The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll updated Monday has a similar look at the top with some substantive changes elsewhere after six ranked teams — including two who were ranked inside the top 10 — stumbled over the last week. Among the changes are a big bump up for Oregon to No. 10 and a fall of five spots for No. 13 for Gonzaga as part of a top 10 shakeup.
Oregon’s rise two spots gave it its highest ranking since the 2019-20 season when it rose to as high as No. 4 in Week 9 and highlighted its fast start to the season which has included wins over Alabama, USC and Texas A&M. The Ducks improved to 10-1 this week after a win over Stephen F. Austin, giving it their best start to a season under Dana Altman since the 2013-14 season.
Led by No. 1 Tennessee, the SEC has eight teams in the Top 25 including three of the top five, five of the top seven and the first three teams just outside the Top 25 in Mississippi State, Arkansas and Missouri.
Undefeated Florida also climbed two spots this week to No. 7, its highest ranking since the 2019-20 preseason poll as part of the SEC’s surge to the top of the sport. The Gators are one of only two undefeated teams ranked inside the top 10 for a second consecutive week and one of only three undefeated teams who are ranked, with 10-0 Oklahoma falling one spot this week to No. 14 after a rivalry win over Oklahoma State on Saturday.
AP Top 25
1. Tennessee (50)
2. Auburn (12)
3. Iowa State
4. Kentucky
5. Duke
6. Alabama
7. Florida
8. Kansas
9. Marquette
10. Oregon
11. UConn
12. Texas A&M
13. Gonzaga
14. Oklahoma
15. Houston
16. Purdue
17. Ole Miss
18. UCLA
19. Cincinnati
20. Michigan State
21. Memphis
22. Dayton
23. San Diego State
24. Michigan
25. Clemson
Also receiving votes: Mississippi St. 158, Arkansas 151, Missouri 120, Baylor 115, Illinois 70, Drake 52, St. John’s 50, Utah St. 48, Pittsburgh 28, Maryland 24, West Virginia 19, Wisconsin 18, Georgia 18, Oklahoma St. 16, Arizona St 14, Creighton 12, North Carolina 9, Penn St. 8, Indiana 7, Texas 3, St. Bonaventure 2.
Kentucky, Duke swap positions
By a very narrow margin this week, Kentucky jumped past Duke to No. 4 — with the two flip-flopping spots in the top five — by a total of one point in the AP poll tally (1325 to 1324). UK beat Colgate and rival Louisville this week, while Duke beat Louisville and Incarnate Word in its last two outings over the last eight days.
SEC dominance
Of the 25 ranked teams, eight hail from the SEC this week — three more than the Big Ten, four more than the Big 12 and six more than the ACC and Big East. And of the five undefeated teams still standing, three — No. 1 Tennessee, No. 7 Florida and No. 14 Oklahoma — are SEC products. And finally: All 62 first-place votes this week went to teams out of the SEC — with No. 1 Tennessee getting 50 and No. 2 Auburn siphoning off 12.
Auburn closes gap on Vols
Even after another perfect week for Tennessee in which it claimed important wins over Miami and Illinois, the Vols gave up some ground in its claim to the No. 1 throne this week with Auburn earning a dozen first-place votes. Auburn beat Ohio State on Saturday 91-53 to grab nine more first-place votes than it did a week ago, and in the process improved its scoring margin nationally to No. 7 at +21.7.
