College basketball rankings: Kansas out of top 10 of AP Top 25 for first time since 2020-21

UConn jumps over Purdue for No. 2 spot behind top-ranked Houston in the updated AP Top 25 poll

By Kyle Boone

Mar 4, 2024 at 1:22 pm ET • 1 min read

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A tough week for Kansas on the hardwood translated to a tough showing in the polls for the Jayhawks, as KU dropped seven spots from No 7 to No. 14 in the latest AP Top 25 released Monday after back-to-back Big 12 losses vs. BYU and Baylor. The fall was the largest among teams from the last week in the poll and it marked the first time since midway through the 2020-21 season that Kansas has not been ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll, ending a streak of 55 weeks.

The top of the rankings held steady with Houston remaining No. 1 for a second consecutive week with 52 first-place votes being earned by the Cougars. No. 2 and No. 3 flipped places this week after it was a close call last week, with UConn moving up to No. 2 and Purdue falling to No. 3. UConn earned six first-place votes to Purdue's four and edged the Boilermakers in total points, 1,462 to 1,459. Tennessee remained at No. 4 and Arizona moved up one spot to round out this week's top five.

Aside from Kansas getting bounced from top 10, the remainder of that portion of this week's rankings was comprised of the same teams, with Iowa State and North Carolina each moving up two spots to No. 6 and No. 7. Marquette fell to No. 8, Duke moved up one spot to No. 9 and Creighton after a weekend win over Marquette snuck into the top 10 at No. 10 for the first time since Week 6.

Elsewhere, big conference wins for Baylor and Gonzaga this week launched the Bears and Bulldogs to No. 15 and No. 23 in the latest poll, each moving up four spots and making them the biggest risers of the week. Baylor won at TCU then held off Kansas at home and Gonzaga won at San Francisco and at Saint Mary's to play its way firmly into Jerry Palm's projected bracket.