Purdue remained atop the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the third straight week Monday, while Gonzaga dropped to No. 24 after a loss to San Diego State but kept alive its streak of 142 consecutive weeks in the poll.
The Boilermakers picked up three more first-place votes and had 49 of 63 from the national media panel, easily outdistancing second-place Kansas, which received five first-place nods.
Oklahoma was the top-ranked area school at No. 11, with Big 12 newcomer BYU right behind.
FAU dropped from a program-best seventh to No. 17 as voters grappled with the odd resume the Owls have put together this season. They beat Texas A&M and earned a marquee win with a double-overtime victory over Arizona, but they lost to Bryant and were upset by Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday night.
Baylor was No. 18, with James Madison and Texas rounding out the top 20. The final five in the first poll of 2024 were Wisconsin, unbeaten Mississippi, Providence, struggling Gonzaga and Auburn, which is ranked for the first time this season.
CONFERENCE WATCH: There were 10 conferences represented in the poll this week, led by six from the Big 12, which also had four of the top 12 teams in the nation. The SEC was next with four, followed by the Big Ten, Big East and ACC with three apiece.
AP Top 25
| TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREV. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Purdue (49) | 12-1 | 1,561 | 1 |
| 2. Kansas (5) | 12-1 | 1,497 | 2 |
| 3. Houston (9) | 13-0 | 1,477 | 3 |
| 4. UConn | 11-2 | 1,302 | 5 |
| 5. Tennessee | 9-3 | 1,234 | 6 |
| 6. Kentucky | 10-2 | 1,196 | 8 |
| 7. Marquette | 11-3 | 1,137 | 10 |
| 8. North Carolina | 9-3 | 1,088 | 9 |
| 9. Illinois | 10-2 | 980 | 11 |
| 10. Arizona | 10-3 | 975 | 4 |
| 11. Oklahoma | 12-1 | 898 | 12 |
| 12. BYU | 12-1 | 723 | 14 |
| 13. Colorado State | 12-1 | 694 | 15 |
| 14. Duke | 9-3 | 662 | 16 |
| 15. Memphis | 11-2 | 631 | 19 |
| 16. Clemson | 11-1 | 630 | 18 |
| 17. Florida Atlantic | 10-3 | 603 | 7 |
| 18. Baylor | 10-2 | 589 | 17 |
| 19. James Madison | 13-0 | 469 | 20 |
| 20. Texas | 10-2 | 374 | 21 |
| 21. Wisconsin | 9-3 | 355 | 23 |
| 22. Ole Miss | 13-0 | 329 | 24 |
| 23. Providence | 11-2 | 198 | 25 |
| 24. Gonzaga | 9-4 | 173 | 13 |
| 25. Auburn | 10-2 | 168 | NR |
Others receiving votes: San Diego St. 113, Creighton 106, Colorado 86, Utah 82, Miami 41, Iowa St. 22, Michigan St. 15, Nevada 13, Texas A&M 13, Ohio St. 8, New Mexico 6, Dayton 5, Grand Canyon 5, South Carolina 4, Mississippi St. 4, Northwestern 3, Villanova 3, Alabama 3.
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