this season. Some of their most notable victories include a win over then-#3 Florida to open the season, a win over then-#3 UConn, a blowout of then-#12 Alabama on the road, two victories over BYU, a win over #2 Houston despite not having Koa Peat, and most recently, a win over Kansas.

They’ve been led by a strong mix of veteran experience, such as Jaden Bradley, Anthony Dell’Orso, and Tobe Awaka, and impressive rookies such as leading-scorer Brayden Burries, and Koa Peat, both of whom project to be first round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. This mix gives Arizona one of the most unique roster situations in the country, and so far it’s paid off big time for a team that started the season 23-0.

Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) celebrates during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Big 12 changes

Arizona has already clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular season crown. The conference has been arguably the best in all of college basketball this season, and there was some movement in the rankings this week. Some notable changes include Iowa State falling from #4 to #6, Houston falling from #5 to #7, Texas Tech rising from #16 to #10, Kansas remaining at #14, and BYU, UCF, and TCU all received votes.

With only two games remaining, the Wildcats will still be challenged before the Big 12 Tournament. They’ll see Iowa State at home, and Colorado on the road to end the regular season. They’ve done enough to earn a 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, but a strong showing over the final games of the regular season could go a long way to giving them a favorable path to the national championship game.

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