The author of this article is Dave Skretta, a writer for the Associated Press who covers basketball.

Arizona solidified its position as the number one team in the latest edition of the Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball rankings on Monday. This sets up a highly anticipated matchup against Purdue, the previous top-ranked team in the country, this upcoming weekend.

The Wildcats earned all but one first-place vote from a panel of 63 voters, no doubt impressing them with their 98-73 win over the No. 23 Badgers. They picked up three first-place votes to remain atop the poll for the second straight week, while Kansas remained at No. 2 and Purdue — which Arizona had supplanted at No. 1 — moved up one spot to third after wins over Iowa and Alabama.

The undefeated Wildcats (8-0) will face the Boilermakers (9-1) in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Tommy Lloyd, the coach of Arizona, discussed the legacy of their basketball team and how they are currently basking in the spotlight.

Houston was the recipient of the sole No. 1 vote that was not given to the Wildcats, yet they fell one spot to fourth place. UConn maintained their position at No. 5 in the rankings after securing victories against ninth-ranked North Carolina and Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the previous week.

Once again, Baylor holds half of the top six positions in the Big 12 conference rankings. Following closely behind at No. 6 are Marquette, Creighton, the Tar Heels, and Gonzaga. However, Gonzaga dropped three spots to No. 10 after their recent defeat against Washington with a score of 78-73.

“We have a lengthy season ahead of us with some important games,” stated Anton Watson, a forward for the Bulldogs. Their upcoming match against fifth-ranked UConn in Seattle takes place on Friday night. “I don’t believe that one or two losses will dictate our entire season. We all have a determined mindset.”

Although there was minimal change among the top 10 rankings this week, there were drastic fluctuations among the remaining teams in the Top 25.

Oklahoma experienced a significant increase, moving up eight positions to No. 11, following victories against Providence and Arkansas. The undefeated Sooners were followed by Tennessee, which rose five spots, and Clemson, also undefeated, moved up to No. 11 after defeating South Carolina and TCU. These teams are among the seven remaining with perfect records in Division I basketball.

Kentucky’s ranking rose by two to No. 14, while Florida Atlantic dropped four spots to No. 15 following their defeat against Illinois.

The University of Illinois came in just after the Temple Owls, followed by Colorado State, BYU, Texas, and James Madison to complete the top 20. Duke was ranked at No. 21, with Virginia, Wisconsin, Miami, and Northwestern following at No. 25. This marks only the seventh time since the 1968-69 season that the Wildcats (7-1) have been ranked, and the second consecutive season.

“I have been informed of this at home. My daughter was the most upset about not being ranked last week. She has been passionately advocating for us to be in the Top 25,” stated Chris Collins, head coach of Northwestern. This is the team’s best start in eight games since the 2015-16 season. “While those accolades are nice, our main focus is on winning games and continuing to play with determination and effort.”

The University of Oklahoma’s 11th ranked football team will face off against Green Bay this week, followed by a highly anticipated game against the 9th ranked University of North Carolina next week. The 13th ranked Clemson Tigers will also have an opportunity to continue moving up in the rankings when they play against Memphis, a team that is currently receiving votes, on Saturday.

After being defeated 90-63 by Colorado, Miami dropped down nine positions to No. 24 in the rankings. This almost resulted in Colorado being ranked, as they were the first team to miss the Top 25. Texas also saw a decrease in their ranking, falling seven spots after a loss to Marquette and a win against Houston Christian.

After being absent for a week last month, Virginia regained its spot at No. 22 in the rankings. Northwestern also made its first appearance in the Top 25 this season.

After suffering a defeat against Memphis on Sunday, Texas A&M is no longer listed in the poll. Similarly, San Diego State dropped out following their loss to Grand Canyon, a team that has never been ranked but did receive one vote for the No. 25 spot this week.

The Big 12, which includes Houston and BYU as new teams, has a total of six teams ranked in the Top 25, with three of them being in the top six. Meanwhile, the ACC has five teams in the Top 25, while both the Big East and Big Ten have four each. The Big East stands out with three of its teams (UConn, Marquette, and Creighton) ranking in the top eight.

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Source: wralsportsfan.com