Michigan Drops From No. 1 In AP Poll After Loss

The Michigan men’s basketball team’s time atop the college basketball mountain — at least in the eyes of the AP Poll Top 25 rankings voters — was short-lived.

Just a week after claiming the elusive No. 1 ranking, the Wolverines’ loss at the hands of then-No. 3 Duke was enough to drop them back down to No. 3 themselves.

Michigan started the week with a bang, walking into Mackey Arena and taking down then-No. 7 Purdue on its home court, 91-80. Riding a 32-11 run in the middle part of the first half, the Wolverines had control of the game almost all the way through. 

The matchup between Michigan and Duke on Saturday was one of the most anticipated duels in college basketball this season. Partly because it was No. 1 against No. 3, but also because it was a rare non-conference bout in the middle of February.

Ultimately, the Blue Devils came out on top, winning 68-63 and handing the Wolverines’ their second loss of the season. Michigan never truly found a rhythm on the offensive end, and it couldn’t rack up enough stops to compensate.

As a result Duke rose to No. 1 in the poll, and Arizona slid back into No. 2 slot after a win over now-No. 5 Houston. 

Here are the complete AP Poll rankings from Week 16:

Other teams receiving votes: Wisconsin, Saint Mary’s, Villanova, Miami, Utah State, NC State, SMU, Texas A&M, Iowa, UCF, High Point, Stephen F. Austin, Navy.

Time is running out on the regular season, and as that happens, the AP Poll becomes less relevant. The poll doesn’t have any bearing on March Madness seeding, but it does act as a useful barometer for the college basketball climate during the season.

Now, however, most eyes are locked on obtaining a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, or, better yet, the No. 1 overall seed.

The Wolverines could certainly work back up to the No. 1 in the AP Poll. If Duke loses one of its final four games and Michigan wins out, No. 1 is probably headed back to Ann Arbor, especially considering it has No. 10 Illinois and No. 13 Michigan State still on the horizon.

Next up, however, the Wolverines are set to take on Minnesota on Tuesday. Normally this game wouldn’t draw a ton of attention, but with Illinois’ loss to UCLA on Saturday, Michigan can clinch the Big Ten Title with a win. 

The last time Michigan won a Big Ten regular season title was in a COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. There was controversy surrounding the Wolverines’ crowning, given that some games had to be cancelled due to illness. Illinois ended the season with more Big Ten wins, but Michigan had a better winning percentage.

With a Big Ten Title potentially under their belt, the Wolverines could still be in a good position to claim the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament if they win the games in front of them. That’s easier said than done, of course, but Michigan certainly has the ability to pull it off.