Tennessee tightened its grip on the top spot in the AP Top 25 on Monday after two lopsided victories, including one over SEC rival Arkansas, that left the Volunteers as the only undefeated team in basketball. Division I men’s college ball.
The Vols collected four more first-place votes and received 45 of 60 votes from the national panel to remain at the top of the poll for the fifth straight week. Auburn earned the other 15 first-place nominations and remained in second place, while Iowa State, Duke and Alabama rounded out a top five that remained unchanged after the first week of conference play for many leagues across the country.
Tennessee improved to 14-0 after beating Norfolk State and a 76-52 rout of then-No. 23 Razorbacks, tying the third-longest winning streak in school history. And when Florida lost a shootout to Kentucky and Oklahoma was destroyed by the Crimson Tide, it left the Volunteers as the only flawless team in major men’s college hoops.
“They’re the No. 1 team in the country for a reason,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said, “and my disappointment wasn’t coming to Tennessee and losing a game. It’s that ‘They kind of mishandled us.
The Vols have done that a lot this season. Only once did they fail to beat someone by double digits.
“It all comes down to the players, you know? Good families,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “They come knowing what we expect, but they also expect it of themselves. Just remind them of this daily.
The Wildcats moved up four spots from their win over Florida to No. 6. They were followed by Marquette, the Gators, UConn and Texas A&M, who routed Texas for the Aggies’ eighth straight victory.
Kansas fell four spots to 11th after losing to West Virginia and blowing out UCF. The Jayhawks were followed by Houston and Illinois – the biggest gainer this week, moving up nine spots – as well as Mississippi State and Oregon.
Michigan State was No. 16 and Oklahoma fell five spots after its 107-79 loss to the Crimson Tide. Gonzaga, Memphis and Purdue rounded out the top 20 after the Boilermakers beat Minnesota and Northwestern last week.
The Mountaineers, who followed their win over Kansas by beating Oklahoma State, were No. 21 for their first ranking since Dec. 26, 2022. They were followed by UCLA, Mississippi, Michigan and Utah State, the Wolverines returning after a two-week absence and the Aggies making their season debut at No. 25.
“You’re 14-1 and you’re angry. It’s childish behavior, but you can’t be satisfied,” Utah State coach Jarrod Calhoun said after his team beat Fresno State 89-83 on Saturday. “That’s kind of how I live my life, in survival mode.”
Go up and down
Illinois moved up nine spots to No. 13 after a 109-77 loss to then-No. 9 Oregon and its victory in Washington on Sunday.
Cincinnati fell completely from 16th place after losing to Kansas State and Arizona. The Ducks fell six spots and UCLA fell seven spots to 22nd after the Bruins lost at Nebraska in their only game of the week.
Inside and outside
West Virginia’s appearance at No. 21 is just the second in the AP Top 25 since the last edition of the 2020-21 season. Michigan is ranked for the third time this season while Utah State is ranked for the first time with Calhoun on the sidelines. These three entered at the expense of the Bearcats, Razorbacks and Baylor.
On the radars
Pittsburgh was the first team outside the Top 25 after opening ACC play with wins over California and Stanford. Nebraska was on 21 ballots in the middle of its six-game winning streak. St. Bonaventure appeared on five ballots after beating Fordham for its eighth straight victory; the Bonnies, whose only loss was to Utah State, have spent just three weeks in the poll since the 1970-71 season.
Eve of the conference
The SEC again led all leagues with nine ranked teams, including three in the top five and six in the top 10. The Big Ten was next with six teams in the poll, while the Big 12 had four and the Big East had two – both. in the top 10. The ACC, West Coast, American Athletic and Mountain West each have one team in the poll.
washingtontimes