In an upset-filled week of college basketball, the Houston Cougars managed to avoid a letdown.
Thanks to J’Wan Roberts’ last-second layup — off a brilliantly designed sideline out-of-bounds play by Kelvin Sampson — the Cougars beat UCF 69-68 on Saturday to remain unbeaten in the Big 12. That came on the heels of a resounding 70-54 victory over West Virginia.
As a result, Houston (14-3, 6-0) jumped three spots to No. 7 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, released Monday. In the only rankings that actually matter — the NCAA NET Rankings — the Cougars are ranked No. 3 in the country.
Auburn remained No. 1 in the AP Top 25, receiving all 62 first-place votes. Gonzaga, Georgia, Utah State and Baylor all dropped out of the poll.
The Big 12 now has four ranked teams: No. 3 Iowa State, No. 7 Houston, No. 12 Kansas and No. 23 West Virginia. The Mountaineers moved into the poll thanks to their 64-57 upset of Iowa State on Saturday.
Here’s the latest AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll, as voted by 62 sportswriters and broadcasters across the nation.
Jan. 20, 2025
Also receiving votes: Texas Tech 104, Utah State 38, Vanderbilt 35, Gonzaga 34, Georgia 30, Clemson 30, Arizona 21, Saint Mary’s 12, Cincinnati 4, Baylor 4, UC Irvine 3, Wake Forest 2, Creighton 2, Bradley 1, Maryland 1.
