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Top 5 Hottest Teams in College Basketball: Is Anyone Hotter Than Illinois?

The Illini are on an 11-game winning streak – but are they the hottest team in college basketball? Let’s rank them.
Pranav Hegde|
Jan 29, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Zvonimir Ivisic (44) and teammate Ben Humrichhous (3) celebrate a win against the Washington Huskies at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Jan 29, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Zvonimir Ivisic (44) and teammate Ben Humrichhous (3) celebrate a win against the Washington Huskies at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

In this story:

Illinois Fighting IlliniFlorida GatorsDuke Blue DevilsMiami (OH) RedHawksArizona Wildcats

Is anyone hotter than Illinois right now? That’s not a rhetorical question – it’s a legitimate debate happening across college basketball after the Illini stormed into Lincoln and walked out with a statement win over No. 5 Nebraska. This isn’t about long-term resumes or preseason hype. This is about right now: Teams lighting up scoreboards, ripping off winning streaks and making opposing fan bases nervous every time their spotted on the schedule.

February is when the sport starts telling the truth. Pretenders fade, contenders surge and a select few teams hit that dangerous stretch where everything clicks at once. Illinois is living in that zone at the moment, but it isn't alone. From undefeated juggernauts to defending champs quietly heating back up, these programs are playing their best basketball at exactly the right time.

So let’s do it. Here are the five hottest teams in college basketball, counting down from No. 5 to the team currently turning the thermostat all the way up.

Editor's note: All metrics are through Feb. 1

Top five hottest college basketball teams

No. 5: Florida Gators (16-6, 7-2 SEC)

Florid
Feb 1, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) reacts and gestures after making a three point basket during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

AP poll: No. 17

KenPom: No. 7

Torvik: No. 6

NET: No. 12

The defending national champs didn’t simply run it back – they had to retool on the fly. Florida lost superstar guard Walter Clayton Jr., the engine of last year’s title run, and replaced him with two of the most coveted guards in the portal in Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland, pairing them with what might be the best returning frontcourt in the country. On paper, it worked. Early on, it didn’t.

The Gators stumbled out to a 5-4 start while everything came together, but since then they’ve looked far more like a title threat. Florida is 11-2 since that point, has won eight of its last nine and has beaten four ranked teams during that stretch. The latest statement came in the form of a blowout win over a very talented Alabama team – the same Alabama squad that beat Illinois.

Florida may not have the prettiest record on this list, but they are undeniably dangerous right now. With the roster clicking and championship confidence back in full force, the Gators are heating up at exactly the right time.

No. 4: Duke Blue Devils (20-1, 9-0 ACC)

Duk
Jan 31, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) controls the ball as Virginia Tech Hokies forward Tobi Lawal (1) defends during the first half at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

AP poll: No. 4

KenPom: No. 3

Torvik: No. 5

NET: No. 1

The Blue Devils somehow reloaded without missing a beat after losing all five starters from last year’s Final Four team. Head coach Jon Scheyer has done it again, building around maybe the best player in the country in freshman forward Cameron Boozer, who has been an absolute nightmare matchup. Boozer is the odds-on favorite for National Player of the Year and has looked every bit like it, anchoring a Duke roster that is overflowing with talent.

Duke’s resume is nearly spotless. Its lone loss came in a one-possession nail-biter against Texas Tech, and the Blue Devils have responded by ripping off nine straight wins since. They have elite positional size, a polished offensive and defensive scheme, and the luxury of a true superstar to close games. For a young team, the growth curve has been steep – and it’s still climbing. In a weakened ACC, Duke has a clear runway to a No. 1 seed in March if it keeps trending this way.

No. 3: Illinois Fighting Illini (19-3, 10-1 Big Ten)

Illinois Basketbal
Feb 1, 2026; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) dribbles during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

AP poll: No. 5

KenPom: No. 5

Torvik: No. 7

NET: No. 6

Illinois doesn’t look like most modern college basketball contenders – and that’s exactly why things are working in Champaign. In an era dominated by one-and-done five-star recruits and G League pipelines, the Illini zigged while everyone else zagged, building a title contender by tapping into the international game. Pieces like David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic and Andrej Stojakovic give Illinois a unique blend of skill, size and feel that most teams simply can’t replicate.

The engine of it all, though, is freshman Keaton Wagler, who has gone from intriguing newcomer to full-blown national problem in a matter of weeks. Wagler is taking the college basketball world by storm, leading an absurdly deep rotation that seems to have answers for every matchup. Illinois isn’t just winning – it’s winning everywhere. The Illini have now taken down two top-five teams on the road in back-to-back weeks – and while missing their senior leader, Kylan Boswell, no less.

That might be the most impressive part. Instead of flinching, Illinois tightened up, leaned into its identity and played its best basketball. The result? An 11-game winning streak, a connected locker room, overwhelming size across the lineup and – casually – the No. 1 offense in KenPom history. This isn’t a hot shooting streak or a soft stretch of games. This is sustained dominance.

Right now, the Illini are red hot, confident and playing with the kind of cohesion that turns February heaters into March nightmares.

No. 2: Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (22-0, 10-0 MAC)

AP poll: No. 23

KenPom: No. 89

Torvik: No. 82

NET: No. 53

The Redhawks are still undefeated, and at this point it feels borderline disrespectful to keep pretending otherwise. Yes, the competition hasn’t exactly been a gauntlet – but Miami (Ohio) can only play who’s on the schedule. And the Redhawks have beaten all of them. Head coach Travis Steele put it best: “Listen, we’ve got a really good team. Don’t penalize us for people [who] aren’t willing to play us.” Hard to argue with that when the record reads 22–0.

What makes Miami so dangerous isn’t just the zero in the loss column – it’s the depth. The Redhawks have six players averaging double figures, with a seventh sitting right behind at 9.1 points per game. There’s no weak link, no obvious pressure point for opponents to attack. On any given night, someone new steps up, which is exactly how undefeated seasons survive.

They have also shown an uncanny ability to win ugly. Miami already has three overtime victories, games that required composure, toughness and a little bit of belief. Those are the kinds of wins that quietly build confidence and momentum. Miraculous or not, they all count the same.

Until someone actually knocks them off, the Redhawks deserve to be recognized for what they are right now: one of the hottest teams in college basketball, winning at a rate very few can match.

No. 1: Arizona Wildcats (22-0, 9-0 Big 12)

Arizona Basketbal
Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) celebrates against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

AP poll: No.1

KenPom: No. 2

Torvik: No. 2

Net: No. 2

One of just two undefeated teams left in the country, Arizona is undeniably the hottest team in college basketball. At 22-0, the Wildcats haven’t just stayed perfect – they’ve done it against real competition, with wins over Florida, UConn, Alabama and BYU anchoring an elite resume.

Arizona’s balance is what separates them. Freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries already look like stars, while senior guard Jaden Bradley provides an elite closer who can finish tight games. Add in excellent size across the roster and a complete lack of glaring weaknesses, and it’s easy to see why opponents are running out of answers.

The schedule ramps up soon, which will test just how real this run is, but for now there’s no debate. Until someone hands them a loss, the Arizona Wildcats sit comfortably atop the “hottest team” rankings.

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Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

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