For the second consecutive week, Tennessee holds the No. 1 spot in the AP men’s Top 25 poll. The Volunteers (10-0) received 1,537 votes and 50 first-place votes to stay ahead of No. 2 Auburn, which cruised to a 91-53 victory against Ohio State on Saturday. The Tigers (9-1) did gain ground on Tennessee from last week’s poll, totaling 1,483 votes (12 first-place votes).
Tennessee is coming off a 2-0 week away from home, defeating Miami 75-62 in New York on Tuesday and Illinois 66-64 in Champaign on Saturday thanks to a buzzer-beating Jordan Gainey layup. Kentucky jumped Duke for the No. 4 spot after defeating Louisville 93-85 on Saturday. Sixth-ranked Alabama (8-2) jumped one spot and seventh-ranked Florida (10-0) jumped two spots from last week’s poll, giving the SEC five of the top seven spots, including three of the top five.
Kansas regrouped from its first two losses of the season a week ago to move up two spots after a 75-60 win over NC State. The Jayhawks dropped from the top team to No. 10 last week but are up to No. 8.
UConn (8-3) and UCLA (9-1) made two of the biggest jumps in the poll. The Huskies moved up seven spots to No. 11 after a tight win over Gonzaga, which dropped five spots. The Bruins rose six spots to No. 18 thanks to a three-point victory against Arizona.
Dayton (9-2) made its first appearance on the AP poll this season, garnering 281 points and a No. 22 ranking after a 71-63 home win over Marquette. No. 24 Michigan dropped 10 spots and No. 25 Clemson dropped nine spots after narrow losses.
Here’s the full poll, alongside the ballot of The Athletic’s C.J. Moore:
AP Top 25: Dec. 16
| Rank | Team | Record | Prev | CJ’s vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
10-0 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
9-1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
9-1 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
4 |
10-1 |
5 |
6 |
|
|
5 |
8-2 |
4 |
4 |
|
|
6 |
8-2 |
7 |
7 |
|
|
7 |
10-0 |
9 |
5 |
|
|
8 |
8-2 |
10 |
11 |
|
|
9 |
9-2 |
6 |
12 |
|
|
10 |
10-1 |
12 |
9 |
|
|
11 |
8-3 |
18 |
13 |
|
|
12 |
9-2 |
17 |
14 |
|
|
13 |
7-3 |
8 |
15 |
|
|
14 |
10-0 |
13 |
21 |
|
|
15 |
6-3 |
15 |
10 |
|
|
16 |
8-3 |
11 |
16 |
|
|
17 |
9-1 |
19 |
17 |
|
|
18 |
9-1 |
24 |
8 |
|
|
19 |
8-1 |
22 |
NR |
|
|
20 |
8-2 |
21 |
24 |
|
|
21 |
8-2 |
NR |
NR |
|
|
22 |
9-2 |
NR |
25 |
|
|
23 |
7-2 |
23 |
NR |
|
|
24 |
8-2 |
14 |
20 |
|
|
25 |
9-2 |
16 |
NR |
|
|
NR |
9-1 |
NR |
18 |
|
|
NR |
7-3 |
NR |
19 |
|
|
NR |
9-1 |
NR |
22 |
|
|
NR |
8-2 |
NR |
23 |
Auburn or Tennessee at No. 1?
I’ve kept Auburn at No. 1 over Tennessee, and you could say that’s a controversial stance since a majority of voters have Tennessee. Tennessee’s argument got stronger this week with Saturday’s win at Illinois, but Auburn still has the better resume. The Tigers lead college basketball with five wins over KenPom top-40 teams. Only one team (Marquette) has four, and then there’s a group of five with three. Tennessee has two.
I don’t think it’s egregious to rank the Vols No. 1, but most are doing so because Tennessee is undefeated and Auburn is not. There are a few places where you get a pass for a road loss, and Cameron Indoor Stadium is one of them. Also, Auburn’s resume could get even better this week with Saturday’s game against Purdue in Birmingham, the next chance to add to that top-40 wins total. — CJ Moore, college basketball writer
Dayton joins Top 25
The Flyers come in at No. 25 on my poll and also made their season debut in the AP poll. The Flyers have now been ranked in four of the last six seasons and always run beautiful offense, and it’s a good time to recognize the job that coach Anthony Grant has done there.
His success since seven solid-but-not-spectacular seasons at Alabama is a good reminder that sometimes it isn’t wise to write off good coaches who can’t break through at high-major programs. Dayton was already a really good job before he got there, but I’d argue it’s one of the best mid-major-plus jobs in college hoops, and Grant has only helped increase its profile. — Moore
(Photo: Michael Hickey / Getty Images)
