Big Moves in College Hoops: Michigan and Michigan State Shake Up Rankings

The latest AP Top 25 men’s basketball rankings saw some big changes. Michigan climbed to the No. 3 spot, while Michigan State and Iowa State both cracked the top 10. Purdue and Arizona stayed at the top, with Purdue getting the most first-place votes. Duke and UConn also held their spots in the top five. Michigan has been on a tear, winning games by huge margins. They beat San Diego State, Auburn, and Gonzaga by a combined 110 points. Their forward, Yaxel Lendeborg, said they are here to be the best. Michigan State also moved up after big wins, including one over North Carolina. Vanderbilt had the biggest jump, moving up seven spots after winning a tournament in the Bahamas. Iowa State climbed five places, and Tennessee gained four spots after beating Houston. On the other hand, St. John’s dropped nine places, and Florida fell five spots after a loss. Kansas returned to the rankings after a strong tournament performance. Southern California made it back into the top 25 for the first time in a while. Meanwhile, UCLA and North Carolina State dropped out of the rankings. The Southeastern Conference had the most teams in the top 25, with seven. The Big 12 and Big Ten each had six teams ranked. The Atlantic Coast Conference had three, the Big East had two, and the West Coast Conference had one.