Arizona was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll again Monday, setting yet another program record.
The Wildcats (23-0 overall and 10-0 in the Big 12) were also a unanimous choice for the third straight week, something they had never been before this season.
McKale Center erupts after Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) sinks a three-point shot during the game against Oklahoma State at McKale Center, Feb. 7, 2026.
However, Arizona faces a difficult challenge this week to stay atop that perch: A game Monday night at No. 9 Kansas and a home game Saturday against No. 16 Texas Tech.
Second-ranked Michigan (22-1), meanwhile, is scheduled to play at Northwestern on Wednesday and host UCLA on Saturday. The Wolverines are the No. 1 team in the predictive Kenpom rankings.
Kansas (18-5, 8-2) is 1-5 when hosting the No. 1-ranked team at Allen Fielhouse -- last facing a No. 1 team when it lost to Arizona on Jan. 25, 2003 -- but the Jayhawks are 50-1 in ESPN "Big Monday" home games.
Overall, the Big 12 now has three teams in the top five of the AP poll and four in the top 10. This week, Houston (21-2, 9-1) jumped from No. 8 to No. 3, behind UA and second-ranked Michigan (22-1), while Duke (21-2) stayed in the fourth spot and Iowa State moved from sixth to fifth.
Among other UA opponents this season, Florida (17-6) jumped from 17 to 14 while Texas Tech dropped from No. 13 to No. 16 and BYU (17-6, 5-5) fell from No. 16 to No. 22 after losing to Oklahoma State and Houston.
FWIW, this was my AP ballot.
Kansas’ Flory Bidunga was named the Big 12’s Player fo the Week after leading the Jayhawks to two wins last week, while BYU’s AJ Dybantsa picked up the Newcomer of the Week award.
Bidunga averaged 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks in the Jayhawks’ wins over Texas Tech and Utah, with seven of his blocks coming against the Utes. He had 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting against Texas Tech.
Dybantsa averaged 32.0 points while shooting 64.7% in games against Oklahoma State and Houston but BYU lost both of them.
The Big 12 also named Baylor’s Cameron Carr, Houston’s Kingston Flemings and TCU’s Xavier Edmonds to its “starting five” honor roll. Flemings averaged 18.5 poinmts, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in Houston’s wins over UCF and BYU; Carr averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4,5 assists in a win against Colorado and loss to Iowa State; while Edmunds had 26 points and 10 rebounds in TCU’s win over Kansas State.
Arizona nominated guard Brayden Burries for both awards after Burries had 15 pointso on 7-for-11 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds in the Wildcats’ win over Oklahoma State.
