UConn became the unanimous No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the first time in program history Monday after an eventful weekend in which it dominated No. 4 Marquette and saw last week’s No. 2, Purdue, fall on the road in a stunner to Ohio State. The defending national champion Huskies earned all 62 first-place votes to become the first team to be unanimously voted No. 1 in the poll this season.
Monday also brought with it a major shakeup near the top of the rankings with Houston moving up to No. 2 and Purdue dropping one spot to No. 3. Purdue had been consistently siphoning off first-place votes from the Huskies since UConn’s ascension to No. 1 in Week 11 before taking its first loss in more than a month leading into Monday’s refreshed rankings.
UConn with its win Saturday over Marquette extended its winning streak to 14 games, the longest active streak in college hoops and the second-longest in school history since a 10-week stay during the 1998-99 season under then-coach Jim Calhoun. That season ended with UConn winning the national championship, and this season UConn has emerged as the favorite to do so again. They would be the first team since Florida in 2006 and 2007 to repeat as title winners.
Elsewhere in the poll, Arizona moved up to No. 4 and Tennessee matched a season-high spot in the ranks at No. 5 after back to back blowout wins in league action. Four teams also entered the poll this week including Washington State at No. 21, Colorado State at No. 22, Texas Tech at No. 23 and Florida at No. 24. BYU fell six spots following a road loss at Oklahoma State but stayed in the Top 25 at No. 25.
AP Top 25
1. UConn (62)
2. Houston
3. Purdue
4. Arizona
5. Tennessee
6. Iowa State
7. Marquette
8. Duke
9. Kansas
10. North Carolina
11. Baylor
12. Illinois
13. Alabama
14. Auburn
15. Creighton
16. Dayton
17. Kentucky
18. Saint Mary’s
19. San Diego State
20. South Carolina
21. Washington State
22. Colorado State
23. Texas Tech
24. Florida
25. BYU
Others receiving votes: Virginia 103, Gonzaga 99, Wisconsin 88, Michigan St. 64, TCU 54, South Florida 45, New Mexico 27, FAU 27, Utah St. 22, Grand Canyon 16, Nevada 11, Pittsburgh 4, Clemson 3, Appalachian St 1, McNeese St. 1, Drake 1.