Arizona solidified its position atop the Associated Press’s Top 25 college basketball poll on Monday, setting up a showdown this weekend against Purdue, the former No. 1 team in the country.
The Wildcats received all but one first-place vote from a panel of 63 voters, no doubt impressing with their 98-73 win over the No. 23 Badgers. They received three first-place votes to remain at the top of the poll for the second straight week; While Kansas State remained in second place, Purdue – which replaced Arizona in first place – moved up one place to third place after wins over Iowa and Alabama. .
The Wildcats (9-1) play the Boilermakers (9-1) on Saturday in Indianapolis.
“We spend a lot of time talking about the legacy of Arizona basketball, and this group right now, we’re in the sun. The sun is shining on us right now,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said over the weekend.
Houston had the only No. 1 vote not going to the Wildcats but fell to fourth place. UConn remains in fifth place after wins over ninth-ranked North Carolina and Arkansas-Pine Bluff last week.
Baylor once again gave half of the Big 12 teams the top six teams in the country. The Bears were followed at No. 6 by Marquette, Creighton, the Tar Heels and Gonzaga, who dropped three spots to No. 10 after losing to Washington 78-73.
“We have a long season ahead of us. The big games are coming,” said Bulldogs forward Anton Watson, whose team will play No. 5 UConn on Friday night in Seattle. “I don’t think one or two losses will define the season. We all have that mentality.”
Although there was little movement inside the top 10 this week, there was some wild swings within the rest of the top 25.
Oklahoma made one of the biggest jumps, climbing eight spots to No. 11 after wins over Providence and Arkansas. The unbeaten Sooners were followed by Tennessee, which moved up five spots, and undefeated Clemson, which rose to No. 11 after wins over South Carolina and TCU to remain one of seven teams with perfect records remaining in Division I basketball.
Kentucky moved up two spots to No. 14 while Florida Atlantic fell four spots to No. 15 after losing to Illinois.
The Illini finished right behind the Owls, while Colorado State, BYU, Texas and James Madison rounded out the top 20. Duke was ranked at No. 21, followed by Virginia, Wisconsin, Miami and Northwestern at No. 25. The Wildcats (7-1) were ranked for the second straight season but only the seventh time since the 1968-69 season.
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“I hear about it at home. My daughter is probably the one who was most upset that we didn’t get seeded last week. It’s her,” said Northwestern coach Chris Collins, whose team is off to its best eight-game start since the 2015-16 season. “She was screaming and screaming that we need to be among the top 25 players.”
“These are all great rewards for a team that plays hard and works hard, but we’re not worried about that. All our focus right now is winning basketball games.”
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The No. 11 Sooners play Green Bay this week before a high-profile showdown with the ninth-ranked Tar Heels next week. No. 13 Clemson will also have a chance to continue its climb when it visits Memphis — which receives the votes — on Saturday.
Miami fell nine spots to 24th after its 90-63 loss to Colorado, which was just about enough to get the Buffaloes ranked. They were the first team outside the top 25. Texas dropped seven spots after losing to Marquette and defeating Houston Christian.
Virginia returned to the poll at No. 22 after being ranked for a week last month. Northwestern made its first appearance in the season’s top 25.
Texas A&M withdrew from the poll after losing to Memphis on Sunday. San Diego State also erupted after its loss to Grand Canyon, which was never ranked but received one vote for No. 25 this week.
The Big 12 not only has three of the top six teams, but also six teams in the top 25, including league newcomers Houston (No. 4), BYU (No. 18), soon-to-be-departed Oklahoma (No. 11) and Texas (No. No. 19). The Big East, Big Ten and ACC have four each in the top 25, though the Big East has three of the top eight in UConn (No. 5), Marquette (No. 7) and Creighton (No. 8).
In the latest rankings, Arizona State University continues to hold onto its top spot, solidifying its position as a leading institution in the nation. Meanwhile, Northwestern University has made its debut at No. 25, gaining recognition for its academic excellence and outstanding achievements. Both universities are making waves in the higher education landscape, with Arizona State maintaining its lead and Northwestern making a strong entry onto the list of top 25 universities.