Arizona finished third in the final Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Polls for 2025-26. The rankings were released on Tuesday after Michigan defeated Connecticut 69-63 in the NCAA Tournament Championship Game on Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Arizona dropped from second in the final AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches poll at the end of the regular season. Michigan finished first and Connecticut second as a result of playing in the National Championship Game. Arizona finished the 2025-26 season with a program record 36 wins and three losses.
Michigan received all 57 first-place votes in the AP Top 25 poll and 31 in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Wolverines accumulated 1,425 points in the AP Top 25 and 713 in the Coaches poll. Connecticut received 1,352 points in the AP Top 25 and 737 points in the USA Today Coaches poll.
After beginning the season 13th in the preseason polls, Arizona spent nine weeks ranked first nationally in the polls. Arizona received 1,311 points in the AP Top 25 and 713 in the USA Today Coaches poll.
FINAL: College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/uGKhIiA5ol pic.twitter.com/lck5fmIvGc
— On3 (@On3) April 7, 2026
Where Arizona's finish ranks in school history
The Associated Press did not begin conducting polls after the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament until 2024. Arizona moved up six spots to 15th in the Final 2025 poll and finished 11th in the 2024 Poll. Arizona lost in the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals to Clemson in 2024 and Duke in 2025.
Arizona had nine wins and three losses against teams that finished ranked in the polls. Michigan, Kansas and Texas Tech defeated Arizona in 2025-26. Kansas finished 20th in both polls and Texas Tech was 21st. Sixth-ranked Houston was the highest-ranked team in the final poll Arizona defeated in 2025-26.
Arizona far exceeded preseason expectations. Big XII coaches picked Arizona to finish fourth in the preseason. Arizona had four wins and one loss against Houston, Kansas and Texas Tech, who were picked ahead of the Wildcats in the Big XII preseason rankings.