College basketball rankings: Kentucky, UConn, Illinois move up in AP Top 25 poll, Kansas slips

The Wildcats continued their rise in the AP Top 25 rankings

By Kyle Boone

Jan 6, 2025 at 1:34 pm ET • 1 min read

USATSI

Kentucky jumped four spots to No. 6 and Kansas fell four spots to No. 11 on Monday in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll as part of a reshuffling in the latest rankings. The Wildcats' rise gives them their highest standing in the poll since Week 7 after defeating previously-unbeaten Florida on Saturday in a shootout, while Kansas fell out of the top 10 for the first time all season after a 1-1 week that began with a 62-61 home loss to West Virginia.

Kentucky's move up in the poll strengthened what has been a strong start to the season for the SEC, which owns the top two — No. 1 Tennessee and No. 2 Auburn — as well as No. 5 Alabama, No. 9 Florida and No. 10 Texas A&M. Of the 25 ranked teams, nine hail from the SEC — three more than the second-most conference in this week's poll.

Kansas' fall to No. 11 is just as notable after starting the year ranked preseason No. 1 for a second consecutive year. KU fell apart at the end of last season because of injuries and lack of depth but did not drop out of the top 10 until March. It's the earliest in a season a No. 1-ranked KU team has fallen out of the top 10 under Bill Self and the fourth time it has happened in the five times Self had a preseason No. 1 team in Lawrence.

Meanwhile at the top of the poll, Tennessee for the first time since becoming the No. 1 team in the poll in Week 6 strengthened its standing at the top over No. 2 Auburn. The Vols earned 45 first-place votes to Auburn's 15 after it was split 41 to 20 a week ago. It's the fourth consecutive week that only two teams — both of them being Tennessee and Auburn — earned first-place votes.