With Big Ten play set to resume, Michigan remains near the top of nearly every power ranking.
• In Andy Katz of NCAA.com’s power rankings, the Wolverines remain at No. 1.
“The Wolverines are 13-0 (2-0 Big Ten) and continue to look like one of the best defensive teams in the country, limiting their last two opponents to 50 and 52 points, respectively,” Katz writes.
• In Jeff Borzello of ESPN’s power rankings, Michigan remains at No. 2 behind No. 1 Duke.
“After Ignas Brazdeikis and Charles Matthews shouldered much of the offensive load during the first few weeks of the season, sophomore guard Jordan Poole has been a consistent third option of late,” Borzello writes. “He has hit double figures in eight straight games, including two 20-point efforts. His ability to stretch the defense from the perimeter is key for the Wolverines' offense.”
• In Sports Illustrated’s power rankings, Michigan checks in at No. 3 behind Duke and Tennessee.
• In Gary Parrish of CBS Sports.com’s Top 25 and 1, Michigan is fifth in his rankings.
“Michigan's perfect record features double-digit wins over North Carolina, Purdue and Villanova,” Parrish writes. “The Wolverines will resume Big Ten play Thursday with a home game against Penn State.”
• In Jerry Palm of CBS Sports.com’s bracketology, Michigan remains a No. 1 seed in the South Region and the third-highest seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• Michigan remained at No. 1 in Lukas Harkins of Busting Brackets’ power rankings.
“Happy New Years’, Michigan fans!,” Harkins writes. “The Wolverines played just one game during this past week and they proved why I put them at No. 1 last week with a 22-point rout over Binghampton. And while the level of competition in that matchup was obviously fairly weak, it was just another exhibition of Michigan’s dominance, which has been abundantly clear throughout this season. To put it simply, Michigan is still undefeated at 13-0 and they have won all but two games by double-digits.
“Head coach John Beilein clearly has his team playing at an extremely high level and they have exceeded all expectations so far this season. In addition to boasting one of the best defenses in the nation, this team also trots out an elite trio of scorers. Charles Matthews, Ignas Brazdeikis, and Jordan Poole are all double-digit per game scorers who can drop 20+ on any given night.”
• In Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune’s Big Ten power rankings, Michigan is the No. 1 team in the conference.
“The Wolverines haven’t been in danger of losing since their 62-60 escape at Northwestern on Dec. 4.” Ryan writes. “Dating to last season, Michigan has won 27 of its last 28 games, the one loss coming in the national championship game against Villanova in April. The Wolverines had double-digit wins against Air Force and Binghamton in the last few weeks but allowed other opponents, such as Western Michigan, to hang around a bit too long. They play Penn State on Thursday followed by a more challenging game against Indiana on Sunday.”
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