College basketball AP Top 25: SEC lands 4 teams in latest ranking after week of upsets

The AP Top 25 saw some shuffling this week as SEC teams slipped and entered the poll.

The top 5 teams remained the same: UConn, Purdue, North Carolina, Houston and Tennessee. But after that, 10 teams moved at least 5 positions one way or another.

Kentucky, after a loss to South Carolina last week, dropped 4 spots to No. 10 in the land. Auburn, following losses to Alabama and Mississippi State, fell 8 spots to No. 16.

On the strength of that Iron Bowl of basketball win over Auburn, and a win over LSU, the Crimson Tide entered the poll at No. 24. Perhaps surprising to some, the Gamecocks did not make the poll after the Kentucky win, and a Saturday win over Missouri.

The Gamecocks are one of the best turnaround teams in college basketball. South Carolina didn’t receive any votes last week, but this week received the most of any school outside the Top 25. The Gamecocks were 11-21 last season, and improved to 17-3 overall under second-year coach Lamont Paris.

Alabama bounced back after it was was as high as No. 17 early in the season before it fell out on Nov. 27.

Here’s the latest AP Top 25:

1. UConn
2. Purdue
3. North Carolina
4. Houston
5. Tennessee
6. Wisconsin
7. Duke
8. Kansas
9. Marquette
10. Kentucky
11. Arizona
12. Iowa State
13. Creighton
14. Illinois
15. Texas Tech
16. Auburn
17. Utah State
18. Baylor
19. New Mexico
20. Florida Atlantic
21. Dayton
22. BYU
23. Oklahoma
24. Alabama
25. TCU

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.