With No Unbeatens Left, Houston Returns to No. 1 in Men’s AP Top 25

Houston is back at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the second time this season, while Kansas State continued its unexpectedly strong start by leaping from unranked to the verge of the top 10.

The Cougars received 34 of 60 first-place votes in Monday’s latest poll to return to the top after a two-week stay there earlier this season. Kansas was second and had 22 first-place votes, while Purdue fell from No. 1 to No. 3 and got the other four first-place votes after suffering its first loss at Rutgers last week.

Before this season, the Cougars (16-1) hadn’t been No. 1 since the high-flying “Phi Slama Jama” days of the 1980s.

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Alabama and Tennessee gave the Southeastern Conference a pair of top-5 teams, with the Crimson Tide returning to No. 4 for the first time since spending a week there in December and the Volunteers hitting their season high at fifth.

Connecticut, UCLA, Gonzaga, Arizona and Texas rounded out the top 10, with the Longhorns falling four spots after a tumultuous week that included the firing of coach Chris Beard as the coach faces a felony domestic family violence charge.

Then there’s Kansas State, which jumped to No. 11 after an impressive week with two road wins against ranked opponents under first-year coach Jerome Tang. Picked to finish last in the 10-team Big 12, the Wildcats scored 116 points at Texas then edged Baylor 97-95 in overtime.

No. 19 Providence, No. 23 San Diego State and No. 25 Marquette joined Kansas State as the week’s new additions. Indiana, Baylor, New Mexico and Ohio State fell out of the poll, with Scott Drew’s Bears now unranked for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Full men’s top 25, as of Jan. 9:

1. Houston
2. Kansas
3. Purdue
4. Alabama
5. Tennessee 
6. UConn
7. UCLA
8. Gonzaga
9. Arizona
10. Texas
11. Kansas State
12. Xavier
13. Virginia
14. Iowa State
15. Arkansas
16. Miami
17. TCU
18. Wisconsin
19. Providence
20. Missouri
21. Auburn
22. Charleston
23. San Diego State
24. Duke
25. Marquette 

Others receiving votes: Baylor 93, Clemson 43, FAU 33, Indiana 30, Michigan St. 24, Saint Mary’s 24, Northwestern 21, Rutgers 13, Mississippi St. 13, Illinois 13, Ohio St. 9, NC State 4, North Carolina 4, Creighton 4, LSU 3, Pittsburgh 2, New Mexico 2, Nevada 1.

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