College basketball rankings: Purdue jumps back to No. 1, Houston falls to No. 3 in AP Top 25

Houston’s stunning loss Sunday to Temple at home as 19.5-point favorites paved the way for a big change at the top of the AP Poll on Monday as Purdue moved up to supplant the Cougars at No. 1. The Boilermakers were ranked third in the poll for two consecutive weeks after a four-week stay at No. 1 in the rankings earlier in the season.

Purdue edged Alabama for the No. 1 spot by a smidge in earning 39 of 62 first-place votes cast. It smashed Minnesota on the road then narrowly defeated Maryland on Sunday at home, while Alabama defeated Vanderbilt and Missouri on the road this week by a combined 33 points. The Tide jumped from No. 4 to No. 2 in the poll and earned the remaining 23 first-place votes in claiming its highest AP ranking since the 2002-03 season.

Houston fell to No. 3 following its loss to Temple.

Two fresh faces arrived in the top five of this week’s AP poll with Tennessee moving up from No. 9 to No. 4, its highest ranking since climbing to No. 1 during the 2018-19 season, and Kansas State jumping from No. 13 all the way up to No. 5, its highest ranking since the 2010-11 season. Arizona and Virginia also made substantial leaps from outside the top 10 to No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. UCLA, Kansas and Texas rounded out this week’s top 10.

The Big 12 led all conferences in ranked teams with six all inside the top 20. The Big East had the second-most ranked teams this week with four while the ACC and SEC each had three. The Big Ten had the fewest ranked teams among major conferences with one: No. 1 Purdue. 

AP Top 25

1. Purdue (39)
2. Alabama (23)
3. Houston
4. Tennessee
5. Kansas State
6. Arizona
7. Virginia
8. UCLA
9. Kansas
10. Texas
11. TCU
12. Iowa State
13. Xavier
14. Gonzaga
15. Auburn
16. Marquette
17. Baylor
18. Charleston
19. UConn
20. Miami
21. FAU
22. Saint Mary’s
23. Providence
24. Clemson
25. New Mexico

Others receiving votes: Duke 102, Indiana 61, San Diego State 57, Rutgers 31, Kent State 24, North Carolina 12, Michigan State 10, Arkansas 9, Illinois 9, Creighton 9, Missouri 8, Wisconsin 6, NC State 4, Kentucky 3, Boise State 2, VCU 2, Wake Forest 1, Oral Roberts 1, Memphis 1.