After losing back-to-back games last week, Kansas plummeted from No. 1 to No. 10 in the AP men’s basketball Top 25 on Monday, making way for Tennessee to take the top spot for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
Kansas, which had held the No. 1 spot since the preseason while starting the season 7-0, lost to Creighton (76-63) on Wednesday and Missouri (76-67) on Sunday, both on the road.
Tennessee (8-0) rose from No. 3 after a 96-70 blowout victory over Syracuse. The Volunteers received 58 of 62 first-place votes. Auburn (8-1) remained No. 2 after a 1-1 week. No. 3 Iowa State (7-1) moved up three spots to No. 3 after wins over Marquette and Jackson State. Duke (7-2), which defeated Auburn and Louisville, jumped five spots to No. 4, and Kentucky rounded out the top five.
No. 14 Michigan, No. 16 Clemson, No. 21 Michigan State, No. 24 UCLA and No. 25 Mississippi State all moved into the poll for the first time this season. The full poll:
AP Top 25: Dec. 9
| Rank | Team | Record | Prev | CJ’s vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
8-0 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
8-1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
7-1 |
6 |
3 |
|
|
4 |
7-2 |
9 |
4 |
|
|
5 |
8-1 |
4 |
6 |
|
|
6 |
9-1 |
5 |
7 |
|
|
7 |
7-2 |
10 |
9 |
|
|
8 |
7-2 |
7 |
11 |
|
|
9 |
9-0 |
13 |
5 |
|
|
10 |
7-2 |
1 |
15 |
|
|
11 |
8-2 |
8 |
8 |
|
|
12 |
9-1 |
12 |
13 |
|
|
13 |
9-0 |
21 |
20 |
|
|
14 |
8-1 |
NR |
10 |
|
|
15 |
5-3 |
17 |
14 |
|
|
16 |
9-1 |
NR |
18 |
|
|
17 |
8-2 |
22 |
25 |
|
|
18 |
7-3 |
25 |
NR |
|
|
19 |
8-1 |
23 |
16 |
|
|
20 |
8-2 |
11 |
19 |
|
|
21 |
8-2 |
NR |
24 |
|
|
22 |
7-1 |
14 |
NR |
|
|
23 |
6-2 |
24 |
NR |
|
|
24 |
8-1 |
NR |
NR |
|
|
25 |
8-1 |
NR |
17 |
|
|
NR |
8-1 |
NR |
21 |
|
|
NR |
8-1 |
NR |
22 |
|
|
NR |
8-2 |
NR |
23 |
Creighton messed up KU’s offensive rhythm last week with a defensive plan that was predicated on cheating off Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams and daring those two to shoot. Against Mizzou, the Jayhawks struggled more with turnovers — a season-high 22 — but there were some similarities in both games. This offseason Bill Self prioritized outside shooting to help space the floor around Hunter Dickinson and make it easier to score in the paint.
There’s been a lot of variance in KU’s 3-point shooting, but during its 7-0 start, being able to score inside the arc was pretty consistent. But over this two-game skid, KU is struggling to make shots in the paint — 26 of 63 (39.7 percent) — with defenses prioritizing taking that away. KU has also struggled to get to the free throw line, getting outscored at the line over the two games 40-14.
KU now ranks 361st nationally in free-throw rate, per KenPom. For a team that’s not taking a lot of 3s, that’s an eye-popping number. The Jayhawks have two home games they should win — NC State and Brown — to help them get their offense right in time for conference play. — CJ Moore, college basketball writer
GO DEEPER
How Creighton used an extreme gameplan to down No. 1 Kansas
UCLA got one of the biggest wins of the week on Sunday, giving Oregon its first loss of the season in a 73-71 road win. This team is winning in classic Mick Cronin style. Since 2010, Cronin has had only two sub-50 defenses, with last season being one of the two. This year the Bruins rank fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom. They’re turning opponents over on 27 percent of their possessions — second-best nationally — and, until Sunday, were quietly plugging along winning blowout games and rising in the computer rankings. Since a Nov. 8 loss to New Mexico, UCLA has performed as the seventh-best team in college basketball, per Bart Torvik’s sorting tool. — Moore
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
