Tennessee, nation's lone unbeaten, strengthens grip on No. 1; WVU, Michigan, Utah St enter AP Top 25

 

[January 07, 2025]  By DAVE SKRETTA

Tennessee tightened its grip on No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Monday following a pair of lopsided wins, including one over SEC rival Arkansas, that left the Volunteers as the only undefeated team in men's Division I college basketball.

The Vols picked up four more first-place votes and had 45 of 60 from the national panel to remain atop the poll for the fifth straight week. Auburn earned the other 15 first-place nods and stayed at No. 2, while Iowa State, Duke and Alabama rounded out a top five that was unchanged following the first week of conference play for many leagues around the country.

Tennessee improved to 14-0 after beating Norfolk State and a 76-52 rout of the then-No. 23 Razorbacks, tying the third-longest winning streak in school history. And when Florida lost a shootout to Kentucky and Oklahoma was blown out by the Crimson Tide, it left the Volunteers as the only team in men's major college hoops without a blemish.

“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 that they kind of manhandled us.”

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

“It all goes to the players, you know? Good families,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. "They come in knowing what we expect, but they expect it from themselves, too. It just needs to be reemphasized daily to them.”

The Wildcats rode their win over Florida up four spots to No. 6. They were followed by Marquette, the Gators, UConn and Texas A&M, which routed Texas for the Aggies' eighth consecutive win.

Kansas dropped four spots to No. 11 after losing a nailbiter to West Virginia and blowing out UCF. The Jayhawks were followed by Houston and Illinois — the biggest climber this week, moving up nine spots — along with 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 beat Minnesota and Northwestern last week.

The Mountaineers, who followed their win over Kansas by beating Oklahoma State, were at No. 21 for their first ranking since Dec. 26, 2022. They were followed by UCLA, Mississippi, Michigan and Utah State, with the Wolverines returning after a two-week absence and the Aggies making their season debut at No. 25.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes yells at Chaz Lanier during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arkansas, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

“You're 14-1 and you're mad. That's kind of childish behavior, but you can’t be satisfied,” Utah State coach Jarrod Calhoun said after his team gutted out an 89-83 win over Fresno State on Saturday. “That's kind of how I live my life, in survival mode.”

Rising and falling
Illinois rose nine spots to No. 13 following a 109-77 rout of then-No. 9 Oregon and its win at Washington on Sunday.

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

In and out
West Virginia's appearance at No. 21 is only its second in the AP Top 25 since the final edition of the 2020-21 season. Michigan is ranked for the third time this season while Utah State is ranked for the first time with Calhoun on the sideline. Those three entered at the expense of the Bearcats, the Razorbacks and Baylor.

On the radar
Pittsburgh was the first team outside the Top 25 after opening ACC play with wins over California and Stanford. Nebraska was on 21 ballots amid its six-game winning streak. St. Bonaventure appeared on five ballots after beating Fordham for its eighth straight win; the Bonnies, whose only loss is to Utah State, have spent just three weeks in the poll since the 1970-71 season.

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

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