Top 5 unchanged in men’s poll; Vols climb to 7

Top 5 Unchanged in Men’s Poll; Vols Climb to No. 7

It’s another week of college basketball madness, and the AP Top 25 men’s poll is serving up plenty of drama. Kansas continues to reign supreme at No. 1, holding onto its spot with a firm grip as the Jayhawks gear up for a high-stakes clash against No. 11 Duke in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Magnolia State is making waves, with Ole Miss and Mississippi State muscling their way back into the rankings. Let’s break it all down.

Kansas Stays on Top

The Jayhawks are sitting pretty at 5-0, earning 51 of 62 first-place votes from the national media panel. They’re well ahead of two-time reigning national champion UConn, which holds the No. 2 spot with six first-place votes. Gonzaga, Auburn, and Iowa State round out the top five, all holding steady from last week. Kansas has already notched impressive wins over No. 12 North Carolina and Michigan State, and their upcoming showdown with Duke promises to be a must-watch.

“Oh yeah, I’ve watched them,” Kansas coach Bill Self said about Duke, fresh off his 800th career win. “They’re talented across the board. They’re starting three freshmen, and everybody’s going to talk about the one (Cooper Flagg), but the other two are potential lottery picks, if not lottery picks too.”

Fresh Faces in the Rankings

Ole Miss is back in the poll at No. 23, while Mississippi State makes its season debut at No. 25. These two SEC teams are proving that the Magnolia State is no pushover in college hoops. Xavier also returns to the rankings for the first time since the 2022-23 season, coming in at No. 22. Their re-entry comes at the expense of Illinois, St. John’s, and Rutgers, all of whom dropped out after tough losses last week.

SEC Dominance

The SEC is flexing its muscles with nine teams in the Top 25, including four in the top 10: Auburn (No. 4), Tennessee (No. 7), Kentucky (No. 8), and Alabama (No. 9). Tennessee made the biggest leap this week, climbing four spots after a strong start to the season. The Big 12 isn’t far behind, boasting six teams in the rankings, including three in the top six: Kansas, Iowa State, and Houston. The Big East, Big Ten, and ACC also have solid representation, but the SEC is clearly the conference to beat right now.

Marquette Makes Moves

Marquette had the biggest climb of the week, jumping five spots to No. 10. The Golden Eagles are off to a 6-0 start for the first time since the 2011-12 season, thanks to wins over then-No. 6 Purdue and Georgia. They’ll face lighter competition this week before back-to-back showdowns with No. 5 Iowa State and No. 15 Wisconsin. Purdue, Creighton, and Arizona all dropped seven spots but managed to stay in the poll. Arizona, now at No. 24, narrowly extended its streak in the AP Top 25 to 61 weeks, the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.

Cooper Flagg Shines for Duke

Speaking of Duke, their star freshman Cooper Flagg is already living up to the hype. Flagg dropped 24 points and grabbed six rebounds in the Blue Devils’ win over No. 17 Arizona, proving he’s more than ready for the big stage. Duke sits at No. 11 this week, just behind SEC powerhouses Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. The Blue Devils’ matchup against Kansas on Tuesday night is shaping up to be a battle of titans.

Who’s Rising, Who’s Falling

• Rising: Marquette (+5 spots), Tennessee (+4 spots)
• Falling: Purdue (-7 spots), Creighton (-7 spots), Arizona (-7 spots)

Marquette’s rise is a testament to their strong start, while Purdue, Creighton, and Arizona will need to regroup after tough losses. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd is already looking for answers after back-to-back defeats to Wisconsin and Duke. “We didn’t play great,” Lloyd admitted. “So now we need to take a step back and figure out why. Are there some schematic problems? Are there some problems with how our personnel is kind of put together? And those are the things we’re going to take a look at.”

Looking Ahead

With holiday tournaments in full swing, there’s plenty of potential for movement in next week’s rankings. The Kansas-Duke matchup in the Vegas Showdown is the headliner, but other high-profile games could shake things up as well. Will Kansas hold onto the top spot? Can Duke crack the top 10? And how will the SEC’s dominance play out as the season progresses? Stay tuned, because college basketball is just heating up.