AP Poll Top 25 revealed following second week of college basketball season
College basketball’s season is beginning to hit it’s stride, as we closed the book on the second week of the season, and the AP Top 25 Poll has officially been updated.
A bevy of fascinating showdowns graced our screens in Week 2 of the season. Duke defeated Michigan State, and Kansas took care of Kentucky in a wild clash. Additionally, Bryant was able to pull an upset over Florida Atlantic, handing the top ten team their first loss of the campaign.
This week features some wild games, including Monday’s matchup between Purdue and Gonzaga. As we move forward, here’s where the AP Poll stands for college basketball at the moment.
1) Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas racked up one of the best wins of the young season thus far, defeating Kentucky last week. Leading the way was star transfer Hunter Dickinson, who scored 27 for the Jayhawks in their 89-84 victory.
This week won’t prove too difficult for Kansas, as their only game is on Monday in the Allstate Maui Invitational. The Jayhawks will enjoy the weather as they face Chaminade at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
2) Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue took care of Xavier in their lone game of Week 2. The Boilermakers won by 12 over the Musketeers, with star center Zach Edey leading the way, amassing 28 points and 11 rebounds in the process.
Things won’t get easier for the Boilermakers this week though. On Monday, Purdue will face Gonzaga in the Allstate Maui Invitational, a game that’s sure to have a huge impact on the AP Poll moving forward.
3) Arizona Wildcats
It’s a good time to be an Arizona fan at the moment. The football team is on the rise, and the basketball squad is proving their mettle as one of the nation’s top teams.
After defeating Duke during the first week of play, the Wildcats won three games over the last week, defeating Southern, Belmont and UT Arlington. Arizona won’t be back in action until a showdown with Michigan State on Thursday, as they look to continue their ascension, and the Spartans’ slide to begin the 2023-2024 season.
4) Marquette Golden Eagles
In their lone game of Week 2, Marquette defeated Illinois during the Gavitt Tipoff Games. The Golden Eagles were led by Tyler Kolek, who scored 24 points in the seven point win.
At 3-0 on the season, Marquette’s next game will come on Monday, against the UCLA Bruins at the Allstate Maui Invitational. ESPN Analytics is giving them a 77.4% chance of victory, which would be UCLA’s first loss of the season, if it comes true.
5) Connecticut Huskies
The reigning champions handled their business over the last week. UConn defeated Mississippi Valley State by 34, and then beat Indiana by 20 during the Saatva Empire Classic.
On Monday, the Huskies will play their second of back-to-back games during the Saatva Empire Classic. The Texas Longhorns are on the docket, a game UConn can’t take lightly, airing at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
6) Houston Cougars
Houston won four games over the last week, defeating Stetson, Towson, Utah and Dayton, in that order. The Cougars now sit at 6-0 on the season, and their looking for more.
November will come to a close for Houston on Friday, as they welcome Montana to town. An undefeated month would be a fantastic way to start the season for one of the best teams in the nation.
7) Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee only played one game last week, defeating Wofford by 21 points. The Volunteers were led by Dalton Knecht, who scored 18 points in the win to bring Tennessee to 3-0 on the season.
As the campaign moves forward, a couple of ACC teams are on the docket next for the Volunteers. They’ll face Syracuse at the Allstate Maui Invitational, and North Carolina in the week that follows, during the ACC/SEC Challenge.
8) Creighton Blue Jays
Creighton started their week off right, with a win over Iowa by 8 points on Tuesday. Then, they continued their tremendous play, sending Texas Southern home with a loss of 32 points on Saturday.
Leading the way for the Blue Jays at the moment is Trey Alexander, as the guard averages 21.0 points per game. He’ll look to stay hot on Wednesday against Loyola Chicago, during a showdown in the Hall of Fame Classic.
9) Duke Blue Devils
After falling to Arizona to begin their season, Duke got back on track during the second week of their 2023-2024 campaign. The Blue Devils defeated Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic, and then added a win over Bucknell in the Blue Devil Challenge.
This week, the Blue Devil Challenge continues for Duke. They’ll welcome La Salle and Southern Indiana to town, as they look to improve their record to 5-1 by next week.
10) Miami Hurricanes
Miami continued their winning ways with a victories over FIU and Georgia over the last week. The latter over the Bulldogs came by 11 points, with Matthew Cleveland leading the way.
This week, the Hurricanes will enjoy a week off through Thanksgiving. However, they’ll be welcomed back into action with a tough showdown against the Kentucky Wildcats in the ACC/SEC Challenge in the week after.
AP Poll Top 25 — 11 through 25:
11. Gonzaga
12. Texas A&M
13. Baylor
14. North Carolina
15. Texas
16. Kentucky
17. Alabama
18. Colorado
19. Florida Atlantic
20. Arkansas
21. Michigan State
22. James Madison
23. USC
24. Virginia
25. Mississippi St.
Others receiving votes: Memphis 149, BYU 138, Illinois 138, San Diego St. 77, UCLA 75, TCU 69, Iowa St. 67, Villanova 44, Auburn 28, Clemson 12, Oklahoma 10, Princeton 10, Michigan 10, Liberty 7, South Carolina 3, Chattanooga 2, Nevada 1, Drake 1, Colorado St. 1.
As you can see, the AP Top 25 Poll for the second week of college basketball reflects the action we’ve seen thus far on the court. With some awesome clashes set for the Allstate Maui Invitational, we’re bound to see a ton more movement over the next week. We’ll see where each team ends up.