After yet another week of upsets and thrillers, this week’s Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll, released on Monday, features several notable changes.
Here are five takeaways from the poll.
Auburn closing in on Tennessee at the top
The Tennessee Volunteers (10-0) are still undefeated and atop the poll after a buzzer-beater from Jordan Gainey helped them escape Illinois, 66-64.
With Tennessee barely avoiding the upset and No. 2 Auburn (9-1) routing Ohio State 91-53, the Tigers received nine first-place votes.
Auburn defeated both of its opponents, Richmond and Ohio State, by at least 35 points, which marked the first time the program won back-to-back games by that margin since 2000.
The Tigers outrebounded Ohio State 49-28 and got 21 points, 20 rebounds and six assists from senior Johni Broome. Broome’s 12.7 rebounds per game lead the country. If opponents cannot find a way to slow him down, Auburn may claim the No. 1 ranking soon.
Marquette, Gonzaga fall multiple spots after losses
The Marquette Golden Eagles (9-2) suffered their third straight loss as a ranked team to an unranked Dayton team in the AP poll, dropping them down three spots to No. 9.
The 71-63 loss to the Flyers was Marquette’s second defeat in its last three games after losing to then-No. 6 Iowa State, 81-70. While the team’s star, Kam Jones, put up 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting, Chase Ross was the only other Marquette player in double figures with 19 points.
Marquette is going to need more overall production as it approaches Big East play.
After suffering back-to-back losses for the first time since 2018, the Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-3) fall five spots to No. 13.
Before going down to No. 4 Kentucky and an 18th-ranked UConn team, Gonzaga had gone 204 straight games without losing two in a row. That was not only the longest active streak in the country in Division I but the third-longest by any team since 1980-81.
While the Bulldogs shot 37.5 percent from three in the loss to UConn, they only made 22.2 percent against Kentucky. Considering the pace that Gonzaga plays at, converting behind the three-point line is crucial against quality opponents.
UConn continues to climb back up the rankings
It has been a whirlwind of a season for Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies (8-3). After losing all three of its games in Maui and falling to No. 25 in the poll, UConn has won four straight, including a 76-72 win over then-No. 15 Baylor, a 76-65 takedown of Texas and the big win over then-No. 8 Gonzaga on Saturday night.
While the Huskies only managed to shoot 20.8 percent from behind the arc, freshman Liam McNeeley had a career-high 26 points against the Bulldogs.
UConn has now won eight straight games against AP top 10 teams, which is its longest streak in the AP poll era. If McNeeley continues to produce as he did against Gonzaga, UConn may extend that streak and continue its impressive turnaround.
Texas A&M rises five spots behind hot shooting from Wade Taylor IV
The Texas A&M Aggies (9-2) move up five spots to No. 12 courtesy of the shot-making from senior guard Wade Taylor IV.
Taylor has scored 15 or more points in nine straight games, which is tied with his streak from a season ago for the most consecutive 15-point games by a Texas A&M player in the last 20 seasons.
In an impressive showing against then-No. 11 Purdue, Texas A&M had three players in double figures, including Pharrel Payne’s 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench in the 70-66 win.
If Taylor continues making shots and gets support around him, the Aggies could be a hard out in the loaded SEC.
Memphis, Dayton vault into poll
The Memphis Tigers (8-2) return to the rankings at No. 21 after taking down then-No. 16 Clemson, 87-82.
Memphis shot 12-for-25 (48 percent) from three-point range, which was tied for the Tigers’ second-most threes in a game this season.
The Tigers have proven they can hang with anyone after knocking off then-No. 2 UConn in the Maui Invitational. If the hot shooting continues, expect Penny Hardaway’s group to be a mainstay in the top 25, assuming they can get some more help defensively after allowing 80 or more points four times this season.
Perhaps the most surprising win from last week came when the Dayton Flyers (9-2) upset a top-six Marquette team. That marked the first time Dayton had consecutive wins against AP top 10 opponents since 1967 after previously upsetting a top two UConn team last month.
Dayton outshot Marquette (47.5 percent to 40.7 percent) and outrebounded the Golden Eagles 38-31. With two marquee wins on their resume already, the Flyers look dangerous.
