Tennessee and Auburn continue to reign as the top two teams in the men’s college basketball rankings, holding steady in positions one and two in the latest AP poll. This dominant performance from both Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams is no surprise, as a total of ten teams from the SEC found their way into the Top 25 on Monday.
The Volunteers, boasting an undefeated record of 11-0, and the Tigers, with a solid 11-1 record, have now maintained their top positions for the third consecutive week. Auburn’s placement at No. 2 marks its fourth straight week in that position. The top ten of the polling saw some slight adjustments; Kentucky dropped six slots down to No. 10 following a defeat against Ohio State.
Adding to the SEC’s strong showing this season are No. 19 Mississippi State and No. 23 Arkansas, both returning to the rankings. Throughout the season, the SEC has experienced up to nine teams ranked simultaneously, including in the preseason rankings. Remarkably, this is the first occurrence of a single conference having ten teams in the rankings since at least the 2012-13 season.
Rounding out the top five, Iowa State is currently in third place, followed by Duke and Alabama. Following them are Florida, Kansas, Marquette, and Oregon, with those teams each moving up one position thanks to Kentucky’s slip.
In terms of advancements within the rankings, San Diego State made the most significant leap, climbing three spots to No. 20. Additionally, Oklahoma (No. 12), Cincinnati (No. 17), and Michigan State (No. 18) improved by two spots each. Overall, a total of eleven teams managed to ascend at least one position this week.
In contrast, Kentucky experienced the largest decline, but Purdue (No. 21) and UCLA (No. 22) also saw slide down the ranks. The Boilermakers dropped five positions following a decisive loss to Auburn, whereas the Bruins fell four places after squandering a 16-point lead and losing by two to an unranked North Carolina team. Texas A&M (No. 13) and Gonzaga (No. 14) each dropped one spot, contributing to the downward trend among ranked teams.
Five teams maintained their ranks from last week, which included the Volunteers, Tigers, and Cyclones at the top. Both UConn, the two-time defending national champion, and Houston remained steady at No. 11 and No. 15, respectively.
This week’s new additions to the rankings include Illinois at No. 24 and Baylor at No. 25, joining Mississippi State and Arkansas as recent entrants. The Bears were the highest-ranked among newcomers, having started the season at No. 8 and spending five weeks in the rankings. The Razorbacks kicked off their journey at No. 16, while both the Bulldogs and Illini had brief appearances earlier in November and December.
In order to accommodate the newcomers, Memphis (No. 21), Dayton (No. 22), Michigan (No. 24), and Clemson (No. 25) were dropped from the poll.
The SEC’s dominance is evident, as it accounted for a significant chunk of the rankings, while only seven conferences were represented overall in the AP Top 25. The Big Ten, with the ninth-ranked Oregon, and the Big 12 followed the SEC with five teams each, whereas the Big East was the only other conference to feature at least two ranked teams. The Atlantic Coast, West Coast, and Mountain West conferences each managed to secure one spot in the rankings.
