College Basketball: Coaches Poll top 25 released following Week 6

After three different teams held the No. 1 spot in a three-week span, the college basketball Coaches Poll finally has some continuity, as the Baylor Bears held onto the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive week.

The year began with Gonzaga atop the poll, to no one’s surprise. After a dominant three-week performance, however, Gonzaga was dethroned by Duke, which took the No. 1 spot after the third week of the season. Then, one week later, Purdue grabbed the No. 1 ranking in the Coaches Poll for the first time in program history, only to lose it in rapid fashion thanks to a miraculous game-winning shot by Rutgers’ forward Ron Harper Jr. However, Baylor, the reining national champion, took over after Purdue’s downfall, and the Bears have held on to their position once again.

As the college basketball season inches closer to conference play, here’s a look at the Coaches Poll, released Monday.

College basketball Coaches Poll top 25 after Week 6

1. Baylor

2. Duke

3. Purdue

4. Gonzaga

4. Arizona

6. UCLA

7. Kansas

8. Iowa State

9. USC

10. Michigan State

11. Alabama

12. Auburn

13. Ohio State

14. Houston

15. Seton Hall

16. LSU

17. Texas

18. Kentucky

19. Tennessee

20. Xavier

21. Colorado State

22. Villanova

23. Providence

24. Wisconsin

25. Texas Tech

Baylor hangs on — barely

Baylor is now 10-0 after Week 6 of the college basketball season, and Scott Drew’s Bears are still the No. 1 team in the latest Coaches Poll. However, it didn’t come easy for Baylor, which nearly saw its perfect record snapped at the helm of a mediocre Oregon team.

The Ducks lost five of their first 10 games, so Baylor figured to be heavy favorites as it traveled to Eugene for a road contest. However, Oregon gave the top-ranked Bears a run for their money, amassing a lead as large as 10 points in the first half. The Ducks even held onto a halftime lead; however, it wasn’t enough, as Baylor settled down, re-established its offense and pulled off a narrow 78-70 victory.

Rounding out the top of the Coaches Poll, several other teams won relatively easy games, leaving the top of the 25 teams almost unchanged: Duke destroyed Elon, UCLA had a nice 11-point win over Marquette, Purdue dismantled Butler and Gonzaga had a 14-point win over Texas Tech.

Perhaps the Coaches Poll will change once again this week, as the college basketball season hopes to return following a slew of COVID-19 related cancellations.