With so many ranked teams taking at least one ‘L’ during the week, it should come as no surprise that the new USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll looks considerably different. The top two teams, however, hold steady.
Auburn will spend another week at No. 1. The Tigers, who ran their overall winning streak to 13 and remain the lone unbeaten squad in SEC play, received 29 of 31 first-place votes. Duke continued its roll through the ACC and solidifies its grip on the No. 2 position, this week claiming a pair of first-place nods.
Alabama moves up a notch to No. 3 and Tennessee vaults back up to fourth, giving the SEC three of the top four teams. Houston hangs on at No. 5 despite Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech, and Florida maintains its No. 6 position after dropping its return game at Tennessee.
TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll
The next few teams are moving in different directions. No. 7 Purdue and No. 10 St. John’s are on the upswing, while No. 8 Iowa State and No. 9 Michigan State head downward this week. Texas Tech makes the week’s biggest jump, climbing seven positions to No. 12 thanks to that aforementioned win at Houston. Connecticut vaults six places to No. 18 after taking down No. 11 Marquette on the road.
No. 20 Arizona heads the group of newcomers to this week’s top 25. No. 22 Michigan, No. 23 Saint Mary’s and No. 24 Maryland also move in. It was a rough week for the state of Mississippi, as both Ole Miss and Mississippi State are among the dropouts along with Oregon and Louisville.