Tennessee has ascended to the top of men’s college basketball, claiming the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 rankings after considerable movement in the standings.
The Volunteers secured 58 of the 62 first-place votes from a media panel, marking their first time at the top since the 2018-19 season. They moved up two positions after Kansas suffered two losses and Auburn was defeated by Duke, which retained the No. 2 ranking while garnering three first-place votes.
Iowa State climbed to No. 3 with one first-place vote, achieving its highest ranking since the 1956-57 season, while Kentucky rounded out the top five.
Notably, 14 ranked teams fell last week, with six of those in the top 10, including Kansas and previously ranked No. 11 Wisconsin, which both lost twice. Remarkably, only two teams—Auburn and No. 12 Oregon—maintained their positions from the previous week, resulting in five teams entering the rankings amid this turmoil.
Tennessee currently boasts an 8-0 record, its best start since the 2000-01 season when they won their first nine games. They are ranked No. 1 in the NET rankings and No. 2 in KenPom ratings, excelling in defensive efficiency at second overall and offensive efficiency at ninth, despite losing four starters from last season’s SEC championship squad. Last week, Tennessee secured a decisive 96-70 victory against Syracuse.
Kansas, which held the No. 1 position since the preseason, dropped to No. 10 after losing 76-63 to Creighton and 76-67 to rival Missouri.
Auburn, which was in contention for the top spot since the 2021-22 season, fell short against Duke, losing 84-78 before rebounding with a win over Richmond.
Iowa State began the season with its highest preseason ranking at No. 5 after reaching the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 last year. Although the Cyclones lost narrowly to Auburn during the Maui Invitational, they have since won four consecutive games. They dominated Jackson State with a 100-58 win last week and are set to compete against rival Iowa soon.
Meanwhile, the UConn Huskies, who recently faced a challenging Maui trip, secured impressive wins against Baylor and Texas, which helped them climb seven spots to No. 18 in this week’s rankings. Coach Dan Hurley expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, suggesting that the doubts surrounding their abilities may have been premature.
In terms of movement within the poll, Oklahoma made the most significant rise, jumping eight places to No. 13 following victories over Georgia Tech and Alcorn State. Duke and No. 17 Texas A&M also made notable progress, climbing five spots each.
On the other hand, Kansas experienced the most significant drop, with No. 20 Wisconsin following closely behind, falling nine spots, and No. 22 Cincinnati dropping eight.
Several teams entered and exited the rankings this week. No. 14 Michigan is back in the polls for the first time in nearly three years, boasting tight wins over Wisconsin and Iowa. Under first-year coach Dusty May, the Wolverines currently have seven straight wins.
No. 16 Clemson entered the rankings for the first time this season after notable victories against Kentucky and Miami. Similarly, No. 21 Michigan State returned after triumphs against Nebraska and Minnesota.
No. 24 UCLA is ranked for the first time since the preseason, thanks to recent wins over Washington and Oregon, while No. 25 Mississippi State has reclaimed a spot in the rankings after dominant performances against Pittsburgh and Prairie View A&M. Teams that dropped out include Baylor, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Illinois, and North Carolina.
In conference representation, the SEC leads with nine ranked teams, followed by the Big Ten with six and the Big 12 with four. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East feature two ranked teams each, while the West Coast and Mountain West conferences each have one.
The article has been amended to clarify that UCLA was ranked No. 22 in the preseason rather than not being ranked for almost two years.
