Saturday took quite a bit of explaining across college basketball and gave us a new No. 1 team in the nation as we enter the homestretch.
Here’s everything you missed in Week 16 of the regular season, plus the latest AP poll.
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Duke University jumps to No. 1
Duke had a busy weekend in college basketball and ended up on top.
The Blue Devils defeated Michigan on Saturday at a neutral site behind Cameron Boozer by 18 points, easily picking up their biggest win of the season after two tough losses. That moves them into first place in this week’s poll for the first time all season. Michigan State has now lost just two games this year and moved up to third place.
In the other big game of the day, Arizona defeated Houston for a dominant victory in the Big 12 Division, giving it sole possession of the conference lead. That vaulted the Wildcats into second place, where they appear to have bounced back from the top of the national rankings after two straight losses. With both weak teams winning, it was the first time in over a year that the first and second place teams lost on the same day.
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Following last Monday’s loss to Iowa State, the Cougars have now lost back-to-back games to top-10 opponents. They are now ranked fifth in the polls and have a crucial game Monday night at No. 14 Kansas. If they can’t pick up a win in Lawrence, Houston will be in a very tough spot, having only managed one ranked play win since mid-January.
Iowa State moved up two spots to No. 4 despite losing to BYU on Saturday night. The Cyclones face Utah and No. 13 Texas Tech this week before traveling to Arizona next week. Miami (Ohio) remains the last undefeated team. The Redhawks are 27-0 on the road this week against Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan.
Is Duke University firmly in first place?
While it’s certainly another down year for the ACC, Duke won’t have an easy path to staying at the top the rest of the season.
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The Blue Devils must face No. 14 Virginia on Saturday after visiting Notre Dame on Tuesday. Riding a late foul call Saturday, the Cavaliers have won eight straight and are currently second in the ACC standings. North Carolina also has an in-state battle next week. Even though the Wolfpack has suffered some tough losses this season, they managed a huge win over North Carolina State by over 20 points.
Of course, there’s also a rematch against the Tar Heels to close out the regular season.
As the season comes to an end, Duke’s win over Michigan is a big statement for the program, especially considering the previous losses. In early January, the Blue Devils lost by one point to Texas Tech and blew a 13-point lead at North Carolina State. This win would also likely give them a chance to become the top seed in the NCAA tournament. Boozer averaged 22.6 points and 10 rebounds per game, shot over 58 percent from the field, and was as good as anyone in the country. Duke is not a team people want to face in the NCAA tournament.
But the final two weeks of the season have been anything but easy.
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Games to watch this week
All times ET | *Denotes neutral site
Monday, February 23
No. 24 Louisville, No. 18 North Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN
No. 5 Houston, No. 14 Kansas | 9 p.m. | ESPN
Tuesday, February 24
21 Miami (Ohio) vs. Eastern Michigan | 6:30 PM | ESPN+
Wednesday, February 25
No. 15 St. John’s, No. 6 UConn | 7 p.m. | Peacock/NBCSN
Thursday, February 26
No. 13 Michigan State, No. 8 Purdue 8 p.m. | Peacock
Friday, February 27
21 Miami (Ohio) vs. Western Michigan | 6 p.m. | CBS Network
No. 3 Michigan, No. 10 Illinois 8 p.m. | Fox
Saturday, February 28
No. 11 Virginia, No. 1 Duke 12 p.m. | ESPN
No. 14 Kansas, No. 2 Arizona 4 p.m. | ESPN
No. 16 Texas Tech, No. 4 Iowa State 4 p.m. | CBS
No. 20 Arkansas, No. 7 Florida 8:30 p.m. | ESPN
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AP Top 25
The complete AP men’s basketball poll will begin on February 23, 2026.
1. Duke University (25-2)
2. Arizona State (25-2)
3. Michigan State (25-2)
4. Iowa State (23-4)
5. Houston (23-4)
6. University of Connecticut (25-3)
7. Florida State (21-6)
8. Purdue University (22-5)
9. Gonzaga (27-2)
10. Illinois (22-6)
11. Virginia (24-3)
12. Nebraska (23-4)
13. Michigan State (22-5)
14. Kansas State (20-7)
15. St. John’s College (22-5)
16. Texas Tech (20-7)
17. Alabama (20-7)
18. North Carolina (21-6)
19. Brigham Young University (20-7)
20. Arkansas (20-7)
21. Miami (Ohio) (27-0)
22. Tennessee (20-7)
23. St. Louis (25-2)
24. Louisville (20-7)
25. Vanderbilt (21-6)
Other states receiving votes: Wisconsin 47, St. Mary’s 30, Villanova 15, Miami 10, Utah 8, North Carolina 7, SMU 4, Texas A&M 3, Iowa State 3, UCF 3, High Point 2, Stephen F. Austin 2, Navy 1
