AP Top 25 Shake-Up: Duke Tumbles, Cats Stay Perfect, and the Madness Arrives Early

This week’s AP Top 25 poll is the perfect reminder that in this sport, “unbeatable” is just a temporary state of mind. We’ve got shake-ups near the summit, some blue bloods licking their wounds, and a few teams quietly putting together resumes that will look terrifying come March. Let’s dive into the chaos of Week 7.

Arizona and Michigan: The Unmovable Objects

While the rest of the country seems determined to cannibalize itself, two teams are sitting pretty at the top, looking down at the carnage with a bag of popcorn.

The Arizona Wildcats (11-0) are still your undisputed kings of the hill. They aren’t just winning; they are burying teams. When you’ve won six straight games by 20 or more points, you aren’t just good—you’re a problem. They held onto the No. 1 spot in the AP top 25 for the third straight week, grabbing 38 first-place votes. Critics might point to a slight hiccup against San Diego State, but great teams find a way to close, and that’s exactly what the Cats did.

Right on their heels? The Michigan Wolverines (11-0). Look, if Arizona is a sports car, Michigan is a tank doing 100 mph. They just dropped 102 points on La Salle, marking their sixth 100+ point game of the season. They are scoring at a clip that would make an NBA All-Star Game blush. The gap is closing, too. Only 20 points separate them from Arizona in the voting. One slip-up from the Wildcats, and Ann Arbor is going to throw a party.

The Blue Devil Blues: A Lesson in Humility

Here is where the human element kicks in. You had to feel for the Duke Blue Devils. They walked into Madison Square Garden, looking like world-beaters. They had a 17-point lead. The game felt over. The bus was probably warming up.

Then, Texas Tech happened.

The Red Raiders didn’t just win; they snatched the soul out of that game. Storming back to win 82-81, they handed Duke its first L of the season and sent them tumbling down three spots to No. 6. For Duke, it’s a wake-up call. For Texas Tech, now No. 15, it’s the kind of win you frame and hang in the locker room to remind your guys that it ain’t over until the buzzer sounds.

The Risers: Quietly Climbing the Ladder

While the heavyweights were trading blows, a few teams just kept their heads down and handled business.

Iowa State (12-0) is now sitting pretty at No. 3. They might not have the flashy headlines of Michigan or the preseason hype of Duke, but 12-0 is 12-0. They just thumped Long Beach State by 31. This is a team that grinds you down, and right now, nobody wants to see them on the schedule.

Then you have UConn and Purdue rounding out the top five. UConn is off to its best start since its title run a few years back, and Purdue’s Braden Smith is out here looking like a wizard with the basketball, dropping dimes all over the court.

The Underrated Story: North Carolina

Can we talk about the Tar Heels for a second? North Carolina stayed put at No. 12 in the AP top 25, but don’t let the ranking fool you. They are playing with fire in their bellies.

Their win over Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic was pure cinema. Down late, needing a bucket, and Henri Veesaar plays hero with 7.2 seconds left. Last year, UNC went 1-13 against Quad 1 teams. This year? They’ve already bagged three. That is not just improvement; that is a culture shift. They might not be moving up the polls this week, but trust me, they are moving up the list of teams you do not want to play in a knockout round.

Goodbye (For Now) To Auburn In AP Top 25

It’s tough out there in the SEC. Auburn, a team that has felt like a permanent fixture in the AP top 25 for nearly two years, finally fell out. After getting run off the floor by Purdue and sitting at 8-4, voters decided they’d seen enough. It’s a harsh reminder that reputation only buys you so much time. You have to win the big ones.

The Road Ahead

As we head toward the New Year and the absolute gauntlet that is conference play, expect the AP top 25 poll to look completely different in a month. The “cupcake” games are dwindling. The rivalries are starting. The student sections are getting louder.

If Week 7 taught us anything, it’s that no lead is safe, no ranking is permanent, and absolutely anything can happen when teenagers and 20-somethings chase a leather ball around a hardwood floor.