AP Top 25 reveals Auburn as the unanimous No. 1 team following a week filled with unexpected outcomes and thrilling court stormings.
Auburn continues to be a steady force.
Claiming its second No. 1 ranking, Auburn triumphed in both matches last week, even in the absence of injured center Johni Broome. The Tigers dominated No. 14 Mississippi State with a score of 88-66 and narrowly edged out then-No. 19 Georgia, winning 70-68.
Duke, now at No. 2, climbed one spot after securing victories in both of its games. Meanwhile, Iowa State slipped to No. 3 after a resounding win against No. 12 Kansas but suffered a setback against No. 23 West Virginia. Alabama and Florida filled the remaining spots in the top five, despite each experiencing a loss last week.
Only three teams—Alabama, Florida, and No. 6 Tennessee—maintained their positions from the previous week. The tumultuous week allowed No. 8 Michigan State to break into the top 10 for the first time this season, while No. 22 Missouri made its return to the rankings for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
Under the guidance of first-year coach Pat Kelsey, Louisville has undergone a remarkable transformation.
Rising Red Storm
No. 20 St. John’s has re-entered the rankings, achieving its highest position since reaching No. 15 on December 29, 2014, under former coach Steve Lavin. In their second season under Rick Pitino, the Red Storm have ascended to first place in the Big East following their victory over Seton Hall and Marquette’s loss to Xavier. They last shared the Big East regular-season title in 1992.
With a record of 16-3, St. John’s is enjoying its best start through 19 games since the 1985-86 season, when they began with a 17-2 record. Additionally, the Johnnies are 7-1 in Big East play, marking their best start since going 8-1 in 1998-99.
Rising and falling
No. 11 Purdue and No. 18 Wisconsin made significant strides, each rising six spots in the rankings. No. 16 Ole Miss also improved by five positions after splitting games against No. 4 Alabama and No. 14 Mississippi State.
No. 24 Memphis experienced the largest drop, falling six spots after a loss to Temple and a win against Charlotte. Two-time NCAA champion UConn slipped five places to No. 19 after suffering a 68-63 defeat to Creighton, ending its impressive 28-game home winning streak.
Welcome back
No. 22 Missouri has made its debut in the rankings this year after breaking Florida’s 16-game home winning streak and achieving an 18-point victory over Arkansas. No. 23 West Virginia also returned to the poll after defeating Iowa State.
Louisville’s return to the rankings marks its first since reaching No. 25 on January 25, 2021.
Farewell (for now)
Three ranked teams faced defeats in both games last week, resulting in their exit from the poll.
Gonzaga fell to Oregon State and Santa Clara, marking its first absence from the AP Top 25 since early last year. Georgia dropped out from No. 23 after losses to Tennessee and Auburn. Baylor, which was ranked No. 25 last week, is now out following defeats to Arizona and TCU.
Utah State’s brief stay in the AP Top 25 lasted only two weeks, as they fell from No. 22 after a narrow 65-62 loss to UNLV.
Conference watch
The SEC continues to dominate with eight ranked teams, including five in the top 10, after Georgia’s exit from the poll.
The Big Ten follows closely with six ranked teams, while the Big 12 has five. The Big East and ACC each feature two ranked teams, with one each from the American Athletic and Mountain West conferences.
Here’s the full AP Top 25:
1. Auburn
2. Duke
3. Iowa State
4. Alabama
5. Florida
6. Tennessee
7. Houston
8. Michigan State
9. Kentucky
10. Marquette
11. Purdue
12. Kansas
13. Texas A&M
14. Mississippi State
15. Oregon
16. Ole Miss
17. Illinois
18. Wisconsin
19. UConn
20. St. John’s
21. Michigan
22. Missouri
23. West Virginia
24. Memphis
25. Louisville
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