Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23). Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Michigan Wolverines must work hard to keep first No. 1 ranking since 2013

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 7:15 PM ET

The Michigan Wolverines are the No. 1 college basketball team in the country, for now.

For the first time since 2013, the Wolverines are on top of the Associated Press men's college basketball poll.

They've been trailing the Arizona Wildcats at No. 2 for six of Arizona's nine weeks at the top of the rankings, but this past week of college basketball secured the Wolverines' top spot.

Michigan is on a 10-game winning streak, most recently beating UCLA, 86-56. Arizona, in the meantime, has fallen to No. 4 in the poll after losing two in a row — to No. 9 Kansas and No. 16 Texas Tech.

The 24-1 Wolverines are 14-1 in Big Ten play, with their only loss coming against the Wisconsin Badgers in early January.

They earned 60 of 61 first-place votes.

No. 1 in the nation pic.twitter.com/VumLCFpJyr
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) February 16, 2026

Michigan Wolverines entering a brutal stretch of games as the nation's No. 1-ranked team

This is a high mark for the Wolverines, but Dusty May's team is going to have to fight hard to keep its shiny and new No. 1 ranking.

Up next for Michigan is a matchup at No. 7 Purdue, and the Boilermakers are going to have some extra motivation to go out and get the win. An old video surfaced over the weekend of Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg guaranteeing a Michigan victory over Purdue in an expletive-laden rant.

As if Purdue is not tough enough as a road game, the Wolverines then play the No. 3-ranked Duke Blue Devils over the weekend in the Edward Jones Capital Showcase in Washington, DC.

The Wolverines get some respite in a game against Minnesota after Duke, but their final three games of the regular season are at No. 10 Illinois, at Iowa, and against No. 15 Michigan State.

If the Wolverines come out of this stretch unscathed, they'll have earned the right to be considered the undisputed best team in college basketball.

That is a big if, though, because this is a brutal stretch of games for the Wolverines.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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