Published by: AK98
NCAAM AP Top 25
Arizona’s dominance in men’s college basketball has been further cemented with their continued lead in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, announced on Monday. This ranking sets the stage for an anticipated matchup with Purdue, the team Arizona recently overtook as the nation’s number one.
Capturing 62 out of 63 first-place votes, Arizona impressed the voters, particularly with a convincing 98-73 victory against 23rd-ranked Wisconsin. Their performance has kept them at the top for two consecutive weeks, while Kansas holds steady at second. Purdue, previously at the top, has risen to third after notable wins against Iowa and Alabama.
The upcoming clash will see Arizona, with an unblemished 8-0 record, face Purdue, standing at 9-1, in a game set for Saturday in Indianapolis.
AP Men’s Basketball Top 25 Poll (First-place votes in parenthesis):
- Arizona (62) 8-0
- Kansas 9-1
- Purdue 9-1
- Houston (1) 10-0
- UConn 9-1
- Baylor 9-0
- Marquette 8-2
- Creighton 8-1
- North Carolina 7-2
- Gonzaga 7-2
- Oklahoma 9-0
- Tennessee 6-3
- Clemson 9-0
- Kentucky 7-2
- Florida Atlantic 7-2
- Illinois 7-2
- Colorado State 9-1
- BYU 8-1
- Texas 7-2
- James Madison 9-0
- Duke 6-3
- Virginia 8-1
- Wisconsin 7-3
- Miami (Fla.) 7-2
- Northwestern 7-1
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd spoke about the team’s current success, emphasizing the team’s bright moment under the spotlight. Houston, meanwhile, dropped to fourth despite receiving one first-place vote. UConn stayed at fifth after triumphs over North Carolina and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Big 12 Conference boasts half of the top six teams, with Baylor at sixth, followed by Marquette, Creighton, North Carolina, and Gonzaga, which dropped to tenth after losing to Washington.
Within the Top 25, significant changes were observed, with Oklahoma making a notable leap to 11th after victories over Providence and Arkansas. Tennessee rose five places, and undefeated Clemson climbed to 13th.
Kentucky advanced to 14th, while Florida Atlantic slipped to 15th following a defeat to Illinois. The top 20 was rounded out by Colorado State, BYU, Texas, James Madison, and Duke. Virginia, Wisconsin, Miami, and Northwestern, now 25th, completed the list.
Northwestern coach Chris Collins, responding to the team’s ranking, focused on the importance of continuous hard work and success in games over rankings. His comments reflected a grounded approach, choosing humble optics despite the team’s best start since the 2015-16 season.
