On Dec. 14, Michigan had lost three of its last six games. It was 6-4. Star center Mitch McGary was out for the season, after undergoing back surgery.
The Wolverines haven’t lost since, a stunning turnaround for a team that was already without its two best players from last year — Tim Hardaway Jr. (Knicks) and Trey Burke (Jazz), underclassmen who made the jump to the NBA.
How has this happened? A number of players have emerged, none more so than sophomore guard Nik Stauskas, who may be playing his way into becoming a lottery pick. The 6-foot-6 wing is showing he’s more than just a dead-eye shooter, averaging 18.5 points per game and 3.8 assists, dwarfing his production of a year ago.
 1. Arizona (1): There were poor starts to each half, a forgettable shooting night from fantastic freshman Aaron Gordon and yet, another comfortable victory over a formidable opponent. Such is life for undefeated Arizona, which improved to 20-0 by beating 14-6 Utah on Sunday night.
2. Syracuse (2): The Orange aren’t blowing out their new ACC conference foes — they’ve won their six league games by an average of just over 10 points — but Syracuse is making the big plays down the stretch. Jim Boeheim’s powerhouse could make history this week: Two more wins, at Wake Forest and home for Duke, would surpass the 2011-12 team in the best start in program history, at 21-0.
3. Florida (4): The Gators continue to look like a Final Four contender, after holding off Alabama and routing Tennessee to up their win streak to 11 games. There aren’t any superstars on this team, just a number of effective, efficient and experienced players capable of making a difference any given day.
4. San Diego State (7): The Aztecs don’t have a lot of name recognition, but that could be changing soon. Senior point guard Xavier Thames is building quite a resume as a clutch performer. He took another step in that direction Saturday night, scoring 10 of his 31 points in overtime as San Diego State ran its win streak to 17 with a win at Utah State.
5. Kansas (8):Â A 10th straight Big 12 title seems inevitable, after Kansas sliced through the heart of its conference schedule like a knife through butter, beating the likes of Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Baylor and Oklahoma State to build a healthy one-and-a-half game lead in arguably the best league in the country.
6. Wichita State (5):Â At this point, after two more easy victories, it seems the only thing standing between the Shockers and a perfect regular season is a visit to second-place Indiana State on Feb. 5. Wichita State is absolutely cruising right now, winning its past four Missouri Valley Conference games by at least 15 points apiece.
7. Michigan (15): Even the most ardent Wolverines supporters probably wouldn’t have predicted victories in the last three games. At Wisconsin, home for Iowa, at Michigan State. Win, win, win. And Michigan, despite all the key losses to the NBA, the back surgery to McGary, is all alone atop the Big Ten, winners of nine straight entering a rare soft patch in its conference schedule.
8. Michigan State (6):Â The absence of Adreian Payne (sprained right foot) and Brandon Dawson (broken right hand) figured prominently into the Spartans’ first Big Ten loss, at home against Michigan. Neither forward, both extremely important, is expected back immediately, which is a big problem for Michigan State in this rugged conference.
9. Cincinnati (10): The Bearcats can put a stamp on their season Thursday night at Louisville, separate themselves from the pack in the AAC and make a statement they belong with the nation’s true elite. Cincinnati has won 12 straight, but No. 13 won’t be easy against Rick Pitino’s suddenly hot Cardinals.
10. Villanova (7): Coming off a stunning rout at the hands of Creighton, Jay Wright’s Wildcats responded in resounding fashion Saturday, pulling out a gritty victory in overtime at Marquette to snap the Golden Eagles’ 20-game home conference winning streak. Despite blowing a six-point lead with 49 seconds remaining and having Tony Chennault’s layup waived off with a second left because of a questionable offensive foul, Villanova pulled through in the extra session, refusing to lose its second straight for the first time this season.
11. Iowa (9): Last week’s road defeat at Michigan goes down as a quality loss now. The Hawkeyes bounced back from the setback, hammering Northwestern behind a typically balanced and efficient attack.
12. Kentucky (13): We’re not sure what to think of John Calipari’s Wildcats. Their only quality win was a home victory over Louisville, yet this group of freshmen is trending upwards, with eight wins in 10 games. The true test will come in a pair of contests against Florida, Feb. 15 and March 8, two games that will almost certainly decide the SEC champion.
13. Louisville (14): Russ Smith’s senior season has been typical of the electric yet inconsistent guard from Brooklyn. He’s shooting a higher percentage and he’s averaging more assists than he did last season, though committing more turnovers, getting to the free-throw line less and averaging 0.6 points fewer. And, it shouldn’t surprise anyone, Louisville’s season has been up and down, mirroring Smith’s.
14. Creighton (23): The Bluejays’ 3-point shooting can bring even the best opponents to their knees, the latest example against Villanova last Monday, an avalanche of silky jumpers turning the highly anticipated showdown into a bludgeoning. But what sets up that shooting is passing and unselfishness. They are first in the country in assists, averaging 18.6 per game.
15. Oklahoma State (12): It may have been a Kansas hangover or just an underwhelming performance, but the Cowboys were nearly upset by West Virginia in Stillwater. Oklahoma State may have suffered the upset if not for the play of junior forward Le’Bryan Nash, who made up subpar efforts by Marcus Smart and Markel Brown, scoring 29 points on just 13 shots.
16. Massachusetts (16)
17. Pittsburgh (17)
18. Wisconsin (11)
19. Duke (19)
20. Saint Louis (24)
21. Memphis (22)
22. Iowa State (24)
23. Minnesota (NR)
24. Providence (NR)
25. Texas (NR)
Dropped out: Ohio State, Kansas State, Baylor
Stock Watch — Up
Ed Cooley
He’s had the services of Kris Dunn, one of his best players, for just four games and highly rated freshman Brandon Austin (who transferred to Oregon) never played a minute for Providence after he was suspended prior to the season opener. Yet, the third-year coach has Providence in position to reach an NCAA Tournament and even could win a Big East crown. The Friars have won five in a row, beaten Creighton, Xavier and Georgetown, and have a soft spot in the schedule with games against Providence, St. John’s and DePaul. He’s gotten the most out of this shorthanded Friars roster.
VCU
The Rams have put an underwhelming performance during the non-conference portion of the schedule behind them. Impressive road wins over Dayton and LaSalle have Shaka Smart and VCU in the thick of the Atlantic 10 race, tied for second with UMass and George Washington, just a game behind Saint Louis and looking very much like an NCAA Tournament team for the fourth straight season.
Stock Watch — Down
Baylor
Twelve days ago, Baylor was a Big 12 contender, considered an NCAA Tournament lock. That was before four straight losses dropped the Bears near the conference basement, ahead of only 0-7 TCU. There are plenty of chances for big wins, games on the horizon against Oklahoma, Kansas and Oklahoma State. But the way Baylor has performed of late, those contests could further send Scott Drew’s team further into the abyss.
Marquette
Georgetown and St. John’s have been pounded for underachieving, but Marquette — the team picked to finish first in the Big East — somehow has escaped ridicule. The mediocre Golden Eagles are 11-9, as close to the league’s basement as its penthouse, alternating wins and losses in its last 10 games. Buzz Williams’ run of three straight Sweet 16 berths is almost certainly going to end this year.