Indiana State is in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since Larry Bird, and UConn and Purdue remained 1-2, the only constants in a week that saw a lot of movement up and down the top 10.
UConn (22-2) received 45 first-place votes and Purdue (22-2) earned the other 16 to remain at No. 2 in the new poll released Monday.
Houston (21-3) moved up two spots to No. 3 followed by Marquette (18-5) and Arizona (19-5), both of whom moved up three spots each to crack the top 5.
They replaced Kansas (19-5) and North Carolina (19-5), who lost their foothold in the top 5 and this week fall in at Nos. 6 and 7 after losses last week. Tennessee (17-6) dropped two spots to No. 8, followed by Duke (18-5) and Iowa State (18-5), which rose four spots to enter the top 10.
But it’s the Sycamores of Indiana State (22-3) taking the spotlight Monday. Riding a nine-game winning streak, Indiana State (No. 23) cracked the poll for the first time since ascending to No. 1 in 1978-79 behind Bird, who would lead them to the national championship game.
Wisconsin (16-8) was the week’s biggest dropper, falling nine spots to No. 20 after two more losses last week. The Badgers own a four-game losing skid.
In addition to Indiana State, Saint Mary’s (20-6) is back in at No. 18 and Virginia (19-5), in the midst of an eight-game winning streak, is back in at No. 21. Oklahoma (18-6) also returns at No. 25.
Dropping out of the poll this week are Utah State, Texas Tech and San Diego State and New Mexico.
The rest of the Top 25:
11. South Carolina
12. Baylor
13. Auburn
14. Illinois
15. Alabama
16. Dayton
17. Creighton
18. Saint Mary’s
19. BYU
20. Wisconsin
21. Virginia
22. Kentucky
23. Indiana State
24. FAU
25. Oklahoma
–Field Level Media
