Duke, Arizona Surge with Impressive Victories

The landscape of college basketball is shifting as March approaches. This week, 16 ranked teams from the Top 25 faced at least one defeat. Notably, the former No. 1 team, Michigan, lost to Duke, leading to potential changes in the upcoming AP Top 25 poll.

Duke Blue Devils Surge to the Top

Duke, under the guidance of coach Jon Scheyer, performed exceptionally well this week. The Blue Devils routed Syracuse by 37 points before defeating Michigan in a fiercely contested game. With these victories, Duke is expected to claim the No. 1 spot for the first time this season.

• Previous Ranking: 3
• Upcoming Schedule:
  • Feb. 24 at Notre Dame
  • Feb. 28 vs. Virginia

Michigan Wolverines Hold Steady

Despite their recent loss, Michigan remains strong. They were close to defeating Duke, trailing by only three points in the final minute. Earlier in the week, they secured a significant victory against Purdue.

• Previous Ranking: 1
• Upcoming Schedule:
  • Feb. 24 vs. Minnesota
  • Feb. 27 at Illinois

Arizona Wildcats Climb the Rankings

Arizona continues to impress, especially after back-to-back victories against BYU and Houston. Despite the absence of freshman forward Koa Peat, Anthony Dell’Orso delivered two outstanding performances to secure wins for the Wildcats.

• Previous Ranking: 4
• Upcoming Schedule:
  • Feb. 24 at Baylor
  • Feb. 28 vs. Kansas

Other Notable Teams

Iowa State started strong but suffered a setback against BYU. Conversely, Houston experienced back-to-back losses, dropping from their previous No. 2 ranking. Florida showed remarkable resilience, winning their last seven games by an impressive average margin.

• Iowa State Cyclones:
  • Previous Ranking: 6
  • Upcoming Schedule:
    • Feb. 24 at Utah
    • Feb. 28 vs. Texas Tech
• Houston Cougars:
  • Previous Ranking: 2
  • Upcoming Schedule:
    • Feb. 23 at Kansas
    • Feb. 28 vs. Colorado
• Florida Gators:
  • Previous Ranking: 12
  • Upcoming Schedule:
    • Feb. 25 at Texas
    • Feb. 28 vs. Arkansas

As the new AP Top 25 poll approaches, fans eagerly anticipate the changes that are bound to occur as teams battle for positioning ahead of March Madness.