Power Rankings: How far Michigan, Iowa State, Vanderbilt drop after losses

After weeks of relative consistency at the top, Michigan’s stunning home loss to Wisconsin and Iowa State’s blowout loss to Kansas have prompted a massive shuffle in ESPN’s Power Rankings.

How far do the Wolverines and Cyclones drop?

Michigan still has elite efficiency-based metrics, ranking No. 1 in the NET, at KenPom and at BartTorvik. And while the Wolverines have only four Quad 1 wins, they own a long list of blowout victories, including a 40-point one over Gonzaga — enough to fall only one spot.

Iowa State has one of the most impressive wins we’ll see from any team this season: a 23-point road rout at Purdue. The Cyclones also own victories over a couple of borderline Top 25 teams in St. John’s and Iowa. They still rank among the top five at KenPom but dropped out of that group in every other metric.

Now, Duke, Purdue and Nebraska each have cases to pass Iowa State in the rankings. (Vanderbilt could have made one if it, too, hadn’t lost its first game Wednesday night.)

The Blue Devils have outstanding résumé-based metrics, sit at No. 1 in ESPN’s BPI and own wins over Michigan State, Arkansas, Kansas and Florida. Their lone loss was by one point on a neutral court, against Texas Tech.

Purdue has a better metric-based résumé than Iowa State, but it’s hard to put the Boilermakers ahead, given their loss at home to the Cyclones.

Nebraska has arguably the best résumé in the sport, ranking No. 2 in wins above bubble and No. 2 in ESPN’s strength of record. The Cornhuskers are also unbeaten. Yet they lag behind the others when it comes to their efficiency margin.

Ultimately, Duke gets the nod at No. 4 this week, with Iowa State rounding out the top five.

Previous ranking: 1

Of the Arizona freshman duo, Brayden Burries received most of the attention to end the 2025 calendar year. Since the start of Big 12 play in early January, however, Koa Peat has taken back the headlines. Peat was terrific in Wednesday’s rivalry win over Arizona State, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds (in the second half, he had 16 points, 5 boards and 2 assists while shooting 7-for-7 from the field). In four Big 12 games, Peat is averaging 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He might never top his 30-point career debut, but he’s back to his most productive self.

Next seven days: at UCF (Jan. 17), vs. Cincinnati (Jan. 21)

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Previous ranking: 4

UConn extended its winning streak to 13 games by hanging on to beat Seton Hall on the road Tuesday, but the Huskies have showed potential flaws along the way. They succumbed to the Pirates’ pressure defense in the second half, turning it over 17 times — and that’s not necessarily a new issue, either. BYU sparked its attempted comeback against UConn in November by forcing turnovers, and as Lukas Harkins of Basket Under Review pointed out this week, the Huskies had turned it over on 19.5% of possessions in their past seven games heading into the week.

Next seven days: at Georgetown (Jan. 17)

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Previous ranking: 2

Michigan saw its invincibility cloak disappear in its close win over Penn State, then truly fell back to earth with its stunning loss at home to Wisconsin over the weekend. The Wolverines bounced back with a 10-point road win at Washington, but the dominance they had showed for the previous seven weeks has waned. It has been most noticeable on the defensive end, where they’ve allowed three straight opponents — and four of six opponents in Big Ten play — to hit the one point per possession mark. Michigan’s pace is also worth monitoring: After routinely playing games with possessions in the high 70s and low 80s, Michigan’s past three games have checked in around 71, per KenPom.

Next seven days: at Oregon (Jan. 17), vs. Indiana (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 5

Prior to the start of January, Isaiah Evans had one 20-point game in his college career. He quadrupled that number in the first 10 days of 2026: 28 points at Florida State, 23 against Louisville and 21 SMU. His streak ended on Wednesday against California, though he still finished with 17 points. He has also made at least four 3s in each of those past four games, averaging 22.3 points while shooting 40% from 3-point range. Providing consistent perimeter balance to Cameron Boozer‘s interior dominance will be key moving forward.

Next seven days: at Stanford (Jan. 17)

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Previous ranking: 3

Despite more competitive wins in recent weeks, it was impossible to see a 21-point loss to Kansas in the cards for Iowa State on Tuesday. It was comfortably the Cyclones’ worst offensive performance: a season-low 63 points on a season-low 37% shooting and a season-low 0.97 points per possession. It was also by far their worst defensive showing, with the Jayhawks scoring 1.29 points per possession. And how about this stat from ESPN Research: Tuesday was the largest loss by a team that was 16-0 or better since Marquette lost to Detroit by 21 in 1972.

Next seven days: at Cincinnati (Jan. 17), vs. UCF (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 6

There won’t be many more impressive second-half offensive performances than Purdue’s against Iowa on Wednesday. The Boilermakers hit nearly 73% of their shots after halftime, missing just one from the field while making nine in the final 10:30. They also went 14 for 16 from the free-throw line in the final 20 minutes. And all of it was sparked by All-American point guard Braden Smith, who had 16 points and 4 assists in the second half.

Next seven days: at USC (Jan. 17), at UCLA (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 7

Nebraska continues to win in different ways, erasing a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat Indiana on Saturday before turning around and beating Oregon by 35 on Tuesday. But the stimulus of the Cornhuskers’ offense continues to be the 3-point shot. Indiana took a nine-point lead as Nebraska missed seven straight 3s spanning both halves, but the Huskers came back by hitting six of their next eight 3s. Against Oregon, they made 17 3s, including five straight from late in the first half to early in the second half to turn a tied score into a 15-point lead in four minutes of game action.

Next seven days: at Northwestern (Jan. 17), vs. Washington (Jan. 21)

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Previous ranking: 9

In a career filled with dominant seasons, Graham Ike could be trending toward his strongest yet. While he put up more points and rebounds in 2021-22 at Wyoming, Ike is averaging the most points (17.8), rebounds (8.6) and assists (2.6) of his three seasons at Gonzaga. He has the best offensive rating and true shooting percentage of his career. And he has taken his game up a notch in WCC play, shooting 72.5% inside the arc in five conference games thus far, most recently finishing with 34 points and 11 rebounds against Santa Clara.

Next seven days: at Washington State (Jan. 15), at Seattle (Jan. 17), vs. Pepperdine (Jan. 21)

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Previous ranking: 10

Houston is really starting to tighten it up on the defensive end of the floor. After allowing Arkansas and Middle Tennessee to each score more than one point per possession at the end of nonconference play, the Cougars have locked things down since Big 12 play began. They held West Virginia to 48 points on Tuesday — including just one 2-pointer in the first half — after limiting Baylor to 55 points this past Saturday. Their four conference opponents so far have scored just 0.9 points per possession.

Next seven days: vs. Arizona State (Jan. 18)

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Previous ranking: 11

BYU will take a 13-game winning streak into a massive showdown on Saturday at Texas Tech, where the Cougars will look for a true statement win to solidify their position in the top 10. They’ve beaten several Top 25 teams up to this point — including Villanova, Clemson and fringe team Miami — but a win in Lubbock would immediately go to the top of the résumé. Will Tech have an answer for AJ Dybantsa? His 25-point performance against TCU marked his 10th straight 20-point game, although his record-setting nine-game streak of 20 points and 50% field goal shooting came to an end.

Next seven days: at Texas Tech (Jan. 17)

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Previous ranking: 12

After hitting double-figures six times in his first 12 games of the season, Jeremy Fears Jr. has now scored at least 14 points in five straight games — including Tuesday’s career-high 23 points against Indiana. His assist numbers haven’t dropped off, either. He had 10 in the win over the Hoosiers and was responsible for 18 of the Spartans’ 27 field goals via points or assists. Over the five-game stretch, Fears is averaging 17.6 points and 8.0 assists while turning the ball over just 12 times total.

Next seven days: at Washington (Jan. 17), at Oregon (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 8

Vanderbilt fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Wednesday, getting blown out by Texas. So what happened? The counting numbers from Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles weren’t much different than their season averages, but they weren’t nearly as efficient in reaching those numbers. They also didn’t get much help from the supporting cast. The Commodores entered the night averaging 93.0 points per game, and Texas held them to 64. It was also their worst defensive performance since Nov. 8 from an efficiency standpoint, giving up 1.21 points per possession. After allowing just three of its first 13 opponents to hit the one-point-per-possession threshold, Vandy’s past four opponents have all reached that mark.

Next seven days: vs. Florida (Jan. 17), at Arkansas (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 15

Keaton Wagler checked in at No. 18 in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft — a remarkable rise for an unranked four-star recruit coming out of high school. But with the way the freshman is playing lately, it’s hard to see him not moving comfortably into the lottery once the process is over. After scoring 22 points against Northwestern on Wednesday, Wagler is now averaging 19.3 points and 4.7 assists and shooting 44.4% from 3-point range in Big Ten play.

Next seven days: vs. Minnesota (Jan. 17), vs. Maryland (Jan. 21)

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Previous ranking: 13

Arkansas had a mixed week, losing by 22 at Auburn on Saturday then destroying South Carolina by 34 on Wednesday. On the positive side, the offensive performance (1.48 points per possession) against the Gamecocks was the Razorbacks’ best outing since a November win over Jackson State. Freshman guards Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas combined for 39 points and 15 assists — and no turnovers. On a less positive note, Arkansas has now allowed at least one point per possession in eight straight games and is just seventh in the SEC in defensive efficiency.

Next seven days: at Georgia (Jan. 17), vs. Vanderbilt (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 18

While Grant McCasland’s team has developed better balance in recent weeks, Wednesday’s win over Utah showed why Christian Anderson and JT Toppin form arguably the best inside-outside tandem in college basketball. Anderson went for 26 points and 10 assists, while Toppin put up 31 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists. And we’re about to get a better handle on where Tech sits in the Big 12 pecking order: The Red Raiders host BYU on Saturday before heading to Baylor on Tuesday then returning home to host Houston next weekend.

Next seven days: vs. BYU (Jan. 17), at Baylor (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 17

Days after Kansas fell out of the AP Top 25 (but not these rankings) for the first time all season, the Jayhawks turned around and pummeled Iowa State by 21 points — their third-largest win over a top-five opponent in program history, per ESPN Research. They had one of their best shooting performances of the season, going 12-for-24 from 3. And while Darryn Peterson‘s 16 points were key, the Jayhawks’ ancillary players had massive outings. Tre White had 19 points (including five 3s), 10 rebounds and three assists, while Jamari McDowell played his most minutes of the Big 12 season en route to eight points and six assists.

Next seven days: vs. Baylor (Jan. 16), at Colorado (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 21

Thijs De Ridder has been the first-year Virginia player getting most of the attention, but Johann Grunloh changed the game at both ends of the floor in Tuesday’s win over Louisville. The 7-foot Germany native tied his career high with 16 points while adding 7 rebounds and 4 blocks in what was arguably his best game in a Cavaliers uniform. And it came on a night when De Ridder was struggling, going 3-for-10 from the field with five turnovers. Grunloh is now up to 42.9% from 3 in ACC play, hitting three shots from deep Tuesday.

Next seven days: at SMU (Jan. 17)

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Previous ranking: Unranked

The Gators might be back. Since losing by two at Missouri on Jan. 3, the reigning national champions have run three straight SEC opponents off the floor. They beat Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma by an average of 18.7 points, scoring an average of 93.0 points in the process. Boogie Fland‘s emergence has been important; he has put up 19.0 points and 6.0 assists in their past two games. And Rueben Chinyelu has been dominant down low, averaging 18.0 points and 14.0 rebounds over his past two games.

Next seven days: at Vanderbilt (Jan. 17), vs. LSU (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: 16

Tuesday wasn’t shaping up to be an ideal night for Nate Oats’ program. The Crimson Tide were on a two-game losing streak coming off Saturday’s home defeat to Texas, and five rotation players were ruled out for the road trip to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs then jumped out to a 14-point lead with eight minutes left in the first half. But over the final 28 minutes, Alabama scored 82 points and outscored Mississippi State by 29. Labaron Philon Jr. was the catalyst with a career-high 32 points on just 14 shots.

Next seven days: at Oklahoma (Jan. 17)

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Previous ranking: 14

Through the first two months of the season, North Carolina was very solid on the defensive end of the floor. The Tar Heels allowed only four of their first 14 opponents to reach one point per possession, and they ranked 17th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. But the defense has been porous over the past three games, resulting in a 1-2 record with losses to SMU and Stanford. They allowed 97 points to the Mustangs and 95 to the Cardinal, surrendering 84 points in a close win over Wake Forest in between. In that three-game stretch, they allowed an average of 1.3 points per possession.

Next seven days: at California (Jan. 17), vs. Notre Dame (Jan. 21)

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Previous ranking: 19

After Saturday’s listless 24-point loss to Florida, Rick Barnes needed to see a response from his team — and he got one in the form of a double-overtime win over Texas A&M on Tuesday. While the play of Bishop Boswell and Felix Okpara was promising, the biggest reason for optimism moving forward comes from the more assertive Nate Ament. An elite prospect coming out of high school, Ament has been inconsistent on the offensive end after a strong start. But he finished with 23 points against the Aggies — including nine in the second half and 10 in the overtimes — to go with 12 rebounds. Tennessee was looking for him, and he was looking for his shot. That needs to continue.

Next seven days: vs. Kentucky (Jan. 17)

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Previous ranking: 22

MJ Collins leads the team in scoring and continues to put up 20-point nights with regularity, but junior guard Mason Falslev has arguably been the better of the two Aggies stars in Mountain West play. It can only be a good thing for Jerrod Calhoun. Falslev had 26 points in Wednesday’s win over Nevada and now has a KenPom offensive rating above 150.0 in league play (for context, only Purdue’s Oscar Cluff has a higher offensive rating than 150.0 over the full season). Falslev is shooting 62.8% from 2 and 47.1% from 3 and averaging 17.7 points in six MWC games.

Next seven days: at Grand Canyon (Jan. 17), vs. UNLV (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: Unranked

Clemson has quietly won eight in a row and is off to a 5-0 start in ACC play after losing back-to-back close games to Alabama and BYU in early December. The Tigers have a real chance to stake a claim in the ACC standings over the next week, with home games against Miami and NC State. Win both, and suddenly Brad Brownell’s team is likely favored in its next five games before heading to Duke on Valentine’s Day. The Tigers currently have the best defense in the ACC, holding teams to 0.94 points per possession in conference play.

Next seven days: vs. Miami (Jan. 17), vs. NC State (Jan. 20)

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Previous ranking: Unranked

Villanova bounced back from its home loss to Creighton with back-to-back road wins over Marquette and Providence, setting up a showdown against St. John’s on Saturday. The winner will very likely be in next week’s rankings; the loser will fall completely out of the Big East title race. Two veterans have been key in the Wildcats’ strong play of late. Grand Canyon transfer Duke Brennan has been one of the best offensive rebounders in the country and is shooting nearly 79% from the field in conference play. And the well-traveled Devin Askew — now at his fifth school — averaged 16.5 points off the bench in the two most recent wins.

Next seven days: vs. St. John’s (Jan. 17), vs. Georgetown (Jan. 21)

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Previous ranking: 20

Louisville is clinging on to its spot in the rankings, losing for the third time in four games to Virginia at home on Tuesday. The Cardinals are now just 3-4 without Mikel Brown Jr., and with no known return date, the outlook is worrisome for Pat Kelsey’s team. After Brown’s last game, a win over Memphis on Dec. 13, Louisville was 9-1 and ranked No. 9 at BartTorvik. In the past seven games, the Cardinals are down at No. 42 in Torvik’s rankings. They’ve fallen off a cliff on the offensive end, ranking fourth in adjusted efficiency with Brown and 55th without him. With him, Louisville turned it over on just 14.7% of its possessions and shot 37.5% from 3. Without him, the Cardinals are coughing it up on 17.8% of possessions and shooting 29.3% from 3.

Next seven days: at Pitt (Jan. 17)

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Dropped out: Georgia Bulldogs (No. 23), Saint Louis Billikens (No. 24), Iowa Hawkeyes (No. 25)