Auburn Stays Strong as College Basketball Rankings See Major Shifts

Auburn Holds Steady Amidst College Basketball Chaos

Jan 20, 2025, 01:28 PM ET

What a week it has been in the world of college basketball! If you thought you had the AP Top 25 all figured out, think again. A whirlwind of upsets and court stormings has left the rankings looking like a game of musical chairs. But amidst all this chaos, one team has remained a constant: Auburn.

The Tigers have been the rock in this stormy sea, holding firm as the unanimous pick at No. 1 in the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released Monday. This comes after a week where 19 ranked teams lost at least once, including a staggering seven teams from the top 10.

Auburn, who claimed the program’s second No. 1 ranking last week, managed to win both of its games despite missing their injured big man, Johni Broome. They made a statement by rolling over No. 14 Mississippi State 88-66 and then showed resilience by surviving a late comeback to edge out then-No. 19 Georgia 70-68.

Meanwhile, No. 2 Duke has been on the rise, moving up a spot after securing victories in both of its games last week. This shift saw them swap places with No. 3 Iowa State, which had a mixed week, blowing out No. 12 Kansas but then falling to No. 23 West Virginia. Alabama and Florida complete the top five, despite each suffering a loss last week.

Interestingly, only three teams—Alabama, Florida, and No. 6 Tennessee—managed to hold their positions from the previous week. The tumultuous week allowed No. 8 Michigan State to break into the top 10 for the first time this season, while No. 22 Missouri made its way into the poll for the first time since the 2022-23 season.

Louisville’s Climb

Let’s talk about Louisville, a team that has been on quite a journey under first-year coach Pat Kelsey. The Cardinals, who won a combined 12 games over the past two seasons, are now playing some of their best basketball in years. After enduring a three-game skid, Louisville has bounced back with eight straight wins, earning them a spot in the poll for the first time in four years at No. 25. Last week, they achieved a significant milestone by winning at Syracuse for the first time in eight years and capped the week by sweeping Virginia for the first time since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013.

Rising Red Storm

Another team making waves is No. 20 St. John’s, which has re-entered the poll this week with its highest ranking since reaching No. 15 on Dec. 29, 2014, under coach Steve Lavin. Now in their second season under Rick Pitino, the Red Storm has climbed to the top of the Big East standings following their win over Seton Hall and Marquette’s loss to Xavier. St. John’s hasn’t won a share of the Big East regular-season title since 1992, but with a 16-3 record, they are off to their best start through 19 games since opening 17-2 (ultimately 20-2) in 1985-86. The Johnnies are also 7-1 in Big East play for the first time since opening 8-1 in 1998-99.

Rising and Falling

In the world of rankings, it’s not just about who rises but also who falls. No. 11 Purdue and No. 18 Wisconsin made the biggest leaps, each climbing six spots. No. 16 Ole Miss also moved up five places after splitting games against No. 4 Alabama and No. 14 Mississippi State.

On the flip side, No. 24 Memphis experienced the week’s biggest drop, losing six places after a loss to Temple and a win over Charlotte. Two-time NCAA champion UConn fell five places to No. 19 after their 28-game home winning streak was snapped by Creighton in a 68-63 loss.

Welcome Back

It’s always exciting to see teams make a comeback in the rankings. No. 22 Missouri is back in the poll for the first time this season after ending Florida’s 16-game home winning streak and securing an 18-point win over Arkansas. No. 23 West Virginia also re-entered the poll after defeating Iowa State.

Louisville, as mentioned earlier, hadn’t been ranked since reaching No. 25 on Jan. 25, 2021. However, not all teams had a reason to celebrate. Three ranked teams lost both of their games last week and dropped out of the poll. Gonzaga, for instance, fell out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since early last year after losses to Oregon State and Santa Clara. Georgia dropped out from No. 23 following losses to Tennessee and Auburn, while Baylor, previously No. 25, is out after losses to Arizona and TCU. Utah State’s time in the AP Top 25 was short-lived, as they dropped out from No. 22 following a 65-62 loss to UNLV.

Conference Watch

When it comes to conference representation, the SEC is leading the pack with eight ranked teams, even after Georgia’s exit from the poll. This includes five teams in the top 10. The Big Ten follows with six ranked teams, while the Big 12 has five. The Big East and Atlantic Coast each have two ranked teams, with the American Athletic and Mountain West conferences having one each.