This text is written by AARON BEARD, a writer for AP Basketball.

Revised: It is now Houston’s chance to take the lead in the Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball ranking.

On Monday’s latest ranking, the Cougars rose to the top spot, overtaking previous leader and defending champions, Connecticut. This marks the first time this season that Houston (24-3) has held this position, making them the fifth team to do so in this season.

Purdue moved up one rank to second place, while the Huskies’ defeat to Creighton caused them to fall to third in a survey that also saw South Florida enter the rankings for the first time in their team’s history.

Last year, the University of Houston’s basketball team, led by coach Kelvin Sampson, held the No. 1 spot for seven weeks. This was the first time since the 1982-1983 season, when the team was known as “Phi Slama Jama” and included star players who went on to play in the NBA, such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. The Cougars have now returned to the top spot and are part of a new conference, the Big 12. They continue to utilize their proven defense-focused strategy, as evidenced by their top ranking in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing only 87.1 points per 100 possessions.

“Our team is composed of resilient individuals,” stated Sampson following an overtime victory against Baylor. “We may not always play with finesse, but let’s not forget that this is not a competition based on appearance.”

The ranking of the top 10 was comprised of the same selection of teams, but in a different arrangement.

Tennessee climbed to the fourth spot in the rankings, achieving its highest position of the season so far. The team was followed by Marquette, with Arizona, Kansas, Iowa State, North Carolina and Duke completing the top ten.

Although there was some fluctuation, the top 12 teams did not experience significant advancements. Auburn (11th) and Creighton (12th) saw the most notable improvements, moving up three spots, while four other teams climbed two places.

Dayton, ranked 21st, experienced the largest decline among nine teams that dropped in the rankings, falling five places after their defeat at George Mason. Baylor, ranked 15th, fell four spots following a loss against BYU and then against Houston.

The only team to remain in the same spot as last week was No. 24 Florida.

Amir Abdur-Rahim’s leadership has brought about a unexpected success for South Florida in their debut season. He previously orchestrated a remarkable recovery at Kennesaw State, taking them from a one-win record to securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament last year. This year, he has guided the Bulls (21-5) to surpass expectations after being predicted to finish ninth in the American Athletic Conference. Their impressive performance has earned them their first-ever ranking, placing at No. 25.

Two more teams have joined the list: Utah State, ranked No. 22, was previously ranked for five consecutive weeks this season and No. 23 Gonzaga has returned to the poll after not being ranked for six weeks. This marks the first time Gonzaga has been unranked since the 2015-16 season.

Colorado State (No. 22), Texas Tech (No. 23), and BYU (No. 25) dropped out of the rankings since last week.

The Southeastern Conference led the way with six ranked teams, including No. 14 Alabama, No. 16 Kentucky and No. 18 South Carolina. The Big 12 was next with four teams, all in the top 15.

The Big East had three teams, while the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast, Pac-12, Mountain West, and West Coast conferences had two teams each. The Atlantic 10 and AAC each had one team.

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Source: wralsportsfan.com