Kansas remained solidly entrenched at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday ahead of its showdown with No. 11 Duke in Las Vegas, while a pair of schools from the Magnolia State elbowed their way back into the rankings.
Ole Miss returned to the poll at No. 23 while Mississippi State made its season debut at No. 25.
The Jayhawks received 51 of 62 first-place votes from the national panel of media, putting them well ahead of two-time reigning national champion UConn, which was second with six first-place votes. Gonzaga was third with two first-place votes, Auburn was next with three, and Iowa State rounded out a top five that was unchanged from the previous week.
So do the Jayhawks, who have already beaten No. 12 North Carolina and Michigan State this season.
RANK TEAM RECORD PREVIOUS RANK
1 Kansas 5-0 1
2 UConn 4-0 2
3 Gonzaga 5-0 3
4 Auburn 4-0 4
5 Iowa State 3-0 5
6 Houston 3-1 7
7 Tennessee 6-0 11
8 Kentucky 5-0 9
9 Alabama 4-1 8
10 Marquette 6-0 15
11 Duke 4-1 12
12 North Carolina 3-1 10
13 Purdue 5-1 6
14 Indiana 4-0 16
15 Wisconsin 7-0 19
16 Cincinnati 5-0 18
17 Baylor 4-2 19
18 Florida 6-0 21
19 Arkansas 4-1 20
20 Texas A&M 4-1 23
21 Creighton 4-1 14
22 Xavier 5-0 –
23 Ole Miss 5-0 –
24 Arizona 2-2 17
25 Mississippi State 5-0 –