Houston Cougars Basketball Drop in AP Poll Despite Win
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Houston Cougars basketball is coming off a thrilling win in Birmingham, Alabama, vs. no. 22 Auburn on Sunday, 73-72. Houston remains undefeated at 4-0 entering this week and will get a couple of days off before taking on Rider at home on Thursday night.
The Cougars had a productive week and completely dominated Oakland at home on Wednesday, 78-45, before holding on against Auburn late in a national showcase matchup. However, that was not enough to hold onto what was their no. 1 spot in the AP poll.
Where are the Coogs ranked?
Houston was one of the teams with the highest expectations entering the year. In the preseason poll, the Cougars opened the season as the No. 2 team in the country behind Purdue. That changed last week. While both teams started 2-0, Purdue struggled against Oakland and won late after being tied at halftime. While Houston wasn’t much better, they were firmly in control against Lehigh and Towson.
That was enough for Houston to jump into the No. 1 spot in the rankings last Monday. This was the earliest no. 1 ranking for Houston in program history and their first time in the top spot since March 2024. While UH is still undefeated, it dropped a spot today.
Houston comes in ranked no. 2 this week, with Purdue jumping back up to no. 1. Houston also maintains their second spot in the coaches poll for the third straight week. The Cougars beat the brakes out of Oakland, but beat No. 22 Auburn by one point. When you look at what Purdue did this week, the reasoning starts to make sense.
Junior forward @joseph_tugler & @UHouston at #️⃣2️⃣ in latest @AP_Top25 poll
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) November 17, 2025
🔗 – https://t.co/1cQUVKmTfG#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/P8p85PUiku
Purdue took on then-No. 8 Alabama on the road in Tuscaloosa on Thursday. This was an even tougher environment than what Houston faced on Sunday against Auburn. The Boilermakers beat the Crimson Tide 87-80 and outscored them by five in the second half.
While they were tied at 80 with under a minute to go, Purdue pulled away. This was a top 10 road win for the Boilermakers. They followed it up with an 18-point win over Akron on Sunday.
Houston’s win was certainly impressive. It was a neutral site, but felt like a road game as Auburn fans packed the arena in Alabama. UH beat a top 25 team, but the edge this week goes to Purdue.
Expect both of these teams to continue to go back and forth at the top of the AP poll throughout the season. No. 6 Louisville and No. 8 Illinois made huge six-spot jumps into the top 10 this week.
Up Next for the Top Two
After taking on Rider at home, the Cougars then travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Player’s Era Tournament. Houston participated in this event last season and went 1-2 with overtime losses to Alabama and San Diego State. The Cougars were 4-3 at the point before ripping off 31 wins in their last 32 games to head to the national championship.
This season, Houston will take on some good competition in Syracuse next Monday and then no. 20 Tennessee in a rematch of the Elite Eight from last year. The third opponent is to be determined.
Meanwhile, Purdue continues their non-conference schedule at home with a notable matchup against Memphis on Thursday.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.