College basketball power rankings: Michigan, Arizona tight at the top

The calendar flipping to 2026 means more than one-third of the college basketball regular season is already in the books. And if there is one takeaway to be gleaned from that stretch of time, it is this: There is Michigan and Arizona, then there is everyone else.

That is reflected below in our updated Power Rankings, where Michigan and Arizona — and in that order for a second consecutive update — rank No. 1 and No. 2. There are plenty of other teams waiting in the wings: Iowa State, UConn, Vanderbilt have all been spectacular. But the top is the top with a bullet. 

Let’s get to the rankings — where the top two remains the same but there are plenty of other shifts and changes throughout the updated top-16.

Week 1: Purdue | Week 2: Arizona | Week 3: Michigan | Week 4: Michigan | Week 5: Michigan | Week 6: Michigan