Ncaa Basketball Rankings: Duke Returns to No. 1 After Michigan Win
Duke returned to No. 1 in the latest ncaa basketball rankings after a 68-63 victory over Michigan, a result that reshuffled the top of the weekly Top 25 poll and matters for March seedings. The Blue Devils (25-2) captured 56 of 61 first-place votes and recorded the program's 148th appearance at No. 1, while Michigan (25-2) dropped to No. 3.
Ncaa Basketball Rankings: Top shifts
The win over Michigan pushed Duke up two spots to the top of the poll, bolstering a resume that includes a national-best 12 Quadrant 1 wins and nine victories against Top 25 teams. Arizona moved up to No. 2 after victories over BYU and at Houston and claimed the remaining five first-place votes. Michigan’s one-week stay at No. 1 ended after the loss, and Iowa State and Houston joined the top five, with Purdue, Gonzaga and Illinois completing the top 10.
What changed for Duke
Duke’s Saturday win over the then-top-ranked team was a decisive factor in the poll movement. The Blue Devils’ current ledger (25-2) and the concentration of high-quality wins—12 Quadrant 1 results—were singled out as drivers of the jump to No. 1. This marks the second straight season the program has returned to the top spot under its fourth-year coach, and it mirrors the team’s placement in late-season rankings from last year. The poll’s voters awarded Duke the majority of first-place ballots, underscoring how one signature win over a fellow 25-2 opponent reshuffled perceptions of the national pecking order.
Implications for March Madness
The poll now aligns closely with the selection committee’s preliminary top-16 list, which had Michigan, Duke, Arizona and Iowa State listed as the No. 1 seeds in its Saturday reveal. Fifteen teams are common to both the poll and the committee’s top-16 preliminary view, leaving only a small slot difference where the poll placed St. John's at No. 15 while the committee gave that 15th seed to Vanderbilt. If Duke can preserve its advantage in Quad 1 wins and sustain its defensive performance that held Michigan well under its scoring norm, the Blue Devils are positioned to remain among the earliest choices when final seeds are set.
Other notable movement in the poll: Florida jumped five spots to No. 7 after a seven-game winning streak and a 12-of-13 stretch, Alabama rose eight spots to No. 17 following a dramatic double-overtime home win and a road victory that extended a six-game streak, and BYU climbed after recent results. Kansas and Vanderbilt posted the largest single-week slides, each falling six places after difficult results the prior week.
Looking ahead, the alignment between the weekly poll and the committee’s preliminary seeding suggests that continued high-level wins against Quad 1 opponents will have tangible effects on final seed lines. If Duke maintains its current rate of top-tier victories, its case for a No. 1 seed will strengthen; conversely, late setbacks for any of the top contenders could reopen debates among poll voters and the committee over the final seed order.
The ncaa basketball rankings this week reflect a volatile stretch of February results that may presage tight seeding conversations in March, with signature head-to-head outcomes and Quad 1 totals serving as the clearest, observable indicators for how the bracket picture will settle.
