If you told me right now that Arizona, Michigan, Duke and Iowa State will wind up as the four No. 1 seeds of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, not only would I agree, I\u2019d probably heckle you for the lukewarm take.<\/p>\n
Really going out on a limb there, picking the four undefeated teams that occupy Nos. 1-4 in the AP poll! Do you like UConn on the women\u2019s side too?<\/p>\n
But sarcasm aside, there\u2019s a reason why that quartet has risen to its own tier at the top. Every one of those four teams can make a case for the best team in the country, and all of them earned first-place votes — even Iowa State, the school least associated with basketball greatness historically.<\/p>\n
The coaches\u2019 poll picked Michigan over Arizona by a mere 13 points<\/a>, while Duke has found its way to the top of some power rankings.<\/p>\n What sets each of these teams apart from the other? Since you\u2019re going to be hearing much more about them throughout the season, let\u2019s power-rank the Blue Devils, Wolverines, Wildcats and Cyclones and decide the true No. 1 six weeks into the season. (For Iowa State\u2019s sake, let\u2019s not use mascots as a category in our tale of the tape. Creepy Cy the Cardinal belongs on a different kind of list.)<\/p>\n The case for Iowa State: One does not simply walk into Mackey Arena and pulverize a veteran Purdue squad. But that\u2019s what Iowa State did last week, causing 15 turnovers and scoring 34 points in the paint to dethrone the previous No. 1 team. The Cyclones have also developed in recent years from a serviceable offensive team to a pretty good one to the best shooting team in the country — first in field goal percentage and third on 3-pointers.<\/p>\n The case against: Before the Purdue game, Iowa State\u2019s most impressive win was by one point on a neutral floor against St. John\u2019s. And more consistency would be great. What happened the other night at home against rival Iowa? Giving up more than 50% from the floor and trailing by double digits before needing a comeback? The Cyclones may stay unbeaten into mid-January, but we can do better.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The case for Arizona: Through eight games, half the Wildcats\u2019 win have come against ranked power-conference teams, three of those were away from Tucson, and six different players have led Arizona in scoring. Those are signs of a well-rounded team. They dominate the boards, and they\u2019re fourth nationally in field goal percentage.<\/p>\n The case against: Of the four teams we\u2019re inspecting, Arizona lags in the metrics. They\u2019re behind the others in KenPom, in KenPom defense, in Bart Torvik\u2019s T-Rank, and in wins above bubble. In allowing 67.1 points per game, they haven\u2019t shut teams down the way you\u2019d like. The Wildcats have another chance to prove their worthiness of the top spot against No. 12 Alabama on Saturday night in Birmingham.<\/p>\n The case for Duke: It\u2019s Duke<\/a>. You\u2019re going to say no to Duke? That\u2019s like saying Notre Dame football can\u2019t get automatic access to the playoff — never mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n4. Iowa State<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
Dec 6, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
3. Arizona<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
Dec 6, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Pea (10) dunks the ball during the second half of the game against the Auburn Tigers at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
2. Duke<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
Dec 6, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) dribbles past Michigan State Spartans guard Divine Ugochukwu (99) during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n