© Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Purdue Rises to No. 1 Ranking in Latest Associated Press College Basketball Top 25 Poll
In this story:
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — For the second consecutive season, Purdue has moved atop the national rankings, coming in at No. 1 in this week's Associated Press College Basketball Top 25 poll.
Following a win at home over Hofstra and a narrow victory on the road against Nebraska, the team earned 27 first-place votes while sitting at 10-0 on the season and 2-0 in Big Ten play.
No. 2 Virginia and No. 3 UConn each garnered first-place votes as the only other undefeated teams ranked in the top five. No. 6 Tennessee, despite one loss on the season, also pulled one vote for the country's top spot.
The Boilermakers took down the Pride last Wednesday 85-66 as junior center Zach Edey registered 23 points and 18 rebounds. It was his eighth straight performance of at least 20 points, which is the longest streak of the Matt Painter era.
They were forced into overtime by the Cornhuskers on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena but managed to escape Lincoln, Neb., with a narrow 65-62 win. Freshman guard Fletcher Loyer put up a career-high 22 points as Edey was held to his lowest scoring output of the season.
Purdue is among six Big Ten programs in this week's rankings. Indiana stayed put at No. 14 after a loss to No. 9 Arizona, followed by No. 18 Illinois, No. 20 Maryland, No. 22 Wisconsin and No. 23 Ohio State. Iowa and Michigan State also received votes.
The team is set to take on Davidson on Saturday, Dec. 17, as part of the inaugural Indy Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
AP Top 25 college basketball poll, Dec. 12
Here's a look is the Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll for Week 6, with Big Ten teams in bold.
- Purdue (10-0)
- Virginia (8-0)
- UConn (11-0)
- Alabama (8-1)
- Houston (9-1)
- Tennessee (9-1)
- Texas (7-1)
- Kansas (9-1)
- Arizona (8-1)
- Arkansas (9-1)
- Baylor (7-2)
- Duke (10-2)
- Kentucky (7-2)
- Indiana (8-2)
- Gonzaga (7-3)
- UCLA (8-2)
- Mississippi State (9-0)
- Illinois (7-3)
- Auburn (8-1)
- Maryland (8-2)
- TCU (8-1)
- Wisconsin (8-2)
- Ohio State (7-2)
- Virginia Tech (10-1)
- Miami (10-1)
Others receiving votes:
Memphis 74, Charleston 64, Marquette 39, Iowa State 39, Arizona State 39, UNLV 27, Xavier 26, Iowa 25, West Virginia 20, Saint Mary's 15, Texas Tech 14, San Diego State 14, New Mexico 12, Utah 12, Creighton 11, Michigan State 5, Mississippi Valley State 4, Utah State 4, Kansas State 2
Related Stories on Purdue Basketball
- Fletcher Loyer Guides Purdue to 65-62 Win Against Nebraska: Fletcher Loyer scored a career-high 22 points for Purdue, leading all scorers in a narrow Big Ten road victory. Keisei Tominaga scored 19 points off the bench for Nebraska and tied the game on a 3-pointer with eight seconds left in regulation. CLICK HERE
- What Matt Painter Said After Victory Over Nebraska: Purdue basketball defeated Nebraska 65-62 in overtime on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena to move to 10-0 on the season. Here's the full transcript of coach Matt Painter's postgame press conference. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Nebraska Photo Gallery: Purdue basketball improved to 10-0 on the season with an overtime road win against Nebraska on Saturday. Recap some of the action with photos from Pinnacle Bank Arena. CLICK HERE
- Fast Starts Fuels Purdue in 85-66 Win Against Hofstra: Purdue jumped to a 20-2 lead over Hofstra in the first six minutes of play, giving the team enough cushion for a 19-point victory. The Boilermakers had five scorers in double figures, led by junior center Zach Edey’s eighth consecutive game of at least 20 points. CLICK HERE
You can keep up to date on everything at Boilermakers Country by liking and following our Facebook page: Purdue Boilermakers on Sports Illustrated/FanNation.
You can also follow D.J. Fezler at @DJFezler on Twitter.
