Kentucky climbs in both college basketball polls this week

DrewFranklinKSR

Kentucky is gradually making its way back up the AP college basketball poll, where it was ranked as high as fifth earlier this season. This week the Cats find themselves at No. 18 in the poll, up three places from the No. 21 ranking of a week ago. They were helped by the fall of Seton Hall, TCU, Miami and Clemson, all of which suffered losses that caused their drop in the poll. Believe it or not, Auburn --- yes, Auburn --- is the SEC's highest ranked team, sitting at No. 17 this week, one spot ahead of the Wildcats.

AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Villanova (63)	16-1	1,623
2	Virginia (1)	16-1	1,527
3	Purdue (1)	17-2	1,411
4	Oklahoma	14-2	1,371
5	Duke	15-2	1,319
6	West Virginia	15-2	1,304
7	Wichita State	15-2	1,283
8	Texas Tech	15-2	1,276
9	Michigan State	16-3	1,062
10	Kansas	14-3	1,032
11	Xavier	16-3	928
12	Cincinnati	15-2	858
13	Gonzaga	16-3	829
14	Arizona	14-4	723
15	North Carolina	14-4	666
16	Arizona State	14-3	639
17	Auburn	16-1	523
18	Kentucky	14-3	487
19	Seton Hall	15-3	455
20	Clemson	15-2	444
21	Tennessee	12-4	358
22	Ohio State	15-4	276
23	Michigan	15-4	233
24	TCU	13-4	196
25	Miami	13-3	143

And in the USA Today Coaches poll, Kentucky moved up four spots to No. 16 in the country. Auburn isn't as highly regarded in this one, as Bruce Pearl's Tigers hold a No. 20 ranking.

RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Villanova (27)	14-1	770
2	West Virginia (4)	14-1	724
3	Virginia	14-1	693
4	Michigan State	15-2	679
5	Wichita State	13-2	586
6	Duke	13-2	584
7	Purdue	15-2	567
8	Texas Tech	14-1	525
9	Oklahoma	12-2	518
10	Xavier	15-2	505
11	Arizona State	13-2	449
12	Kansas	12-3	426
13	Cincinnati	14-2	350
14	Gonzaga	14-3	325
15	Seton Hall	14-2	304
16	TCU	13-2	285
17	Clemson	14-1	258
18	North Carolina	12-4	230
19	Miami	13-2	219
20	Kentucky	12-3	205
21	Arizona	12-4	174
22	Creighton	13-3	160
23	Tennessee	10-4	138
24	Auburn	14-1	100
25	Notre Dame	13-3	53