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Top 25: Week of 1/17

Let’s check in on the newest editions of the Top 25.

By Matt Ferenchick
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COLLEGE BASKETBALL: JAN 16 Womens - North Carolina at Notre Dame Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

While the women’s AP Top 25 basketball poll ended up fairly similar to last week, there was a bit of a shakeup on the men’s side this week. The previous #1 team lost twice. Three different top ten teams all took losses that dropped them at least four spots. Some teams remained steady, but there were some wild portions to last week.

Now that the week is in the books, let’s take a look at where things stand in this week’s AP Top 25.

Men’s Basketball

AP Top 25

  1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (25 first place votes)
  2. Auburn Tigers (36)
  3. Arizona Wildcats
  4. Purdue Boilermakers
  5. Baylor Bears
  6. Duke Blue Devils
  7. Kansas Jayhawks
  8. Wisconsin Badgers
  9. UCLA Bruins
  10. Houston Cougars
  11. Villanova Wildcats
  12. Kentucky Wildcats
  13. LSU Tigers
  14. Michigan State Spartans
  15. Iowa State Cyclones
  16. USC Trojans
  17. Illinois Fighting Illini
  18. Texas Tech Red Raiders
  19. Ohio State Buckeyes
  20. Xavier Musketeers
  21. Providence Friars
  22. Loyola Chicago Ramblers
  23. Texas Longhorns
  24. Tennessee Volunteers
  25. UConn Huskies

Where is UNC?

The Tar Heels have won their last two games by fairly impressive margins, and that’s been enough to get them back in....the “others receiving votes” list. UNC now has two ranking points, but they’re still a ways back of #25 UConn.

Biggest Winners

There’s been a bit of a shakeup at the top of the poll, and now Gonzaga has returned to #1 after starting the year there. However, the biggest winner is arguably the new #2 team, Auburn. The Tigers actually got more first place votes than Gonzaga did, but they finished second in a very tight race, just four ranking points behind the Zags.

Biggest Losers

Previous #1 and reigning national champion Baylor took not only their first loss, but their first two losses of the season since the last poll, falling four spots. However, another previously unbeaten team that have taken two recent losses, USC, had the biggest fall of the week, dropping 11 spots.

Conference Breakdown

  • Big 12: 5
  • Big Ten: 5
  • Big East: 4
  • SEC: 4
  • Pac-12: 3
  • AAC: 1
  • AAC: 1
  • Missouri Valley: 1
  • WCC: 1

Marquee Matchups This Week

  • #14 Michigan State (14-3, 5-1 Big Ten) at #8 Wisconsin (14-2, 5-1 Big Ten) - Friday at 9 PM ET on FS1
  • #12 Kentucky (14-3, 4-1 SEC) at #2 Auburn (16-1, 5-0 SEC) - Saturday at 1 PM ET on CBS
  • #18 Texas Tech (13-4, 3-2 Big 12) at #7 Kansas (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) - Monday at 9 PM ET on ESPN

Women’s Basketball

AP Top 25

  1. South Carolina Gamecocks (28 first place votes)
  2. Stanford Cardinal
  3. Louisville Cardinals (2)
  4. NC State Wolfpack
  5. Tennessee Volunteers
  6. Indiana Hoosiers
  7. Iowa State Cylones
  8. Michigan Wolverines
  9. UConn Huskies
  10. Arizona Wildcats
  11. LSU Tigers
  12. Maryland Terrapins
  13. Georgia Bulldogs
  14. Oklahoma Sooners
  15. Texas Longhorns
  16. Baylor Bears (tied with Texas for #15)
  17. BYU Cougars
  18. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
  19. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  20. North Carolina Tar Heels
  21. Duke Blue Devils
  22. Colorado Buffaloes
  23. Kentucky Wildcats
  24. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
  25. Iowa Hawkeyes

Where is UNC?

Despite taking their second loss of the season last week, the Heels actually moved up a place to #20. A loss to a fellow ranked team in Notre Dame is far from bad, and two teams that were ranked ahead of them dropped, allowing Carolina to stick around in the top 25.

Biggest Winners

Oklahoma had the biggest move up of the week, thanks mainly to a win over previously #14 Baylor. Between that and their 15-2 record, the Sooners jumped up nine spots this week.

Biggest Losers

One of the teams that UNC jumped this week is a familiar foe in now #21 Duke. The Blue Devils fell five spots after dropping three of their last five, and their last two.

Conference Breakdown

  • ACC: 6
  • SEC: 5
  • Big 12: 4
  • Big Ten: 4
  • Pac-12: 3
  • Atlantic Sun: 1
  • Big East: 1
  • WCC: 1

Marquee Matchups This Week

  • #15 Texas (12-3, 2-2 Big 12) at #7 Iowa State (16-1, 5-0 Big 12) - Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN+
  • #3 Louisville (15-1, 5-0 ACC) at #4 NC State (16-2, 7-0 ACC) - Thursday at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN
  • #5 Tennessee (17-1, 6-0 SEC) at #13 Georgia (13-3, 2-2 SEC) - Sunday at 2 PM ET on SEC Network

Football

We won’t do a full breakdown, but since this is our first top 25 post since the postseason football rankings were released. Georgia obviously finished the year #1 after their national championship win. Another obvious thing is that UNC finished the year both unranked and with zero votes of any kind.

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