The Kansas Jayhawks remain the top-ranked team in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 men’s college basketball poll, but it was a narrow escape against the Auburn Tigers on Saturday.
Kansas, who received 58 first-place votes, held on to the top spot despite a 95-91 victory over Auburn. The Tigers, who had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, came up just short and dropped to No. 3 in the poll.
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) made a strong showing in the latest AP Top 25, with three teams occupying spots in the top four.
Behind Kansas, the Alabama Crimson Tide moved up to No. 2 after a dominant 106-66 win over Vanderbilt. The Tennessee Volunteers jumped two spots to No. 4 following a hard-fought 78-75 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats.
The Purdue Boilermakers climbed two spots to No. 5, while the Virginia Cavaliers dropped one spot to No. 6.
The biggest riser in the poll was the Texas Longhorns, who surged six spots to No. 7 after an impressive 91-64 win over Oklahoma State.
Meanwhile, the Gonzaga Bulldogs tumbled seven spots to No. 11 after suffering a surprising home loss to Saint Mary’s.
There are several key matchups on the schedule this week that could shake up the AP Top 25:
- No. 1 Kansas at No. 9 Baylor
- No. 3 Auburn at No. 15 Missouri
- No. 5 Purdue at No. 13 Indiana
- No. 7 Texas at No. 21 Iowa State
The college basketball season is heating up, and the AP Top 25 is likely to see more changes in the coming weeks.
Kansas remains the team to beat, but with the SEC flexing its muscle and several other contenders lurking, the race for the national championship is far from over.
