Tennessee solidified its position at the top of the AP Top 25 rankings on Monday after achieving two substantial victories, including a significant win against SEC rival Arkansas. This left the Volunteers as the sole undefeated team in men’s Division I college basketball.
The Volunteers received four additional first-place votes, bringing their total to 45 out of 60 from the national panel, allowing them to maintain their number one spot for the fifth consecutive week. Auburn ranked second with 15 first-place votes, while Iowa State, Duke, and Alabama completed the unchanged top five list that followed the first week of many leagues’ conference play.
Tennessee improved to an impressive 14-0 after defeating Norfolk State and dominating then-No. 23 Arkansas with a score of 76-52. This winning streak now ranks as the third-longest in the school’s history. The Volunteers emerged as the only team without a loss in men’s major college hoops after Florida’s defeat by Kentucky and Oklahoma’s significant loss to Alabama.
“They’re the No. 1 team in the country for a reason,” acknowledged Arkansas coach John Calipari, expressing his disappointment not merely from losing the game but feeling that his team was overpowered.
This season, Tennessee has consistently performed well, with only one game resulting in a win by fewer than ten points. “It all comes back to the players and their solid backgrounds,” commented Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. “They come in understanding our expectations, and they also put pressure on themselves to meet those standards. It just needs to be reiterated to them daily.”
Kentucky rose four positions to No. 6 after their victory over Florida, followed by Marquette, Florida, UConn, and Texas A&M, who secured their eighth consecutive win by defeating Texas.
Kansas slid down four spots to No. 11 after a close game against West Virginia and a victory over UCF. Houston and Illinois, the latter of which climbed nine spots this week, followed Kansas, along with Mississippi State and Oregon.
Michigan State ranked at No. 16, while Oklahoma dropped five positions after suffering a hefty loss to Alabama. Gonzaga, Memphis, and Purdue rounded out the top 20, with Purdue defeating both Minnesota and Northwestern last week.
West Virginia, after defeating Kansas and following up with a win against Oklahoma State, found itself ranked at No. 21 for the first time since December 26, 2022. They were succeeded by UCLA, Mississippi, Michigan, and Utah State, with Michigan making a return to the rankings after a two-week absence and Utah State debuting at No. 25.
“Being 14-1 and upset is a bit immature, but there’s a need for constant improvement,” expressed Utah State coach Jarrod Calhoun following their 89-83 win over Fresno State. “That’s just how I approach life, always in survival mode.”
In terms of movement, Illinois jumped nine slots to No. 13 after routing then-No. 9 Oregon 109-77 and securing a win over Washington on Sunday. Cincinnati, however, dropped out from No. 16 after losses to Kansas State and Arizona. Oregon fell six positions, while UCLA dropped seven to No. 22 following a defeat against Nebraska.
West Virginia’s ranking of No. 21 marks their second appearance in the AP Top 25 since the end of the 2020-21 season. Michigan has been ranked three times this season, while Utah State appears in the rankings for the first time under Calhoun’s guidance. These changes came at the expense of Cincinnati, Arkansas, and Baylor.
Looking ahead, Pittsburgh sits just outside the Top 25, having launched its ACC play with victories against California and Stanford. Nebraska received mention on 21 ballots amidst their six-game winning streak. St. Bonaventure was mentioned on five ballots after claiming victory over Fordham for their eighth consecutive win. The Bonnies, with their only loss to Utah State, have been ranked sparingly since the 1970-71 season.
The SEC continues to dominate conference rankings with nine teams listed in the polls, including three in the top five and six in the top ten. The Big Ten followed with six teams, while the Big 12 had four and the Big East featured two within the top ten. The ACC, West Coast, American Athletic, and Mountain West each had one representative in the rankings.
This report has been updated to clarify Cincinnati’s opponent as Kansas State.
