Auburn’s position at No. 1 remains secure, even after suffering a setback against No. 3 Florida. Meanwhile, UConn, the two-time reigning national champions, experienced a significant drop from the rankings for the first time in two years following their recent loss.
The Tigers maintained their lead in the poll for the fifth consecutive week, garnering 34 first-place votes from a media panel of 61 members. Alabama, now ranked second, moved up a position and collected 23 first-place votes, trailing Auburn by just nine points. Florida, with three top votes, shares the third spot with Duke, while Tennessee holds the fifth position with one first-place vote.
Duke, tied with Florida at No. 3, saw St. John’s make a notable entry into the top 10, marking their first appearance there since concluding the 1999-2000 season at No. 9.
UConn fell from No. 19 after a 68-62 defeat at home against St. John’s, ending a 53-week streak of being ranked, which was the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.
Florida achieved its highest ranking since the 2013-14 season, following a historic 90-81 victory over Auburn—their first true road win against a top-ranked team in program history. This victory also marked the Gators’ second win over a top-ranked team this season, having previously defeated then-No. 1 Tennessee at home on January 7.
Auburn’s impressive 14-game winning streak had previously solidified their status as the unanimous No. 1 for three weeks.
The Tigers were not the only elite team to face defeat this week.
Duke slipped two spots to No. 4 after a 77-71 loss to No. 23 Clemson, which halted their 16-game winning streak. Iowa State also fell two positions to No. 10 after a 69-52 loss to No. 17 Kansas. The Cyclones had reached their highest-ever ranking at No. 2 last month but have since lost three consecutive games before bouncing back with a win against TCU.
Struggles for UConn
UConn began the season ranked No. 3 and climbed to No. 2, aiming to replicate the success of John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins, who won three straight national championships in the early 1960s.
Currently, UConn (16-7, 8-4 Big East) has lost three of its last five games, placing them fourth in the Big East, trailing St. John’s by 3.5 games.
Coach Dan Hurley expressed optimism about the team’s future, stating, “I think right now is a really good time to play us. I think we’ve got a chance in February to kind of get this thing rolling and be looking a lot different in March.”
Teams on the Move
No. 13 Arizona made the most significant leap this week, rising seven spots after victories against BYU and No. 12 Texas Tech. Meanwhile, No. 19 Ole Miss climbed six places following a thrilling last-second win over No. 15 Kentucky and a narrow victory against LSU, 72-70, thanks to Dre Davis’ clutch shot.
No. 18 Marquette and No. 25 Maryland experienced the largest drops among the ranked teams, each falling seven places. No. 21 Missouri dropped six spots after losses to No. 5 Tennessee and No. 8 Texas A&M, the latter ending in a last-second three-pointer.
In and Out of Rankings
No. 24 Creighton made a return to the rankings for the first time since November 25, following victories over Providence and Marquette. No. 23 Clemson is back on the list after their impressive win against Duke. Illinois, however, joined UConn in exiting the poll after an 82-73 defeat to Rutgers.
Conference Overview
The Big Ten boasts six ranked teams, leading the way, followed closely by the Big 12 with five and the Big East with three. The ACC and American Athletic Conference each have one representative in the rankings.
Here’s the complete AP Top 25:
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
T-3. Florida
T-3. Duke
5. Tennessee
6. Houston
7. Purdue
8. Texas A&M
9. St. John’s
10. Iowa State
11. Michigan State
12. Texas Tech
13. Arizona
14. Memphis
15. Kentucky
16. Wisconsin
17. Kansas
18. Marquette
19. Ole Miss
20. Michigan
21. Missouri
22. Mississippi State
23. Clemson
24. Creighton
25. Maryland
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