TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — In the waning seconds of a blowout win, fans at Arizona's McKale Center started a chant of “Number 1!”
The second-ranked Wildcats can certainly make a case with Saturday night's dismantling of No. 20 Auburn and top-ranked Purdue's first loss of the season.
Then again, Michigan can also stake a claim to No. 1. So can Duke. What about Iowa State?
“Obviously, it's not something you shy away from,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said after the 97-68 win over Auburn. “You're at Arizona, you're going to be on the big stage and it's part and parcel being in a program like this.”
The 2025-26 college basketball season is off to an epic start with ready-made-star freshmen across the country and top programs' willingness to schedule tough early games.
The season kicked off with a flourish in Las Vegas, where Arizona took down reigning national champion Florida and has been dotted with marquee matchups almost every day, sometimes multiple games in one day.
There's already been three dozen games between ranked teams — 10 just last week — and the Thanksgiving Day game between Duke and Arkansas was the most-watched regular-season game in the last 30 years.
And this is only the first week in December.
Purdue had been the standard, opening as the preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time and holding steady for four of the first five weeks.
That will change in Monday's poll after No. 10 Iowa State rolled into Mackey Arena and stomped the Boilermakers 81-58.
That triggers a question: Who's next at No. 1?
Arizona certainly has a shot.
The Wildcats (8-0) have been ranked No. 2 the past two weeks and have four wins over ranked teams: No. 15 Florida, then-No. 15 UCLA in Southern California, at No. 5 UConn and the home blowout of Auburn. The Tiger takedown was Arizona's largest win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 19 Western Kentucky by 39 points in 2002.
Michigan could leapfrog the Wildcats by the sheer magnitude of its wins.
The Wolverines (8-0) had some tight games early on, but have left a path of destruction over the past three weeks. Michigan has won each of its last five by at least 25 points, including two over ranked teams.
The big, bad Wolverines turned a three-game run through the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas into a jackpot, beating San Diego State 94-54, Auburn 102-72 and No. 11 Gonzaga 101-61 in the title game.
Michigan was No. 3 in last week's poll, but had more first-place votes (15-6) than Arizona.
“I think there’s a pretty wide margin between Michigan and Arizona and the rest of college basketball, just from what I’ve seen on film and, obviously, what we’ve experienced in person,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said.
Don't forget about Duke.
The Blue Devils (10-0) and uber-talented freshman Cameron Boozer had early wins against Texas and No. 21 Kansas at Madison Square Garden. Duke most recently has traversed a gauntlet of games unscathed, beating No. 25 Arkansas in Chicago, Florida at home, then winning at No. 7 Michigan State in a game that had a late-March feel.
“That was a big-time basketball game and I'm still catching my breath,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after the win in East Lansing.
No. 10 Iowa State also could be in the conversation.
The Cyclones (9-0) have one of the nation's most talented trios in Milan Momcilovic, Joshua Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey, and are fourth nationally in scoring at 96.4 points per game.
It's a big jump from No. 10 to 1, but Iowa State did run the nation's top-ranked team right out of its own gym. The 23-point victory over Purdue matched the largest road win against a No. 1 team in NCAA history, a mark fist set by No. 15 Villanova with its 96-73 win over No. 1 UConn in 1995.
“It was an avalanche,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said.
One that will trigger a change at the top of the college basketball world.
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Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12), right, drives against Michigan State forward Cam Ward during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
