ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan basketball has risen to the top of the AP poll for the first time in 13 years.
Thirteen years and 19 days, to be exact.
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On Jan. 28, 2013, John Beilein’s 19-1 Wolverines jumped one spot to No. 1 in the AP poll thanks to Duke’s 27-point loss at No. 25 Miami (FL) earlier in the week.
That Michigan team -- led by Trey Burke, who had his jersey lifted to the Crisler Center rafters earlier this season -- received 51 of 65 first-place votes. Thirteen went to No. 2 Kansas and one went to No. 4 Florida.
This time, Michigan’s placement atop the sport was nearly unanimous.
The Wolverines received 60 of 61 first-place votes Monday after previously unbeaten Arizona lost twice this week -- first at Kansas and then in overtime against Texas Tech.
Houston, at 23-2, received the other first-place vote. The Cougars have a loss to currently unranked Tennessee and No. 13 Texas Tech to go along with a 7-2 record in Quad 1 and an 8-0 record in Quad 2.
While Michigan’s resume is stronger right now on paper -- especially since Wisconsin, the only team to beat Michigan, is now ranked at No. 24 -- Houston is definitively one of the best teams in the sport and among the top title contenders.
Why Michigan is No. 1
Only three of 365 Division 1 college basketball teams are left without multiple losses -- 24-1 Michigan, 24-1 Saint Louis, and 25-0 Miami (OH).
Saint Louis, out of the Atlantic 10, has played 20 of its 25 games against Quad 3, Quad 4, or non-D1 opponents. For Miami (OH), all but one game ranks outside the first two quadrants.
So Michigan -- with its 18-1 record in Quads 1 and 2 -- became the clear choice to replace Arizona atop the poll. The Wolverines are No. 1 in all but one of the major computer rankings (Kenpom, strength of record, wins above bubble, KPI, and Torvik), trailing only Duke in the Basketball Power Index.
Will it last?
In 2013, Michigan’s reign atop the rankings lasted only a week, as an 81-73 loss at No. 3 Indiana vaulted the Hoosiers to the top spot and dropped the Wolverines to third.
If Michigan is to avoid a similar fate this time around, it will have to do so against two of the best teams in the country. First, a trip to Purdue at the always-dangerous Mackey Arena looms Tuesday. Then, Michigan squares off against Duke on a neutral court in Washington D.C.
Purdue checks in at No. 7 after back-to-back Big Ten road wins over Nebraska and Iowa this week. The Boilermakers were the biggest risers in this week’s poll, jumping six spots from No. 13.
Duke is up one spot to No. 3 after pounding Pittsburgh and No. 20 Clemson.
Michigan’s history at No. 1
Prior to 2013, Michigan’s most recent stint at No. 1 came during the Fab Five’s second season. Michigan was ranked No. 1 in the preseason and for the next two weeks before even playing a game.
The Wolverines lost their second game of the season at No. 4 Duke and never quite got back to the top.
The 1976-77 Michigan team led by Phil Hubbard and Rickey Green also began the year at No. 1 and held the honor for the first five in-season rankings.
A one-point loss at Providence knocked the Wolverines down to No. 5 heading into the New Year, but they climbed back to the top spot for the penultimate and final rankings of the regular season, thanks to a 24-3 record.
That Michigan team lost to Charlotte in the Elite Eight.
Finally, Michigan was No. 1 in 10 of the 15 AP poll releases during the 1964-1965 season, including both the preseason and final rankings.
Led by the duo of Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin, Michigan went 19-3 during the regular season, ultimately losing to UCLA in the national championship game, 91-80, in Portland, Oregon.
Full rankings
Here’s a look at the full AP top 25 rankings for week 15, released Feb. 16, 2026:
- Michigan
- Houston
- Duke
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Iowa State
- Purdue
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Illinois
- Gonzaga
- Florida
- Texas Tech
- Virginia
- Michigan State
- North Carolina
- St. John’s
- Saint Louis
- Vanderbilt
- Arkansas
- Louisville
- Miami (OH)
- BYU
- Wisconsin
- Alabama