Arizona leaps from 11th to 6th in AP men’s basketball rankings
Jan 23, 2023, 10:16 AM
Arizona Wildcats center Oumar Ballo #11 dunks the ball during the first half of a basketball game between the USC Trojans and the Arizona Wildcats on January 19, 2023 at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Arizona Wildcats are trending up in The Associated Press men’s basketball poll after a home sweep of the Los Angeles area schools last week.
Arizona (17-3) jumped from No. 11 last week to sixth, according to the latest poll released Monday morning.
Tommy Lloyd’s squad beat USC, 81-66, on Thursday before grinding out a 58-52 win against No. 5 UCLA.
The victories didn’t budge the Wildcats in the NET ratings, which will be weighed when NCAA Tournament time comes around. The Wildcats remain 11th in those ratings.
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Meanwhile, rival Arizona State (15-5) did not receive any votes in this week’s poll after getting swept at home by UCLA and USC. The Sun Devils received enough votes to be ranked three spots outside the top-25 last week but, like the week before that, received no votes in the latest poll Monday.
Purdue is back at No. 1 in the AP Top 25, and Alabama is right behind the Boilermakers.
Purdue returned to the top spot in AP poll, moving up two spots after Temple knocked off No. 1 Houston over the weekend. The Boilermakers received 39 first-place votes from a 62-person media panel after a volatile week where just two teams kept the same spot from a week ago.
Alabama climbed two spots to No. 2, picking up 23 first-place votes for its highest ranking since reaching No. 1 in 2002-03. Houston, Tennessee and Kansas State round out the top five.
Purdue (19-1, 8-1 Big Ten) had dropped to No. 3 after four weeks at No. 1 following a loss to Rutgers on Jan. 3, but has since won six straight.
Alabama (17-2, 7-0 SEC) has made a steady climb since being ranked No. 20 in the preseason AP Top 25, moving into the top 10 in early December.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
AP Top 25 men’s basketball rankings
| Team | Record | Pts | Prv |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Purdue (39) | 19-1 | 1527 | 3 |
| 2. Alabama (23) | 17-2 | 1511 | 4 |
| 3. Houston | 18-2 | 1333 | 1 |
| 4. Tennessee | 16-3 | 1298 | 9 |
| 5. Kansas St | 17-2 | 1254 | 13 |
| 6. Arizona | 17-3 | 1195 | 11 |
| 7. Virginia | 15-3 | 1160 | 10 |
| 8. UCLA | 17-3 | 1155 | 5 |
| 9. Kansas | 16-3 | 1117 | 2 |
| 10. Texas | 16-3 | 980 | 7 |
| 11. TCU | 15-4 | 875 | 14 |
| 12. Iowa St. | 14-4 | 817 | 12 |
| 13. Xavier | 16-4 | 807 | 8 |
| 14. Gonzaga | 17-4 | 784 | 6 |
| 15. Auburn | 16-3 | 699 | 16 |
| 16. Marquette | 16-5 | 600 | 20 |
| 17. Baylor | 14-5 | 497 | 21 |
| 18. Coll of Charleston | 21-1 | 445 | 18 |
| 19. UConn | 16-5 | 372 | 15 |
| 20. Miami | 15-4 | 328 | 17 |
| 21. FAU | 19-1 | 271 | 24 |
| 22. Saint Mary’s | 18-4 | 254 | – |
| 23. Providence | 15-5 | 194 | 22 |
| 24. Clemson | 16-4 | 169 | 19 |
| 25. New Mexico | 18-2 | 156 | – |
Others receiving votes: Duke 102, Indiana 61, San Diego St. 57, Rutgers 31, Kent St. 24, North Carolina 12, Michigan St. 10, Arkansas 9, Illinois 9, Creighton 9, Missouri 8, Wisconsin 6, NC State 4, Kentucky 3, Boise St. 2, VCU 2, Wake Forest 1, Oral Roberts 1, Memphis 1.
