Kansas continues to reign atop the college basketball landscape as the No. 1 team in the latest AP Top 25 rankings, following a competitive week filled with holiday tournaments. This week, Auburn clinched the No. 2 spot after their impressive performance at the Maui Invitational, marking a significant ascent in the already competitive Southeastern Conference (SEC), which now boasts three of the top four teams.
The Jayhawks secured 35 out of 61 first-place votes this week, showcasing their dominance with a strong 7-0 record. Meanwhile, the Tigers, fresh off their Maui title victory, gained momentum by defeating high-caliber opponents and received the remaining 26 first-place votes. The most notable fall from grace was that of UConn, who, after a disappointing 0-3 performance in Maui, plummeted to No. 25. This unexpected drop barely kept them from making history as one of the few teams to drop from the No. 2 spot to unranked within a single week.
Other teams made headlines as well, with No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Kentucky each climbing four positions after strong showings in their respective tournaments. Marquette rounded out the top five, followed closely by Iowa State, Gonzaga, Purdue, Duke, and Alabama.
Meanwhile, UConn’s recent struggles were unexpected given their previous 17-game winning streak prior to the Maui Invitational. Coach Dan Hurley expressed his frustrations about officiating after a narrow overtime loss to Memphis, which initiated their downward spiral. Further losses to Colorado and Dayton cemented their last-place finish in the tournament, a situation reminiscent of Arizona’s tumble in 2017, yet the Huskies managed to maintain a slight ranking.
This week saw significant movement within the rankings, with Oregon and Memphis entering the poll at No. 12 and No. 16, respectively. Oregon soared 26 places due to their championship victory over Alabama. On the flip side, several teams, including North Carolina and Houston, faced steep declines after disappointing results, contributing to the weekly shuffle of the rankings.
Overall, the SEC continues to dominate with eight ranked teams, while the Big 12 follows with five, showcasing the fierce competition within college basketball this season.
