By SAM LANCE
It’ll be the first ever No. 1 vs. No. 2 basketball Iron Bowl this coming Saturday in Tuscaloosa, as Auburn remained the No. 1 team in the latest AP Poll with Alabama trailing right behind the Tigers.
The full poll is as follows:
- Auburn
- Alabama
- Florida
- Duke (tied for 3rd)
- Tennessee
- Houston
- Purdue
- Texas A&M
- St. John’s
- Iowa State
- Michigan State
- Texas Tech
- Arizona
- Memphis
- Kentucky
- Wisconsin
- Kansas
- Marquette
- Ole Miss
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Mississippi State
- Clemson
- Creighton
- Maryland
Receiving votes: UCLA (123), UConn (106), Illinois (59), Louisville (53), New Mexico (40), Drake (21), St. Mary’s (20), Utah State (8), George Mason (7), Gonzaga (5).
The SEC continues to dominate the poll, now with four teams in the top-five and nine teams in the top-25. The Big 10 and Big 12 come in second, each with five teams ranked. The Big East sees three of its programs in the poll, and the ACC has two. Memphis is the lone team outside the Power Five leagues to make an appearance.
Some of the biggest risers include Florida (up three spots), St. John’s (up three spots), Arizona (up seven spots), Wisconsin (up five spots), Ole Miss (up six spots) and Michigan (up four spots). Marquette (down seven spots), Missouri (down six spots) and Maryland (down seven spots) are the biggest fallers.
After losing to St. John’s on Friday night, UConn has now dropped out of the poll for the first time since Nov. 7, 2022. UConn was ranked for 51-straight weeks.
Per Jeff Borzello, St. John’s is the highest-ranked Big East team during an in-season AP Poll for the first time since Jan. 28, 1991. The Red Storm are also in the top-10 for the first time since 2000.
Photo via ABC 33/30.
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