Fourteen ranked teams took at least one loss over the last seven days and nine of them fell to unranked opponents, setting up what should be plenty of movement Monday when the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll is updated.
Houston will likely be among the many big movers after its double-overtime win at Kansas on Saturday that moved it to 8-0 in Big 12 play and extended its winning streak to 12 in the process. The Cougars opened the season with a 4-3 record that included a loss to Auburn and two overtime defeats on a neutral floor to Alabama and to San Diego State, but they have not lost since. Coming off its biggest win of the season, Houston is primed to potentially move into the top five this week.
Michigan State is similarly positioned for a bump in the rankings after it, too, won Saturday and extended its winning streak to 12 games. MSU improved to 8-0 in Big Ten play with an 81-74 win over Rutgers, and after moving into the top 10 last week for the first time all season, is positioned to move up once again for a fourth consecutive week.
AP voters will have their work cut out as they fill out the remainder of their ballots, though. And with every team ranked between No. 11 and No. 19 suffering at least one loss, some tough decisions related to ranking positions on teams like UConn, Kansas, Purdue, Texas A&M and others are coming.
How I project the AP poll to shake out Monday is below. As alway,s this is not a ballot of how I would rank teams personally, but instead a projection of how I think it will look when AP votes are tabulated.
| 1 |  |
| Johni Broome returned from his ankle injury this weekend with his superman cape in tow to lead the top-ranked Tigers to a comeback home win over visiting Tennessee. He finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds coming off the bench, guaranteeing Auburn will retain its spot at No. 1. Last week: No. 1 | |
| 2 |  |
| Duke extended its winning streak to 13 this week, the longest active streak in college hoops, after holding off Wake Forest on the road Saturday. Cooper Flagg had 24 points and six assists in the win. Last week: No. 2 | |
| 3 |  |
| A tough road test Saturday at Arizona State was passed with flying colors by Iowa State as it dug out of a halftime deficit to win by 15. The Cyclones play Arizona at the McKale Center on Monday with a chance to score a statement win to keep it near the top of the Big 12 standings. Last week: No. 3 | |
| 4 |  |
| Two SEC wins this week kept Alabama on the heels of cross-state rival Auburn in the conference regular-season title race. Its 80-73 win over LSU on Saturday moved it to 6-1 in conference play, just a half-game back of the Tigers. Last week: No. 4 | |
| 5 |  |
| Florida extended its winning streak to three this week after dominating Georgia inside the O Dome, 89-59, on Saturday. It's the largest margin of victory for the Gators over an SEC opponent since beating then-No.1 Tennessee on Jan. 7. Last week: No. 5 | |
| 6 |  |
| Houston entered the weekend with zero Quad 1 wins and exited it with two after a double OT win at Kansas and UCF's win over TCU that moved UCF up to No. 65 in the NET rankings. It has a real chance to crash the top five Monday, though I expect voters to still have Florida ahead of the Cougars. Last week: No. 9 | |
| 7 |  |
| Tom Izzo's Spartans haven't lost since Nov. 26 and are now winners of 12 straight after defeating Rutgers over the weekend in Madison Square Garden. Last week: No. 10 | |
| 8 |  |
| No major reaction to Tennessee should be necessary after it took No. 1 Auburn to the wire at Auburn Saturday before falling 53-51. The Vols defense actually improved from No. 3 to No. 1 in adjusted efficiency rating at KenPom after the loss. Last week: No. 6 | |
| 9 |  |
| After a disappointing home loss to Xavier last week, Marquette reeled off back-to-back Big East wins this week over Seton Hall and Villanova to remain tied atop the league standings with St. John's. Last week: No. 8 | |
| 10 |  |
| An 0-2 week may cost Kentucky its spot in the top 10 this week despite close losses to quality SEC teams in Alabama and Vanderbilt. Neither loss should substantially change the outlook of UK this season. Last week: No. 7 | |
| 11 |  |
| A puzzling home loss to Ohio State opened the week for Purdue but a blowout win over Michigan ended it, potentially salvaging its standing just outside the top 10 in the latest AP poll. Last week: No. 11 | |
| 12 |  |
| The Bulldogs are 1-2 in their last three outings with both losses coming in OT. They fell on the road Tuesday at Tennessee 68-56. Last week: No. 14 | |
| 13 |  |
| KU collapsed -- twice -- at home Saturday in a double-OT loss to Houston. It is 2-2 in its last four games and just 5-3 in Big 12 play after opening the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. Last week: No. 13 | |
| 14 |  |
| After blowing out rival Texas weeks ago, Texas got the last laugh over the weekend by erasing a 22-point deficit vs. the Aggies for a 70-69 win. It's the fourth time this season Texas A&M has lost after leading by seven or more points. Last week: No. 12 | |
| 15 |  |
| Rick Pitino and his Johnnies have won 12 of their last 13 games dating back to November and are tied for the lead in the Big East. Their only outing this week resulted in an OT win vs. Xavier. Last week: No. 23 | |
| 16 |  |
| Dennis Gates has Missouri on an NCAA Tournament trajectory -- and an outside shot at an SEC title -- thanks to a 5-2 start in conference play. The Tigers beat Ole Miss at home Saturday 83-75. Last week: No. 22 | |
| 17 |  |
| Oregon took its fourth loss of the season but first away from Eugene this weekend in a 77-69 loss at Minnesota. It falls to 5-4 in Big Ten play after starting 4-2. Last week: No. 15 | |
| 18 |  |
| With eight wins in its last nine outings -- including an 83-55 win over Nebraska on Sunday -- the Badgers have bounced back from an early December skid and are turning a corner with conference play heating up. Last week: No. 19 | |
| 19 |  |
| A last-second shot helped Maryland topple Indiana in Bloomington on Sunday, giving the Terps their fifth win in their last six outings. Their 91-70 road win over Illinois on Thursday registered as a true stunner, even if it came against a shorthanded Illini team. Last week: NR | |
| 20 |  |
| Injuries and sickness have kept Illinois from being at full strength in recent weeks, so voters using that context will likely kept the Illini in the top 25 despite a 2-3 record in their last five games. Last week: No. 18 | |
| 21 |  |
| Ole Miss is in real jeopardy of falling out of the poll this week after a loss at Missouri this weekend gave the Rebels their third-straight loss in SEC play. Last week: No. 17 | |
| 22 |  |
| The only outing of the week for Michigan was a 91-64 beatdown at Purdue in which the Boilermakers had their best stuff. Braden Smith scored 24 points for Purdue, and Wolverines star big man Danny Wolf couldn't quite find his groove in the loss. Last week: No. 20 | |
| 23 |  |
| After appearing at No. 25 in the AP poll last week, Louisville, with a 98-73 road win over SMU this week, is primed to continue its ascension under first-year coach Pat Kelsey. It has won nine consecutive games dating back to mid December. Last week: NR | |
| 24 |  |
| Memphis scored its most points in a game since March 3 of last season on Sunday in downing UAB inside FedExForum. That's a huge win that keeps Penny Hardaway's Tigers at the top of the AAC standings. Last week: No. 21 | |
| 25 |  |
| A win over top-10 Tennessee last weekend and a win over a top-10 Kentucky this weekend could get Mark Byington's Commodores into the AP poll for the first time since the 2015-16 season. They are 16-4 on the season and 4-3 in SEC play. Last week: NR | |
Projected to drop out: UConn, West Virginia
