Latest NCAA Men’s Poll
Top 3 unchanged, North Carolina, Kentucky on the rise
For the third week in a row, Houston has maintained its position as the top team in the latest NCAA Men’s Poll. Meanwhile, some of the traditional powerhouse teams in the sport have made significant strides in the rankings as they prepare for postseason competition.
Houston received 52 out of 62 first-place votes from a national media panel following their victories against UCF and then-No. 14 ranked Kansas. These wins secured the Big 12 regular-season title for Houston in their first year in the league. This marks the longest run Houston has held the No. 1 position since the 1967-68 season, having now spent three consecutive weeks at the top spot.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 28-3 | 1 |
| 2 | UConn | 28-3 | 2 |
| 3 | Purdue | 28-3 | 3 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 25-6 | 7 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 24-7 | 4 |
| 6 | Arizona | 24-7 | 5 |
| 7 | Iowa State | 24-7 | 6 |
| 8 | Creighton | 23-8 | 10 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 23-8 | 15 |
| 10 | Marquette | 23-8 | 8 |
| 11 | Duke | 24-7 | 9 |
| 12 | Auburn | 24-7 | 13 |
| 13 | Illinois | 23-8 | 12 |
| 14 | Baylor | 22-9 | 11 |
| 15 | South Carolina | 25-6 | 17 |
| 16 | Kansas | 22-9 | 14 |
| 17 | Gonzaga | 24-6 | 19 |
| 18 | Utah State | 26-5 | 22 |
| 19 | Alabama | 21-10 | 16 |
| 20 | BYU | 22-9 | 20 |
| 21 | Saint Mary’s | 24-7 | 23 |
| 22 | Washington State | 23-8 | 18 |
| 23 | Nevada | 26-6 | NR |
| 24 | Dayton | 24-6 | 25 |
| 25 | Texas Tech | 22-9 | NR |
Coach Sampson
“It’s gratifying. I’m happy for everybody,” said Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson, whose team will be the top seed in the Big 12 tourney and open play on Thursday. “There’s so many people that have an inferiority complex about, ‘We’re the University of Houston.’ This is a damn good school. We live in a damn good city, and we’re a damn good basketball program.”
Just below Houston
The University of Connecticut, the defending national champion and the top seed in the Big East tournament, has secured the second position in the poll with six first-place votes. Meanwhile, Purdue, the top seed in the Big Ten tournament, has remained in the third position with four first-place votes.
In the rest of the top 10, there has been significant movement. North Carolina has jumped three spots to the fourth position after defeating then-No. 9 Duke. Similarly, Kentucky has vaulted six spots to the ninth position following its win over then-No. 4 Tennessee.
Heels back in the saddle
North Carolina has revamped its roster after last season’s poor performance. The changes were evident in their game against the Blue Devils, where Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram dominated the first meeting, and Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan scored 31 points in the Tar Heels’ 84-79 victory on Saturday.
This win has secured UNC’s first outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title since 2017.
“I think all year, you look at certain games where different guys step up in different situations,” North Carolina big man Armando Bacot said. “We’ve got so many good guys that it’s a luxury.”
Kentucky surging
The Wildcats, the No. 2 seed behind the Vols in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, showcased their depth in a pair of wins last week. Reed Sheppard came off the bench to hit seven 3s and score 27 points in the 85-81 win at Tennessee.
“I’ve said it before, they’re the most explosive offensive team in the country,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said.
The rest of the pack, but dangerous
The Pac-12 tournament’s top seed, Arizona, dropped from fifth to sixth in the rankings this week. Iowa State and Creighton both moved up two spots, while Marquette dropped two spots to round out the top 10. Duke fell to No. 11, followed by Auburn, Illinois, Baylor, and South Carolina.
Kansas slid two spots after losing to Houston by 30 points on the road, despite blowing out Kansas State earlier in the week. Kansas also lost two key players, Hunter Dickinson, and Kevin McCullar Jr., due to shoulder and knee injuries, respectively.
It’s uncertain whether either player will be available for Kansas’s second-round game in the Big 12 tournament, where they are now the No. 6 seed. Gonzaga climbed to No. 17, followed by Utah State, Alabama, and BYU. The final five teams in the rankings were Saint Mary’s, Washington State, Nevada, Dayton, and Texas Tech.
RISING AND FALLING
Kentucky made the biggest move, climbing six positions, while Utah State climbed four spots after wins over San Jose State and New Mexico. Washington State took the biggest fall, dropping four spots after its loss to Washington.
IN AND OUT
Nevada is ranked for the first time since the final poll of the 2018-19 season, checking in at No. 23 after wins over Boise State and UNLV, while Texas Tech returned to the poll after wins over Oklahoma State and then-No. 11 Baylor. Nevada and Texas Tech entered the Top 25 at the expense of San Diego State and South Florida.
Conference Pride
Teams in the Big 12 lead the way with six in the Top 25 and the SEC follows closely with five. The Big East has three in the poll and all of them — UConn, Creighton, and Marquette — are in the top 10. The Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12, West Coast, and Mountain West conferences have two ranked teams apiece.