Although the No. 1 team remains the same in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 men’s basketball poll, released on Monday, one program moved closer to the top after a dominant showing while several ranked teams dropped after losing to unranked opponents.
Here are five takeaways from the poll.
Duke moves up after blowing out Illinois
Duke (24-3, 15-1 ACC), up one spot to No. 2, took a break from league play with a showdown at Madison Square Garden against Illinois that quickly turned into pure domination from the Blue Devils.
Duke’s 110 points in the win were the most by a collegiate team at MSG since Syracuse defeated UConn 127-117 in six overtimes in the 2009 Big East Tournament. With seven players scoring in double figures, Duke put up 110 points in regulation and gave Illinois no chance whatsoever.
The opponents will get tougher, especially when the NCAA Tournament rolls around. However, as Saturday showed, star freshman Cooper Flagg is not the only player on the team that can go off on any given night.
Houston moves up as defense continues to shine
After keeping Iowa State below 60 points on Saturday, Houston (23-4, 15-1 Big 12), up one spot to No. 4, has now allowed fewer than 60 points 18 times this season, which is four more times than any Division I team.
Houston has won six straight games and poses a significant threat to anyone that faces it. While their offense can get stagnant at times, the Cougars’ top-ranked defense (57.7 PPG) has them in possession of a three-game lead in the Big 12 and eyeing a deep run in March.
Purdue drops seven spots after recent slump
The Boilermakers (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten), down seven spots to No. 20, have dropped four games in a row. While three of those were to ranked opponents, the most recent loss to unranked Indiana, 73-58, was by far the most shocking.
Purdue shot 42.6% from the floor and made seven threes against the Hoosiers. However, Purdue committed 16 turnovers and got manhandled in the paint, 44-18.
Purdue needs to get some momentum before the regular season wraps up. With three games against unranked opponents left, perhaps Purdue can turn things around by taking better care of the ball and developing more of an inside presence.
Saint Mary’s debuts at No. 23
The Gaels (25-4, 15-1 WCC) join the poll at No. 23 riding a five-game winning streak. Saint Mary’s has already clinched the WCC regular-season title, which marks the first time the program has accomplished the feat outright in consecutive seasons in its history.
In a conference that has been dominated by Gonzaga since Mark Few took over as its head coach, Saint Mary’s currently holds a three-game lead and owns a season sweep of the Bulldogs.
Saint Mary’s has held its conference opponents to 60 points or fewer in 11 of its 16 WCC games. If it can maintain its defense the rest of the way, this could be a sneaky good team in March.
Kansas drops out of poll entirely
For the first time since 2021, Kansas (18-9, 9-7 Big 12) is unranked. This snaps a streak of 80 consecutive weeks in the poll for the Jayhawks.
After starting the season as the No. 1 team in the country, it has been an uncharacteristic campaign for head coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks. Prior to a 96-64 blowout win over Oklahoma State on Saturday, Kansas suffered its largest margin of defeat as a ranked team against an unranked opponent when it lost to BYU, 91-57.
For a program that is typically the team to beat in the Big 12 and went on to the national title in 2022, Kansas is the sixth seed in the conference as of Monday afternoon. Unless something changes between now and the end of the regular season, the Jayhawks are likely an early exit from the NCAA Tournament, which is far from the norm for the “Blue Blood” program.
