Iowa State nearly falls out of Top 10 after stunning home defeat

The Cyclones drop to eighth in latest men’s college basketball polls
Tamin Lipsey and Iowa State fell to eighth in the latest men's college basketball rankings.
Tamin Lipsey and Iowa State fell to eighth in the latest men's college basketball rankings. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the first time this season, the Iowa State men took a tumble in the latest college basketball rankings.

Coming off back-to-back losses, including a stunning home defeat on Saturday to Kansas State, the Cyclones dropped five positions to No. 8 overall. They had reached as high as No. 2 earlier this season.

Auburn and Duke maintained the top two spots with Alabama, Tennessee and Houston, who is now the highest-ranked Big 12 Conference team, rounding out the Top 5. Florida and Purdue are both ahead of Iowa State, who takes on rival Kansas Monday night on ESPN.

Other ranked Big 12 teams include Texas Tech (No. 12, AP), Kansas (No. 16) and Arizona (No. 20). The Red Raiders are 13th in the Coaches Poll, the Jayhawks are 17th and Wildcats are in the same slot.

Here are the latest men’s college basketball rankings:

AP POLL MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25

(February 3)

1. Auburn (62)

2. Duke

3. Alabama

4. Tennessee

5. Houston

6. Florida

7. Purdue

8. Iowa State

9. Michigan State

10. Texas A&M

11. Marquette

12. St. John’s

13. Texas Tech

14. Kentucky

15. Missouri

16. Kansas

17. Memphis

18. Maryland

19. Connecticut

20. Arizona

21. Wisconsin

22. Mississippi State

23. Illinois

24. Michigan

25. Mississippi

Others receiving votes: Clemson 182, Saint Mary's 136, Louisville 86, Creighton 50, Oregon 39, UCLA 26, New Mexico 23, Drake 18, Gonzaga 11, Utah State 8, Vanderbilt 4, George Mason 3, Baylor 3, Texas 1, Oklahoma 1.

Dropped from rankings: Oregon 16, Louisville 21, Vanderbilt 24.

COACHES POLL MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25

(February 3)

1. Auburn (29)

2. Duke (2)

3. Alabama

4. Tennessee

5. Houston

6. Florida

7. Purdue

8. Iowa State

9. Michigan State

10. St. John’s

11. Marquette

12. Texas Tech

13. Texas A&M

14. Kentucky

15. Memphis

16. Missouri

17. Kansas

18. Connecticut

19. Wisconsin

20. Arizona

21. Clemson

22. Michigan

23. Saint Mary’s

24. Maryland

25. Illinois

Others receiving votes: Mississippi State 88, Ole Miss 70, Louisville 50, Creighton 44, Oregon 31, New Mexico 18, UCLA 7, West Virginia 6, Gonzaga 4, Utah State 4, Drake 2, BYU 2, UC Irvine 1, Baylor 1.

Dropped from rankings: Mississippi State 13, Oregon 18, Louisville 22, Ole Miss 23.


Published
Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in north-central Iowa.