Alabama basketball took a tumble in the polls after taking a loss to Purdue in its first road game of the season.
The Crimson Tide dropped from No. 2 in the nation to No. 7 after last Friday’s 87-78 defeat, while Purdue climbed up six spots to No. 6.
The No. 1 spot remains with Kansas, who took 25 of 31 first-place votes. Rival Auburn moves up a slot to No. 3 with two votes for first after rolling to 3-0 on the season with a win over Neville State last Wednesday.
Coach Nate Oats and Alabama get the chance to work back into the top five with another ranked opponent in No. 20 Illinois on Wednesday. Tipoff for the C.M. Newton Classic is set for 8 p.m. CT in Birmingham.
No. 22 Ohio State; No. 24 Rutgers;
Rutgers 56; Xavier 43; Ole Miss 39; BYU 28; Saint Mary’s 18; Pittsburgh 18; Texas 14; Michigan State 9; Mississippi State 5; Oregon 4; Nevada 4; Ohio State 3; Dayton 3; Wake Forest 2; VCU 2; UCF 2;
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
