We are in a six-week sprint to Selection Sunday, meaning each game between two teams in the AP Top 25 could serve as a big data point to assess which programs are true national title contenders. The Big Ten took center stage this week as four of its top programs staged huge contests, with No. 3 Michigan facing a pair of Top 10 foes at home (No. 5 Nebraska) and on the road (No. 7 Michigan State) in the span of five days.
The Wolverines were tested and emerged victorious in both games, setting themselves up for an interesting dilemma as their results should be enough to merit a move up in the next poll. Voters have not always been as reactive, however, and the two teams directly ahead of them (unbeaten Arizona and UCONN) also went 2-0, so how much did Michigan's big victories move the needle in the eyes of the voters?
Read on to find out as we look back at the week that was with projections for Monday's poll, and read on for further analysis of the biggest games of the week, with Keaton Wagler and Illinois also poised to make a move up after their huge two-win week.
Projected AP Top 25 Rankings After Michigan Beats Two Top 10 Teams
1. Arizona Wildcats
2. Michigan Wolverines
3. UCONN Huskies
4. Duke Blue Devils
5. Gonzaga Bulldogs
6. Illinois Fighting Illini
7. Iowa State Cyclones
8. Houston Cougars
9. Michigan State Spartans
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
11. Kansas Jayhawks
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders
13. North Carolina Tar Heels
14. Saint Louis Billikens
15. Purdue Boilermakers
16. Virginia Cavaliers
17. Arkansas Razorbacks
18. Vanderbilt Commodores
19. Florida Gators
20. BYU Cougars
21. Clemson Tigers
22. Miami (Ohio) Redhawks
23. St. John's Red Storm
24. UCF Knights
25. Tennessee Volunteers
Arizona survives late onslaught from BYU
This banger of a week started out with a potential blowout for No. 1 Arizona beginning to disappear as No. 13 mounted a massive second-half surge, turning a 13-point halftime deficit into a one-possession game in the final minutes. The Cougars were down a point, and Rob Wright had a good look at a close jumper to tie the game before Brayden Burries blocked his shot, snagged the rebound, and sunk two critical free throws to save the Wildcats from their first loss of the year.
The win, which was one of two Arizona scooped up on the week, allowed them to reach 22-0 for the first time in program history and should help them maintain the top spot in the polls. The script unfortunately stayed the same for BYU at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday as another late rally fell just short, raising questions as to whether this group can find ways to close games against elite competition when it counts.
Michigan makes a statement against Nebraska
It had been nearly nine months since No. 5 Nebraska last lost a basketball game and their trip to Ann Arbor to take on No. 3 Michigan was a good litmus test of how good the Cornhuskers really are. The game was competitive throughout and Nebraska held a late lead before Trey McKinney's layup with 1:07 to go put the Wolverines up for good in a 75-72 victory to snap the Cornhuskers' 24-game winning streak dating back to last April's The Crown tournament run.
Getting pushed at home by a strong Big Ten team was a huge mental edge for Michigan, which had to withstand a surge from No. 7 Michigan State on the road on Friday night as the Wolverines saw a 17-point lead evaporate in the second half. Dusty May's team pulled away and got a big win there too, which should be enough to move them past UConn in the next poll.
Gonzaga survives against Saint Mary's
No. 6 Gonzaga is heading to the newly reformed Pac-12 next season, which means an end to their long-standing rivalry with Saint Mary's. The two WCC powerhouses met in Spokane on Saturday night, and the Gaels went to the locker room up four before the Bulldogs found another gear Saint Mary's couldn't match in a 73-65 victory in the Kennel.
Graham Ike, playing his first game in two weeks after missing time due to injury, had his way on the interior and led all scorers with 30 points. It's been a minute since Gonzaga was truly tested by an opponent, so seeing Saint Mary's put a scare into them was something Mark Few was likely pleased to see his team experience as they head down the stretch of conference play.
Florida smokes Alabama in Gainesville
The saga surrounding No. 23 Alabama's usage of Charles Bediako, a former G Leaguer who has played on an NBA two-way contract before using a court injunction to return to college basketball, has been a major controversy in the sport. No. 19 Florida's Todd Golden was clearly not a fan of it when asked about the situation in an interview but noted the Gators would beat the Crimson Tide even if Bediako played, and he looked prophetic as Florida smoked Alabama 100-77.
The Gators have become a problem for Nate Oats, ripping off five straight wins against them dating back to the 2023-24 season while scoring at least 99 points in all five games. The addition of Bediako also hasn't been much of a help for Alabama, which has dropped two of three since his return and is poised to fall out of the AP Top 25 this week.
Illinois' rapid rise continues with road win at Nebraska
The Fighting Illini are often forgotten about when discussing the Big Ten's elite teams, but the time has come to put more respect on No. 9 Illinois' name. Eight days after Keaton Wagler put up the best performance by a visitor in the history of Mackey Arena, Illinois racked up another road win over a Top 5 team with a 78-69 victory over Nebraska to make their claim as the biggest threat to Michigan in the Big Ten.
Wagler had 28 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Fighting Illini, who used a key 11-0 run midway through the second half to create needed separation from the Cornhuskers. The win should vault Illinois near the Top 5 this week while leading to a bit of soul searching for Nebraska, which was humbled with two competitive losses to elite Big Ten programs in the span of six days.