Sports
Biggest upcoming tests for the five undefeated men’s basketball teams
The ranks of the unbeaten shrunk from six to five this past weekend — with arguably the least likely loser suffering its first defeat of the campaign.
Michigan, which was beating teams by an average of more than 30 points entering last week, played with fire on the road at Penn State with a two-point win on Tuesday then gave up 54 second-half points to Wisconsin on Saturday en route to a 91-88 loss.
Now just five unbeatens remain: Arizona, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, Nebraska and Miami (Ohio).
Which will be the next to lose? Which will be the last remaining unbeaten? Which teams have staying power?
Let’s take a look at how each got here and the biggest upcoming tests.
Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a story that first published on Dec. 29, 2025.
Record: 16-0
Jan. 5 AP Top 25 ranking: 1
How they got here: Behind an exceptional debut from freshman Koa Peat (30 points), Arizona opened the season with a win over reigning champion Florida in Las Vegas and has racked up more quality wins since then. The Wildcats hold victories over UConn, Alabama, UCLA, Auburn and San Diego State, with only one of those coming on their home floor in Tucson. Their defeat of UConn in Storrs was one of the most impressive wins we’ll see from any team this season. And they cruised to blowout wins over Utah, Kansas State and TCU to start Big 12 play.
Why they’re unbeaten: Coach Tommy Lloyd has a tougher, more physical team than usual that could deliver the program its first Final Four since 2001. The roster is extremely well-balanced. Peat was sensational early, but his classmate Brayden Burries has been the offensive focal point of late. Jaden Bradley looks like one of the best point guards in the country as a senior, and the center duo of Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka has few peers. Arizona is incredibly dominant inside but shoots better than 37% from 3. The Wildcats are also ranked in the top five nationally in defensive efficiency.
Biggest upcoming test: Jan. 26 at BYU
Arizona’s Big 12 schedule is backloaded; the Wildcats won’t face Kansas, Texas Tech, Houston, Baylor or Iowa State until February. A Jan. 17 trip to UCF could be tricky, but Arizona should win that one, too. So we’ll circle the Wildcats’ trip to Provo for a date with potential No. 1 NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa and coach Kevin Young’s top-10 Cougars.
Record: 16-0
Jan. 5 AP Top 25 ranking: 3
How they got here: After losing scorers Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones from last season’s roster, there were questions about whether coach TJ Otzelberger could keep the momentum rolling for another campaign. But it was Iowa State’s trip to Las Vegas that opened eyes. The Cyclones beat St. John’s in their Players Era Festival opener, then blew out Creighton and Syracuse. And if there were any remaining doubts, those were answered with a stunning 81-58 win over then-No. 1 Purdue — in West Lafayette. They backed that up with a victory over rival Iowa less than a week later then opened Big 12 play with a trio of double-digit wins over West Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma State.
Why they’re unbeaten: As is typically the case with an Otzelberger-coached team, the key revolves around the defensive end. Iowa State is again one of the country’s elite defenses, forcing turnovers at a higher rate than all but two teams. Tamin Lipsey is known as a top-notch defender, but freshman Killyan Toure has provided another high-level on-ball defensive player. Joshua Jefferson has taken the next step in his development and become an All-American-caliber player, and Milan Momcilovic has been the best shooter in the country so far this season. As a team, Iowa State shoots nearly 41% from 3, ranking No. 3 nationally.
Biggest upcoming test: Jan. 13 at Kansas
Despite Kansas’ recent struggles, a trip to Allen Fieldhouse always poses problems for visiting teams — especially with Darryn Peterson back and seemingly healthy enough to play 30-plus minutes. Iowa State’s Big 12 schedule is also backloaded, with a six-game stretch in February and March including matchups against Kansas, Houston, BYU, Texas Tech and Arizona.
Record: 16-0
Jan. 5 AP Top 25 ranking: 11
How they got here: Vanderbilt’s win over Alabama last Wednesday was its biggest victory of the season, even if it has since lost some luster following the Tide’s home loss to Texas. But the Commodores have also dominated a slew of very solid opponents with a 12-point win over UCF, a 15-point win over VCU, a 25-point win over Saint Mary’s, a 19-point win over SMU, an overtime road win at Memphis and a 31-point blowout of Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. Vandy ranks in the top 10 across nearly every metric, both from a résumé and efficiency standpoint.
Why they’re unbeaten: Coach Mark Byington has an experienced, explosive unit. The Commodores are one of only six teams to rank in the top 12 in both offensive and defensive rating at KenPom, and both ends of the court are headlined by the backcourt of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles. Tanner is arguably the most underrated point guard in the country, while Miles has rediscovered his high-level scoring ability from two seasons ago at High Point. Both are also exceptionally disruptive defensively, ranking in the top 25 nationally in steals rate. Tyler Nickel has already made 8 3-pointers in a game twice this season. And Devin McGlockton is the ultimate glue guy.
Biggest upcoming test: Saturday vs. Florida
Vandy and Florida look like the best teams in the SEC, and this weekend will be the only time the two face off. The backcourt battle will be key, given the way Tanner and Miles have been playing. Boogie Fland had his best game as a Gator over the weekend, but he and Xaivian Lee haven’t quite found consistency. The key to this matchup is likely whether Vandy can match Florida’s size up front.
Record: 16-0
Jan. 5 AP Top 25 ranking: 10
How they got here: Nebraska actually holds the nation’s longest active winning streak, dating to last season’s four-game run to win the College Basketball Crown. The Cornhuskers had some early notable wins over Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas State on neutral courts but really began to make waves when they ran off a 21-point win over Creighton, a 30-point win over Wisconsin and a road win at Illinois in a one-week span. They then erased remaining doubts by beating Michigan State at home before going on the road to beat Ohio State and Indiana.
Why they’re unbeaten: The Cornhuskers take care of the ball, make 3s and are experienced — it’s a recipe that works. Even back in his days at the helm of Iowa State, Fred Hoiberg typically had one of the more prolific 3-point shooting teams in the country. That has been taken to a new level this season, with Nebraska attempting more than 50% of its shots from beyond the arc. Four players are making at least one 3 per game; three are shooting 38% or better from 3. The return of all-conference forward Rienk Mast, who sat out last season because of a knee injury, has been huge. And Pryce Sandfort is enjoying a breakout season after transferring from Iowa last spring.
Biggest upcoming test: Jan. 27 at Michigan
Nebraska was able to navigate a difficult three-game stretch to open 2026, which should provide some optimism it will be able to manage its next four games before the showdown in Ann Arbor. The Cornhuskers will have trouble with Michigan’s size, but their ability to generate open shots — particularly from the perimeter — should keep the contest close.
Record: 17-0
Jan. 5 AP Top 25 ranking: Unranked (30th in votes)
How they got here: It helps that the RedHawks have the No. 364 strength of schedule (out of 365 teams) in the country, according to average opponent NET rank. Of their first 13 wins, 12 came against teams ranked in the 200s or 300s at KenPom. But winning at Wright State by seven is a legitimately solid victory — then they came out in MAC play with notable win after notable win. They won at Bowling Green, beat preseason favorite Akron at home and nabbed another victory at perennial contender Toledo. It’s also worth noting that coach Travis Steele’s team has been handling most of its opponents with relative ease, ranking in the top 45 nationally in scoring margin.
Why they’re unbeaten: Even considering the caliber of opposition, Miami has been performing on the offensive end at an extremely high level. The RedHawks have scored at least 1.13 points per possession in all but one game this season and rank No. 6 in the country in offensive rating, according to CBB Analytics. They’re averaging nearly 93 points, rank first nationally in field goal percentage and are top five in 3-point percentage. Steele has them humming at that end of the court — nine different players have already scored at least 15 points in a game this season, with six making double-digit 3s total this season.
Biggest upcoming test: Jan. 20 at Kent State
Arguably the two toughest tests of Miami’s MAC season are out of the way — at Bowling Green and vs. Akron — and the RedHawks are projected to be favored in every game the rest of the season. But road trips in league play are always challenging, and the conference is filled with potential losses. One of those is Kent State, which has lost only one home game this season. The Golden Flashes have a veteran coach in Rob Senderoff, they’re experienced and they play fast.
KARACHI: Islamabad United on Friday handed Hyderabad Kingsmen a humiliating eight-wicket defeat in the 36th match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the National Bank Stadium.
The victory, which marked United’s fifth in the ongoing eight-team tournament, propelled the three-time champions into the playoffs, joining leaders Peshawar Zalmi and 2021 champions Multan Sultans.
Set to chase a modest 81-run target, the United comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of just two wickets and 80 balls to spare.
The 2024 champions, however, had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they lost left-handed opener Devon Conway (zero) on the second delivery of the innings.
But Sameer Minhas and Mohsin Riaz batted sensibly to put United within touching distance as they put together 79 runs for the second wicket until Ali struck again, dismissing Riaz, who top-scored with 42 off just 18 deliveries, studded with six fours and two sixes.
Minhas, on the other hand, remained unbeaten with 27 off 20 deliveries, featuring three fours and a six, while skipper Shadab hit the winning runs in the same over with a boundary on the first delivery he faced.
For the Kingsmen, Mohammad Ali remained the solitary wicket-taker in the gruelling defeat with two scalps.
United captain Shadab Khan’s decision to field first paid dividends as his team’s bowling unit booked the new entrants for 80 in 15.5 overs.
Kingsmen got off to the worst possible start to their innings as Gleeson dismissed Maaz Sadaqat (zero) on the first delivery of the innings.
The right-arm pacer swept through their top order by getting rid of Marnus Labuschagne (five) and Saim Ayub (12) in his next two overs and brought the total down to 24/3.
Following Gleeson’s early blitz was backed by the experienced spin duo of captain Shadab and Imad Wasim as they dismantled Kingsmen’s middle and lower orders by taking three wickets each despite last match centurion Usman Khan’s grit.
The wicketkeeper batter waged a lone battle for the Kingsmen with an unbeaten 25 off 35 deliveries, during which he struck only one boundary.
Besides Usman and Saim, only Kusal Perera and Asif Mehmood, 12 each, could amass double figures against a ruthless United bowling attack.
For United, Gleeson, Imad and Shadab bagged three wickets each, while left-arm pacer Salman Mirza chipped in with one scalp.
Playing XIs
Hyderabad Kingsmen: Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (c), Saim Ayub, Kusal Perera, Usman Khan (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali and Asif Mehmood.
Islamabad United: Devon Conway (wk), Sameer Minhas, Mark Chapman, Mohsin Riaz, Shadab Khan (c), Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson and Salman Mirza.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the 2026 Fifa World Cup but he added the players will not be allowed to bring with them people with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“Nothing from the US has told them they can’t come,” Rubio told reporters.
President Donald Trump also said his administration “would not want to affect the athletes” in comments he made at the White House.
The 2026 soccer World Cup is set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy who has no official connection with the World Cup, had earlier suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament.
“The problem with Iran would be not their athletes. It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC. We may not be able to let them in but not the athletes themselves,” Rubio said.
“They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” Rubio added. Washington has designated the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organisation.”
Currently there is no suggestion Iran will withdraw or be banned from the tournament that Italy missed out on.
After the start of the Iran war, Iran requested that Fifa move the team’s three group matches from the US to Mexico, which was rejected.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states with US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions. A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war began over two weeks ago.
VILLARREAL:
Villarreal moved closer to securing third place in La Liga with a 1-1 draw at Real Oviedo on Thursday, while another defeat left Sevilla teetering on the brink of the relegation zone.
Nicolas Pepe’s first-half penalty looked to have been enough to send Villarreal seven points clear of Atletico Madrid, but Ilyas Chaira’s strike midway through the second period ensured the spoils were shared.
Despite the result, Villarreal moved to 62 points and boast a five-point cushion over fourth-placed Atletico, who are on a four-match losing streak in the league.
Real Oviedo, who were looking to make it three wins from three, remain bottom of La Liga, six points away from safety.
Former Arsenal winger Pepe won and converted a penalty on 13 minutes to put the visitors in front.
But Oviedo levelled in the 69th minute as Ilyas’ heavily-deflected effort left goalkeeper Arnau Tenas with no chance.
Ayoze Perez came within inches of winning it for Villarreal inside the final 10 minutes but his effort came off the bar and bounced to safety from the goal-line.
Earlier, seven-time Europa League and UEFA Cup winners Sevilla sank further into the relegation battle as they went down 2-0 at Levante.
Ivan Romero netted in the 38th minute to put the 19th-placed hosts in front, before adding a second late on to secure all three points for Levante.
Sevilla languish in 17th place, one point above Alaves in the final relegation spot.
Victory for Levante gave them hope of escaping the drop zone as they climbed to 32 points — two behind the Andalusians and safety.
Rayo Vallecano put some distance between themselves and the relegation dogfight courtesy of a 1-0 win at home to Espanyol.
Sergio Camello’s 87th-minute winner took Rayo to 38 points and 11th place, one spot ahead of the Catalans on goal difference.
On Friday, Real Madrid will look to close the gap, provisionally, to Liga leaders Barcelona when they visit Real Betis.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s charges sit nine points behind their arch-rivals and know a victory early in the weekend’s round of matches will amp up the pressure on Barcelona 24 hours after the news that star Blaugrana attacker Lamine Yamal will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
AI-Designed Drugs by a DeepMind Spinoff Are Headed to Human Trials
US justice department drops probe into Fed chairman Jerome Powell
Offset teases new album plans after recent shooting accident
-
Fashion1 week agoFrance’s LVMH Q1 revenue falls 6%, shows resilience amid Iran war
-
Tech1 week agoCYBERUK ’26: UK lagging on legal protections for cyber pros | Computer Weekly
-
Sports5 days agoWWE WrestleMania 42 Night 2: Live match results and analysis
-
Sports5 days agoNCAA men’s gymnastics championship: All-time winners list
-
Business1 week agoPepsiCo earnings beat estimates as North American food business improves
-
Sports1 week agoFaheem Ashraf backs Islamabad United’s push, calls league a ‘career-changing platform’
-
Tech1 week agoAnthropic Plots Major London Expansion
-
Business1 week agoOil prices fall again amid Middle East ceasefire hopes