Houston Holds Tight Grip On No. 1, Kansas Drops Out Of Top 10 For First Time In 3 Years – News18

Houston nonetheless has a good grip on No. 1 within the AP Top 25.

The Cougars acquired 52 first-place votes from a 62-individual media panel within the ballot launched Monday to carry the highest spot for the second straight week.

UConn moved up a spot to No. 2 and had six first-place votes to leapfrog No. 3 Purdue, which had 4 first-place votes. Tennessee and Arizona rounded out the highest 5.

Houston moved to No. 1 for the primary time this season every week in the past and gained each of its video games final week: a 67-59 dwelling win over Cincinnati and, due to Jamal Shead’s final-second shot, a win at Oklahoma 87-85.

Houston remains to be main the nation in KenPom’s adjusted defensive effectivity regardless of giving up 85 factors to the Sooners. The win allowed coach Kelvin Sampson to have a triumphant return to Norman, the place he coached from 1994 to 2006.

UConn had a pleasant bounce again after being knocked from the No. 1 spot following a six-week run, blowing out Seton Hall 91-61 at dwelling for its first outright Big East title in 25 years. The Huskies, the reigning nationwide champions, had not gained even a share of the Big East common-season title in 18 years.

“The hardest thing to do is to be excellent over the course of three, four months in a brutal, hard league,” UConn coach Dan Hurley mentioned.

Purdue dropped a spot regardless of an 80-74 win over Michigan State that clinched a share of a second straight Big Ten title. The Boilermakers have a two-sport lead with two video games left.

Kansas spent the primary three weeks at No. 1 and has been within the high 10 for 3 years.

Consecutive losses final week ended the Jayhawks’ run.

Kansas fell seven spots to No. 14 on this week’s ballot, its worst rating since hitting No. 15 halfway via the 2020-21 season. The Jayhawks had been within the high 10 for 55 straight weeks, which had been the longest lively streak. Houston now has the longest lively top-10 run at 36 straight weeks.

Losses to No. 20 BYU and No. 11 Baylor ensured Kansas can’t win the Big 12 common-season title. The Jayhawks have seven convention losses for the primary time in 21 years beneath coach Bill Self.

No. 15 Baylor and No. 19 Gonzaga had the largest climbs amongst groups within the ballot this week, every shifting up 4 spots. No. 23 Saint Mary’s had the largest drop, shedding six locations after Gonzaga ended the Gaels’ 16-sport successful streak.

BYU moved again into the ballot after dropping out final week, coming in at No. 20 after wins over Kansas and TCU. Florida dropped out from No. 24 after shedding at No. 17 South Carolina.

The Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 every have 5 ranked groups after BYU re-entered the ballot and Florida dropped out.

The Big East has three, adopted by the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast, Pac-12, Mountain West and West Coast conferences with two. The Atlantic 10 and AAC every have one.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)