Men's college basketball Power Rankings: A 1-2 showdown on tap this weekend - ESPN

No. 1 vs. No. 2.

Michigan vs. Duke on Saturday has been circled on calendars of men's college hoops diehards since it was announced in June. With both teams ranked in the preseason top 10, it was always going to be one of the most anticipated nonconference games of the season — especially because it was scheduled in February, offering a marquee respite from the meat and potatoes of conference games.

But thanks to Arizona and UConn losing two games apiece over the past couple of weeks, this game is now more than just two potential Final Four contenders stepping out of league play to face off on a neutral court.

It's No. 1 vs. No. 2, according to our Power Rankings — and nearly every single metric.

Michigan is No. 1 in six of seven NCAA team sheet metrics, ranking No. 2 in the BPI.

Duke is No. 2 in five of the seven NCAA team sheet metrics, ranking No. 1 in the BPI.

Michigan has just one loss, a three-point defeat at home to Wisconsin. Duke has just two losses, with both coming in the final seconds against Texas Tech and North Carolina.

The winner will likely be No. 1 next week — and more importantly, could be the overall No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.

Previous ranking: 1

Michigan left zero doubt about which team was the best in men's college basketball, going into Mackey Arena and cruising past Purdue in a game that wasn't as close as the 11-point final margin indicated. The biggest positive for the Wolverines was that this win wasn't due to their elite frontcourt and overwhelming size; instead, the backcourt shined for coach Dusty May on Tuesday. Elliot Cadeau outplayed Braden Smith at the point guard spot, finishing with 17 points and seven assists, while guards L.J. Cason and Trey McKenney came off the bench to score