Jan 17, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) takes a shot in the second half against the Central Florida Knights at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

How Arizona Topped AP Poll Once Again

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Justin Backer | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 10:00 AM ET

Arizona’s men’s basketball team found themselves at a familiar mountain top on Monday, coming in at #1 on the latest AP Poll for the sixth-straight week.

The Wildcats earned all 61 first-place votes as they unanimously notched the top spot in the AP Poll. Arizona is closing in on some of its own program history, as this is the longest amount of time they’ve spent at #1 since the 2013-14 season, when they spent 8 weeks at the top of the poll. Arizona started that season by going 21-0 through the first 21 games.

Arizona's impressive resume

At 19-0, the Wildcats have notched several impressive wins this season. They are 7-0 in Quad 1, 2-0 in Quad 2 games, and have earned ranked wins over Florida, Auburn, UConn, Alabama, and UCLA this season. Arizona is one of three undefeated teams remaining in the country, along with #10 Nebraska, and #25 Miami (Ohio).

They’ve been led by a good mix of veteran talent, and new faces. Senior guard Jaden Bradley has been the steady engine that makes the Wildcats’ offense go, and freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat have given Arizona the youthful jolt they’ve needed to propel them towards the top of the AP Poll.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Wildcats have also gotten off to a fast start in Big 12 play, going 5-0 to kick off conference play, with 3 of those wins being by 13 points or more. They’ll be tasked with several challenges throughout conference play with the likes of Iowa State, Kansas, BYU and Houston still on their schedule, so they’ll see what they are really made of as the season starts to really ramp up ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

Some other notable changes in the AP Poll for Big 12 teams include Houston jumping from #7 to #6, Iowa State falling from #2 to #9, Texas Tech jumping from #15 to #12, BYU falling from #11 to #13, and Kansas remaining at #19. With 6 ranked teams, the Big 12 looks to be one of the more competitive conferences in the country.

Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

The Wildcats currently look like one of the top contenders to win the national championship this season. After bouncing out in the Sweet Sixteen last season, they’ll look to go on a much deeper run this time around as they continue their quest for a second national title in program history.

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