Undefeated Tennessee solidifies its position at No. 1 in the AP Top 25

Tennessee solidified its lead at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Monday after two lopsided wins, including one against SEC rival Arkansas, leaving the Volunteers the only undefeated team in Division I men’s college basketball.

The Vols received four more first-place votes and received 45 of 60 votes from the national panel, remaining atop the poll for the fifth straight week. Auburn received the other 15 first-place nominations and remained at No. 2, while Iowa State, Duke and Alabama rounded out the top five, which remained unchanged after the first week of conferences for many leagues across the country.

Tennessee improved to 14-0 after defeating then-No. 23 Razorbacks, tying the third-longest winning streak in school history. And when Florida lost a shootout to Kentucky and Oklahoma was defeated by the Crimson Tide, the Volunteers remained the only team unscathed in the men’s major college competition.

“They’re the No. 1 team in the country for a reason,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said, “and my disappointment wasn’t coming to Tennessee and losing a game. It was more that they mistreated us in some way.”

The Vols have done that a lot this season. Only once have they failed to beat anyone by double digits.

“Everything goes to the players, you know? Good families,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “They come knowing what we expect, but they also expect it of themselves. It just needs to be reinforced to them every day.”

The Wildcats moved up four spots to No. 6 with their win over Florida. They were followed by Marquette, the Gators, UConn and Texas A&M, who defeated Texas for the Aggies’ eighth straight win.

Kansas fell four spots to No. 11 after suffering a nail-biting win over West Virginia and knocking UCF out of contention. The Jayhawks were followed by Houston and Illinois – this week’s biggest movers, rising nine spots – as well as Mississippi State and Oregon.

Michigan State was No. 16 and Oklahoma fell five spots after its 107-79 loss to the Crimson Tide. Gonzaga, Memphis and Purdue rounded out the top 20 after the Boilermakers defeated Minnesota and Northwestern last week.

The Mountaineers, who beat Oklahoma State after their win over Kansas, were ranked No. 21 for the first time since December 26, 2022. They were followed by UCLA, Mississippi, Michigan and Utah State, with the Wolverines returning after a two-week absence and the Aggies make their season debut in 25th place.

“You’re at 14-1 and you’re angry. It’s kind of childish behavior, but you can’t be happy,” Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun said after his team posted an 89-83 win over Fresno State on Saturday. “That’s how I live my life, in survival mode.”

Rising and falling

Illinois moved up spots to No. 13 after a 109-77 win over then-No. 9 Oregon and its win at Washington on Sunday.

Cincinnati fell all the way down from 16th place after losses to Kansas and Arizona. The Ducks fell six spots and UCLA dropped seven to No. 22 after the Bruins lost in their only game of the week at Nebraska.

In and out

West Virginia’s appearance at No. 21 is just its second in the AP Top 25 rankings since the previous edition of the 2020-21 season. Michigan is listed for the third time this season, while Utah State is listed for the first time with Calhoun on the sidelines. Those three competed at the expense of the Bearcats, Razorbacks and Baylor.

On the radar

Pittsburgh became the first team outside the top 25 after opening ACC play with wins over California and Stanford. Nebraska had 21 ballots in its six-game winning streak. St. Bonaventure appeared on five ballots after beating Fordham for its eighth straight victory; The Bonnies, whose only loss is to Utah State, have only been in the poll for three weeks since the 1970-71 season.

Conference clock

The SEC again led all leagues with nine teams ranked, including three in the top five and six in the top 10. Next was the Big Ten with six teams in the poll, while the Big 12 had four and the Big East had two – both under the Top 10. ACC, West Coast, American Athletic and Mountain West each had one team in the poll.