The calendar has officially flipped to 2026 and that means we’re getting into one of the most exciting parts of the college basketball schedule, conference play. For some, it has already begun but for others, it starts after New Year’s Day.
There is a lot to look back on over the first couple of months of the season and a talking point almost every year as we get into this point in the season is who the undefeated teams in college basketball are. This season, there are six teams yet to suffer their first loss heading into the new year. In total, we have two teams each from the Big 12 and Big Ten, and one each from the SEC and MAC. We’re just two months away from March Madness as the landscape of college basketball is about to get even more exciting.Â
Undefeated Teams in College Basketball
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No. 1 Arizona (13-0; 0-0)
Arizona opened the season with an impressive 93-87 win over the reigning National Champions Florida Gators, who were ranked No. 3 at the time. That win alone got more eyes on Arizona as a contender. They went on to defeat ranked teams in UCLA and UConn in back-to-back games. Arizona had a great showing to open up the first month of college basketball but they also started the month of December with back-to-back wins over ranked teams in Auburn and Alabama.
The Wildcats currently have five players averaging 10+ points, led by Koa Peat‘s 14.2 points per game and Brayden Burries‘ 14 points per game. Their efficient shooting helps as they are top 15 in field-goal percentage and average just over 90 points a game as a team. Arizona is also one of the best rebounding teams in the country as they’re a top 10 unit. A lot of the heavy lifting is done by Tobe Awaka, who is averaging 10.2 rebounds a game.
Conference play in the Big 12 for Arizona begins on January 3rd against Utah. As of now, the first ranked opponent they’ll face in conference is a big-time matchup against No. 10 BYU. According to FanDuel, the Wildcats currently sit with the second-best odds to win the National Championship at +900.
Next 5 opponents: at Utah, vs Kansas State, at TCU, vs Arizona State, at UCF
No. 2 Michigan (12-0; 2-0)
Although Michigan sits at No. 2 in the rankings, they may be the best team in college basketball at the moment. They’ve had some of the most impressive wins just by their margin of victory. Their most impressive stretch of the season came at the end of November when they beat San Diego State, Auburn and Gonzaga in three consecutive days. In those three wins in three days, they won by the scores of 94-54, 102-72 and 101-61. What’s even more impressive is that Auburn was ranked No. 21 at the time and Gonzaga was ranked 12th. Michigan went on to dominate in their next four games as well, blowing out Rutgers, Villanova, Maryland and La Salle.
Michigan is already 2-0 in conference play thanks to facing Rutgers and Maryland but their official Big Ten conference slate begins on January 2nd against 24th-ranked USC. The Wolverines are top five in the nation in points scored, field-goal percentage and rebounds while being second in assists and first in point differential at +30.2. They are now the favorite to cut down the net at the end of March Madness.
Next 5 opponents: vs USC, at Penn State, vs Wisconsin, at Washington, at Oregon
No. 3 Iowa State (13-0; 0-0)
Sitting at No. 3 in the nation is Iowa State, which has one of the best forward duos in the league with Milan Momcilovic (17.9 ppg) and Joshua Jefferson (18.1 ppg). The Cyclones have one of the best wins in the country so far this season, as they not only beat the then No. 1-ranked Purdue team but they dominated them in West Lafayette 81-58. In that game Iowa State drained 11 three pointers, something they are very familiar in doing.
They are a top-five team in college basketball when it comes to three-point percentage, hitting over 40% from deep. Along with that, they also have the fifth-best field goal percentage in the country. This leads to the Cyclones being only one of 21 teams averaging over 90+ points per game. Iowa State is a dangerous team that can also pass the rock and steal the ball. They lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, but look like they can go way further in this season’s tournament.
Next 5 opponents: vs West Virginia, at Baylor, vs Oklahoma State, at Kansas, at Cincinnati
No. 11 Vanderbilt (13-0; 0-0)
Last season, Vanderbilt vastly improved from their 4-14 conference record and 9-23 overall record in 2023-2024 by going 20-13 and having an 8-10 conference record. They peaked at No. 24 in the AP Poll at one point and did it in a stacked SEC. That landed them as the 10th seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Commodores are on pace to be an even higher seed if they continue to play like they have been so far this season. They’re undefeated and are ranked No. 11, which is the highest they’ve been ranked since the 2011-12 season when they sat at No. 7.
They have some decent wins, including blowing out St. Mary’s on the road. Conference play is where we get to see if this Vanderbilt team is real as they have a good test of games to open up SEC play. By their numbers, this is a good team and they are top 10 in points per game and assists while being top 20 in field-goal percentage.
They also know how to be disruptive on the defensive side of the court, ranking 21st in blocks and 10th in steals. Vanderbilt also has Duke Miles leading the way, who’s averaging 17.1 points per game. Accommodating him is fellow guard Tyler Tanner, who’s averaging 16 points per game. Mark Byington has done a tremendous job since taking over as head coach last season and it’s carrying into this season.
Next 5 opponents: at South Carolina, vs Alabama, vs LSU, at Texas, vs Florida
No. 13 Nebraska (13-0; 2-0)
Nebraska is not known to be a basketball school. In fact, the Cornhuskers have made the NCAA Tournament just twice in the past 12 years and three times in the past 28 years. They’ve only been ranked in two of those years. Well, this season they’re on pace to have one of if not their best season in program history. Nebraska is undefeated heading into 2026 at 13-0 and already has two wins over Big Ten opponents, Wisconsin and Illinois. Their official Big Ten slate begins on Jan. 2nd when they face a top 10 Michigan State team.Â
The team numbers don’t pop off the screen but they do enough to get the job done. The two things they do well are pass the ball and score inside the arc. The Cornhuskers are 17th in the country from mid-range and 21st in assists. They don’t have good total rebounding numbers but they can grab defensive rebounds, ranking in the top 30. Nebraska only has three players averaging double digits but the duo of Pryce Sandfort and Rienk Mast gives Nebraska hope, as both are averaging 16.5 points per game.Â
Next 5 opponents: vs Michigan State, at Ohio State, at Indiana, vs Oregon, at Northwestern
Miami-Ohio (14-0; 2-0)
It’s 2026 and Miami of Ohio is one of the six remaining undefeated teams in the nation. They haven’t faced anyone of note and their biggest win might have been their last game against fellow MAC opponent Bowling Green when they won by 10. Softer schedule or not, Miami-Ohio has impressive numbers to put themselves into good company heading into the new year.
The RedHawks are 7th in points scored and are the best shooting team in the country, ranking first in both field-goal percentage and three-point percentage. It doesn’t matter who you are facing, if you can shoot, you can shoot. Two of the RedHawks’ first five conference games are against the second and third-best teams in the MAC, making it interesting to see if they can extend their undefeated streak. No matter what conference you’re in, rival opponents are always a tough schedule. What Miami-Ohio is doing is very impressive and if they can go the rest of the way with minimal error and win the conference championship, they’ll make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.
Next 5 opponents: vs Akron, vs Western Michigan, at Toledo, vs Central Michigan, vs Buffalo
Main Image: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
