Kansas has solidified its position at the top of the AP Top 25 college basketball rankings.
In a week full of fluctuations among the top teams, the Jayhawks secured five first-place votes in the latest poll released on Monday, accumulating a total of 49 from a panel of 61 media voters.
UConn trails at No. 2 with seven first-place votes, while Gonzaga and Auburn follow at No. 3 and No. 4 with two and three first-place votes, respectively.
Iowa State surged two places to land in the fifth spot, completing the top five lineup.
The upheaval in rankings began with the No. 8 Alabama’s setback against No. 6 Purdue, who claimed an 87-78 victory.
This defeat caused Alabama to plummet six spots while Purdue moved up seven.
Additionally, losses from both Duke and Arizona further complicated the standings for the top 10 teams.
Duke, now ranked No. 12, fell six places following their 77-72 loss to No. 9 Kentucky, who enjoyed a tremendous climb of ten spots and entered the top 10 for the first time this season.
Arizona also faced adversity, losing 103-88 to No. 19 Wisconsin and thus dropping eight spots to No. 17.
This marked Wisconsin’s first appearance in the rankings this season.
Kansas reinforced its top status after defeating both Michigan State and Oakland, building on their season-opening victory against North Carolina.
Meanwhile, UConn continued its formidable campaign aiming for a third consecutive national title with a decisive 90-49 victory over Le Moyne.
Gonzaga easily triumphed over UMass Lowell, and Auburn cruised past Kent State, while Iowa State comfortably defeated Kansas City by 26 points.
No. 7 Houston improved its ranking slightly after bouncing back from a previous defeat against Auburn with a resounding win over Louisiana-Lafayette.
Wisconsin’s resurgence can be attributed to Coach Greg Gard’s efforts to rebuild the team following an early exit from last season’s NCAA Tournament.
With significant roster changes, the Badgers were initially projected to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten; however, those forecasts may need reevaluation.
After three straightforward victories against less competitive schools, Wisconsin made headlines with a powerful performance against Arizona, where John Tonje scored an impressive 41 points, just shy of the school record.
This dominant performance against a top-10 team prompted an impassioned post-game speech from Gard, signaling potential for the team moving forward.
In rankings updates, No. 25 Illinois joined Wisconsin in the top 25 after defeating Oakland 66-54 last week.
Conversely, Ole Miss exited from the rankings despite wins over both South Alabama and Colorado State, while Ohio State fell from No. 21 after losing 78-64 to No. 23 Texas A&M.
In terms of movement, Arizona experienced the largest decline, falling eight spots, while Alabama and Duke both slipped six.
Kentucky made the most significant advancement among current ranked teams, jumping ten spots, and Purdue also made a notable rise of seven.
Taking a look at conference representation, the Southeastern Conference boasts seven ranked teams, including No. 11 Tennessee, No. 20 Arkansas, and No. 21 Florida.
The Big 12 follows with six teams in the poll, while the Big Ten contributes five.
The Big East has four ranked teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference has two, and the West Coast Conference rounds it out with one team ranked.
