In the latest development in college basketball rankings, Tennessee has retained its position at the pinnacle of the AP Top 25 poll after a relatively uneventful holiday week.
The Volunteers continue to hold the No. 1 spot, securing 41 first-place votes from a 61-member media panel, according to the AP men’s college basketball poll released recently. In contrast, Auburn, ranked second, garnered 20 first-place votes. Teams such as Iowa State, Duke, and Alabama complete the top five rankings.
Despite the absence of recent games for Auburn, they have managed to gain additional support, obtaining eight more first-place votes against Tennessee’s stronghold at the top. Notably, the top 13 teams in the poll remained unchanged due to 12 ranked teams not playing last week.
Tennessee played their single game of the holiday week against Middle Tennessee, securing an 82-64 victory. This win ensured their dominance for the third consecutive week. Currently, Tennessee is one of the four unbeaten teams in men’s Division I basketball, including two other Southeastern Conference teams: Florida and Oklahoma, along with Drake.
The SEC continues to be a formidable force in college basketball, with Florida ranked sixth, reinforcing the league’s placement at the top positions. Florida maintained its perfect record by defeating Stetson, while Oklahoma triumphed over Prairie View.
Meanwhile, UCLA made a significant leap in the rankings, moving up seven spots to No. 15, following their narrow 65-62 win over Gonzaga. This victory was part of the final marquee game of the nonconference season, held at Intuit Dome, the new NBA Los Angeles Clippers’ venue. It marked UCLA’s notable ascent in the rankings while Gonzaga fell five spots to No. 19.
Other ranking movements included No. 24 Mississippi, which barely managed to stay in the poll after an 87-70 defeat by Memphis. Memphis was the sole team to join this week’s poll following their win over Ole Miss.
San Diego State experienced a setback, dropping out of the rankings from No. 20 following a narrow loss to Utah State. The latter made an impression with Tucker Anderson’s decisive three-pointer in the closing seconds, landing them on 14 ballots after the win.
The Southeastern Conference leads with ten teams in the rankings, surpassing the Big Ten and Big 12 with five each, followed by the Big East with two. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Coast, West Coast, and American Athletic conferences each have a single team in the rankings.
As the college basketball season progresses, Tennessee’s resilience at the top exemplifies the competitive nature of the sport. The ongoing fluctuations in team rankings reflect the dynamic landscape of college basketball, with each week bringing new challenges and opportunities for movement.
Source: News4jax
