Kentucky jumps up to No. 9 in AP Poll
The Kentucky Wildcats finally earned the statement win they were looking for, an 87-83 victory over North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic. And the voters were clearly impressed.
Kentucky jumped five spots up to No. 9 in the latest AP Poll, the biggest riser in college basketball this week. That’s good for No. 2 in the SEC, right behind Tennessee (No. 8). Ole Miss is the conference’s only other representative, coming in at No. 25 overall, while Auburn, Texas A&M, Alabama, South Carolina and Mississippi State all received votes.
As for previous and future opponents, Kansas sits at No. 2, followed by North Carolina at No. 11 and Gonzaga at No. 15. Saint Joseph’s, whom Kentucky defeated 96-88 back in November, is now receiving votes, as well.
Take a look at the complete rankings:
AP College Basketball Poll – Dec. 18
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | TREND | POINTS |
| 1 | Purdue | 10-1 | ⬆️ 2 | 1534 (48) |
| 2 | Kansas | 10-1 | — | 1457 (6) |
| 3 | Houston | 11-0 | ⬆️ 1 | 1394 (8) |
| 4 | Arizona | 8-1 | ⬇️ 3 | 1372 |
| 5 | UConn | 10-1 | — | 1367 |
| 6 | Marquette | 9-2 | ⬆️ 1 | 1235 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 10-0 | ⬆️ 4 | 1062 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 8-3 | ⬆️ 4 | 983 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 8-2 | ⬆️ 5 | 981 |
| 10 | Baylor | 9-1 | ⬇️ 4 | 896 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 7-3 | ⬇️ 2 | 773 |
| 12 | Creighton | 9-2 | ⬇️ 4 | 734 |
| 13 | Illinois | 8-2 | ⬆️ 3 | 727 |
| 14 | Florida Atlantic | 9-2 | ⬆️ 1 | 716 |
| 15 | Gonzaga | 8-3 | ⬇️ 5 | 642 |
| 16 | Colorado State | 10-1 | ⬆️ 1 | 588 |
| 17 | BYU | 10-1 | ⬆️ 1 | 569 |
| 18 | Clemson | 9-1 | ⬇️ 5 | 501 |
| 19 | Texas | 8-2 | — | 449 |
| 20 | James Madison | 10-0 | — | 442 |
| 21 | Duke | 7-3 | — | 311 |
| 22 | Virginia | 9-1 | — | 287 |
| 23 | Memphis | 8-2 | — | 274 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 8-3 | ⬇️ 1 | 269 |
| 25 | Ole Miss | 10-0 | — | 180 |
Others Receiving Votes
Miami 97, Auburn 87, Colorado 84, Utah 37, Iowa St. 24, Ohio St. 12, Michigan St. 10, TCU 10, Texas A&M 9, San Diego St. 8, Northwestern 5, Providence 5, Alabama 3, Dayton 3, Nevada 3, New Mexico 2, Grand Canyon 2, Washington 2, Saint Joseph’s 2, South Carolina 1, Mississippi St. 1.
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