Purdue a unanimous No. 1 in AP High 25; Vols as much as No. 2

Purdue turned this season’s first unanimous No. 1 crew within the AP High 25 males’s school basketball ballot Monday after wins over Michigan and Michigan State final week as chaos ensued behind the Boilermakers amongst different ranked groups.

Greater than half of High 25 groups misplaced, together with second-ranked Alabama, which was routed by Oklahoma within the Large 12-SEC Problem. That allowed Purdue to seize the remaining No. 1 votes and tighten its grip atop the ballot, whereas Tennessee jumped two spots to second and Houston held onto third in voting by 62 nationwide media members.

The Boilermakers (21-1) have received eight straight since a one-point loss to Rutgers on Jan. 2.

“We are the No. 1 crew within the nation due to how unselfish we’re as a crew,” Purdue guard David Jenkins Jr. mentioned. “We had lots of people doubting us at first as a result of, , we is probably not probably the most proficient crew or no matter, however we’re shut on the court docket and off the court docket and it is actually translating to how we’re successful.”

The Volunteers climbed to their highest perch since reaching No. 1 for 4 weeks in the course of the 2018-19 season. They routed Georgia earlier than changing into considered one of three SEC groups to beat Large 12 opponents on Saturday, knocking off No. 10 Texas 82-71 for his or her fifth consecutive win over a top-10 crew.

Maybe that is the 12 months Rick Barnes lastly will get the Vols via the Candy 16 for the primary time as their coach.

“We now have an opportunity to be nearly as good as we need to be,” he mentioned. “It is as much as one factor: Are we powerful sufficient to embrace the each day grind? And never fear about going to the Remaining 4 or fear about going to the NCAA Event, however can we construct a crew that may be profitable that point of 12 months? It begins with actually embracing the grind.”

The Crimson Tide dropped to fourth after the blowout loss to the Sooners, when Alabama fell behind by 17 at halftime in an eventual 93-69 defeat. The Tide edged fifth-ranked Arizona by simply two factors on this week’s ballot.

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“It does not have any impact on SEC standings, which is the one good factor to return out of this,” Alabama coach Nate Oats mentioned of the lopsided loss. “Hopefully we’ll recuperate from a loss out of convention, however , it is not good.”

Virginia was sixth and Kansas State, which rebounded from a slender loss at No. 13 Iowa State by pummeling Florida on Saturday, fell two spots to seventh; the Wildcats face eighth-ranked Kansas in a top-10 showdown Tuesday night time.

UCLA dropped to ninth after shedding to Southern California and Texas rounded out the highest 10.

Baylor continued its climb from unranked to No. 11 following wins over the Jayhawks and Arkansas. The Bears had been adopted by Gonzaga, Iowa State, Marquette and league rival TCU — the sixth Large 12 crew within the high 15.

Xavier, Windfall, Saint Mary’s, Florida Atlantic and Clemson accomplished the highest 20, whereas ballot returners Indiana and San Diego State joined Miami, UConn and Auburn in rounding out the High 25.

RISING AND FALLING

The No. 11 Bears and No. 17 Windfall made the largest leaps, every climbing six spots from final week.

“I feel our protection is best. Our turnovers are higher. When you do not give individuals simple transition baskets, now its five-on-five within the half court docket,” mentioned Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose crew had a date with the Longhorns on Monday night time.

“We execute at a fairly excessive price,” Drew mentioned. “It actually comes right down to taking good care of the ball, ensuring we get pictures up and when you do not make them, you have to get rebounds. And our guys are shopping for into that.”

Auburn took the largest hit of these nonetheless within the ballot, dropping 10 locations after losses to unranked Texas A&M and West Virginia.

IN AND OUT

The Hoosiers returned to the ballot at No. 21 and the Aztecs rejoined it proper behind them. They took the place of Charleston, which fell out from No. 18 after shedding to Hofstra, and New Mexico, which misplaced to Nevada in double extra time final week.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Large 12’s dominance of the SEC within the closing 12 months of their head-to-head problem was rewarded within the ballot, the place the league led the best way with six ranked groups and all of them within the high 15. The Large East has 4 groups within the ballot however none greater than No. 14 Marquette, whereas the SEC and ACC have three groups apiece.

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Extra AP school basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25(backslash)