New AP Poll in college basketball has lots of shakeup

Postseason college basketball is right around the corner as March rapidly approaches.

Conference races are tightening, bubble teams are fighting for their tournament lives, and the intensity of rivalry games feels a little different.

In these next few weeks, the stakes rise with every tipoff. Wins are invaluable, but the losses carry a much heavier weight.

Momentum at this point in the season is everything. Powerhouse programs are competing for a national championship after spending the regular season building their resumes, but one bad stretch could shift the narrative.

This week featured significant movement within the AP Poll’s Top 25, as shocking upsets and bubble trouble reshape the national picture. With postseason implications growing by the day, let’s take a closer look at the latest shifts across the college basketball landscape.

Fallers & Risers

The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats have been dethroned from the top spot after a nine-week reign, following back-to-back losses.

Losing to then-No. 9 Kansas and No. 16 Texas Tech, the Wildcats have dropped to No. 4 in the latest AP poll. The Jayhawks climbed up one spot in the poll, while the Red Raiders surged three spots.

Arizona’s loss to Kansas snapped a historic 23-game winning streak. The setback to Texas Tech proved just as significant, marking it the third time in program history the Red Raiders have defeated a No. 1 team.

Losing back-to-back games this late into the season is far from ideal and now shifts momentum away from Arizona. Instead, it energizes programs such as Kansas and Texas Tech after completing season-altering upsets.

Arizona faces a challenging schedule in the final stretch of Big 12 play and will look to regain the momentum it built earlier in the season.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Wisconsin Badgers are a team that has risen to the occasion, climbing onto the AP Poll at No. 24.

The Badgers picked up a pair of huge Quad 1 wins this week against Top-10 opponents after taking down then-No. 10 Michigan State Spartans, and No. 8 Illinois Fightin’ Illini.

They have now entered themselves into the national conversation as a contender coming out of a strong Big Ten conference.

Wisconsin is now the first team this season to upset three top-ten opponents, having beaten Michigan earlier this year, and will use this momentum to carry them into the tournament.

In the poll, Michigan State dropped five spots this week, marking one of the largest declines of the poll, while Illinois dropped two positions after losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Another program that dropped five spots in the rankings is the North Carolina Tar Heels, plummeting from No. 11 to No. 16.

After pulling off a statement upset over in-state ACC rival No. 3 Duke, the Tar Heels followed up with a loss to Miami, pushing the Hurricanes further into the bubble conversation.

North Carolina will face a handful of ranked ACC opponents in their final stretch of the regular season, including a highly anticipated rematch with the Blue Devils.

Like many teams navigating a tough stretch, the Tar Heels will look to rebuild their momentum after this latest shakeup. At this point in the year, unpredictability defines the college basketball landscape.

Every day proves that the narrative can change, and each week, the new AP Poll is one to hold your breath for.

With March fast approaching, the focus shifts to which programs will retain their dominance and which teams can surge at the right time to slip into the madness.

Gina Scarpa is a second-year student studying broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gfs5427@psu.edu.