Tennessee continues to hold the top position in the AP Top 25 rankings following a calm holiday week. The Volunteers secured 41 first-place votes out of 61 in a media panel vote for the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released on Monday. Auburn is ranked second with 20 first-place votes, while Iowa State, Duke, and Alabama complete the top five.
Despite not competing during the week, Auburn narrowed the gap with Tennessee and managed to gain an additional eight first-place votes. The top 13 teams in the rankings remained the same, as 12 of the ranked squads did not participate in games over the holiday period. Tennessee’s sole matchup last week was against Middle Tennessee, where they emerged victorious with an 82-64 score, ensuring their hold on the No. 1 ranking for the fourth consecutive week.
Tennessee is currently one of four unbeaten teams in men’s Division I basketball, alongside three rivals from the Southeastern Conference (SEC): No. 6 Florida (10-0) and No. 12 Oklahoma (10-0). Drake has also started the week with an unbeaten record at 9-0. The Gators secured a convincing win over Stetson, defeating them 85-45, while the Sooners triumphed over Prairie View with a score of 89-67. The SEC remains dominant in the Top 25, with Florida contributing to four teams within the top six rankings.
In an exciting showdown, UCLA and Gonzaga faced off in the final noteworthy game of the nonconference season at the newly opened Intuit Dome, the home court for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. UCLA managed to fend off a late comeback attempt from Gonzaga, winning the game 65-62 thanks to Eric Dailey Jr., who scored 18 points. This performance propelled UCLA up seven spots in the poll to No. 15, while Gonzaga fell five places to No. 19 following the defeat.
UCLA was the only team to jump more than two positions in this week’s rankings. Meanwhile, No. 24 Mississippi barely retained a spot in the rankings, dropping eight positions after an 87-70 defeat to No. 21 Memphis. Memphis made its way back into the rankings, having clinched victory over Ole Miss.
In a notable shift, San Diego State fell out of the Top 25 after suffering a narrow 67-66 loss against Utah State, with Tucker Anderson hitting a decisive three-pointer just 6.8 seconds before the final buzzer. Following this win, the Aggies received attention, appearing on 14 ballots in the rankings.
Looking at the conference landscape, the SEC leads with a total of 10 ranked teams. Both the Big Ten and Big 12 have five teams each recognized, while the Big East has two. The Atlantic Coast Conference, West Coast Conference, and American Athletic Conference each have one team included in the rankings.
As the season progresses, updates and alerts for the AP Top 25 polls will continue to keep fans informed.
