Arizona Reclaims the Top Spot as No. 1 Debate With Michigan Intensifies
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After briefly relinquishing the top ranking earlier this month, the Arizona Wildcats have surged back to No. 1 following a résumé that is already historic by AP poll standards. In the latest ESPN power rankings by Jeff Borzello, the Wildcats found themselves swapping spots with the Wolverines for the time being.
Arizona initially climbed to the top after a statement road victory at UConn, a win that immediately separated the Wildcats from the rest of the country. They later dropped from the top position when Michigan dominated the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, a performance that cemented the Wolverines’ reputation as the most statistically dominant team in college basketball.
Michigan’s elite efficiency metrics back that up the Wolverines currently hold a KenPom ranking that places them as the best team in the country as Arizona sits slightly behind at fourth overall.
Michigan has been able to put together a few marquee wins themselves defeating Auburn by 30 points and following that up with an even more impressive 40-point victory over Gonzaga. The firepower they provide is about as efficient as it can be to this point, and the team has shown no signs of cooling off.
Despite all of this, Arizona’s body of work has proven too impressive to ignore. This has been what carries most of the conversation that puts Arizona above Michigan in most rankings despite analytics.
At 10–0, the Wildcats boast one of the strongest résumés college basketball has ever seen this early in a season. They became the first team in AP poll history to defeat five ranked opponents within their first nine games, an unprecedented achievement. Arizona is also ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s Strength of Record, reflecting not just wins, but the quality of competition they’ve conquered.
Those victories include neutral-site wins over Florida and UCLA, paired with home-court triumphs against UConn, Alabama, and Auburn. Few teams nationally can match that combination of volume and difficulty in marquee wins.
The Wildcats’ shooting has followed suit. Arizona has made at least six three-pointers in three consecutive games, after reaching that mark only four times in its first seven. That spacing has made an already potent offense even harder to guard. The depth of their team makes for a tough match-up for any team in the country.
Meanwhile, Michigan (10–0) continues to make its own case as college basketball’s most efficient machine. In a recent win over Maryland, the Wolverines erased a nine-point second-half deficit by pouring in 54 points over the final 18:48. Michigan shot an absurd 60% from the field, 63% from three, and 86% from the free-throw line, while recording 28 assists on 35 made baskets.
As the season progresses, the debate between Arizona and Michigan at No. 1 is unlikely to fade. Arizona will likely be favored in every game until a challenging road trip to BYU on January 26, while Michigan’s toughest looming test appears to be a Jan 30 visit to Michigan State.
For now, Arizona’s historic résumé, combined with depth players and stars breaking out and elite wins across multiple venues, gives the Wildcats the edge, but the race for college basketball supremacy is far from settled.
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Matthew is a recent graduate of Michigan State with a bachelor's degree in sports journalism and a minor in sports business management, with a love for all sports.
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