There’s no change at the top of the national rankings, but Nebraska’s rise has been hit hard.
Here’s everything you missed in Week 13 of the regular season, plus the latest AP poll.
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What’s happening in Nebraska now?
Well, the Cornhuskers’ dream run is over.
Nebraska entered last week as one of only three undefeated teams in the country, having started the season with a program-best 20-game winning streak. It all fell apart.
Michigan held a just three-point lead over Nebraska on Tuesday thanks to Trey McKennie’s powerhouse layup in the final seconds that finally gave the Wolverines the lead for good. Illinois pulled away in the second half and avenged its previous home loss with a nine-point victory over Lincoln on Sunday. This marked Nebraska’s second consecutive loss.
As a result, the Huskers dropped four spots to ninth in this week’s poll.
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The top four in this week’s polls are largely unchanged. Arizona sits firmly in first place with a 22-0 record, becoming one of only two undefeated teams left. No. 22 Miami (Ohio) is the other. Michigan jumped UConn to No. 2 with its win over Nebraska, and then Duke moved on to No. 4.
Illinois moved up four spots to No. 5 after beating Nebraska, its highest ranking since 2020.
While it’s easy to write off Nebraska based on the program’s history, we’re going to learn a lot about Nebraska over the next two weeks. The Huskers will travel to Rutgers later this week before taking on No. 12 Purdue next week — their final ranking game of the season. A win over the Boilermakers will be crucial to proving they belong at the top of the Big Ten competition. Fair or not, another quick loss immediately opened the door for the game.
Is Kansas back on track?
Maybe it’s time to start taking Kansas seriously as a threat to win the Big 12 again.
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The Jayhawks beat AJ Dybantsa and BYU on Saturday to win their fifth straight game after suffering a couple of tough losses earlier in the season. A blowout win against the then-no. 2 Iowa State also started a winning streak.
The Jayhawks are 16-5 on the season and moved up three spots to No. 11 in this week’s poll ahead of Monday night’s showdown with No. 13 Texas Tech.
But much of Kansas’ success hinged on star star Darryn Peterson, who scored 18 points in 20 minutes against the Cougars before leaving the game early in the second half with apparent cramping. That game was only his 11th game of the season due to injury.
This final stretch will not be easy either. Kansas will have to play Arizona twice before the season ends next month, again against No. 7 Iowa State in Ames, and No. 8 Houston. If Peterson can’t play, or simply isn’t at full strength, it could be difficult for the Jayhawks to truly capitalize on the momentum they’ve built over the past two weeks.
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But Kansas is right back where it was. After the start, that’s all it can ask for at this point in the season.
Games to watch this week
All times ET | *Denotes neutral site
Monday, February 2
No. 11 Kansas Tech, No. 13 Texas Tech 9 p.m. | ESPN
Tuesday, February 3
22 Miami (OH) at Buffalo | 6:30 PM | ESPN+
Friday, February 6
No. 3 UConn, No. 22 St. John’s 8 p.m. | Fox
Saturday, February 7
No. 4 Duke, No. 14 North Carolina | 6:30 PM | ESPN
No. 5 Illinois, No. 10 Michigan 8 p.m. | Fox
No. 8 Houston, No. 16 BYU | 10:30 PM | ESPN
AP Top 25
The complete AP men’s basketball poll from February 2, 2026.
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1. Arizona State (22-0)
2. Michigan State (20-1)
3. University of Connecticut (21-1)
4. Duke University (20-1)
5. Illinois (19-3)
6. Gonzaga (22-1)
7. Iowa State (20-2)
8. Houston (19-2)
9. Nebraska (20-2)
10. Michigan State (19-3)
11. Kansas State (16-5)
12. Purdue University (18-4)
13. Texas Tech (16-5)
14. North Carolina (17-4)
15. Vanderbilt (19-3)
16. Brigham Young University (17-4)
17. Florida State (16-6)
18. Virginia (18-3)
19. St. Louis (21-1)
20. Clemson (18-4)
21. Arkansas (16-6)
22. St. John’s College (16-5)
23. Miami (Ohio) (22-0)
24. Louisville (15-6)
25. Tennessee (15-6)
Other states receiving votes: Texas A&M 83, Alabama 48, Iowa 39, UCF 39, Kentucky 28, Villanova 15, North Carolina 9, Auburn 8, Utah 6, Miami 4, Georgia 3, Santa Clara 1, George Mason 1, Wisconsin 1
