The UConn men’s basketball team dropped five spots to No. 19 in Monday’s AP Top 25 poll for Week 12 after seeing its 28-game home winning streak snapped by Creighton on Saturday.
The Huskies are 2-2 since losing standout freshman Liam McNeeley to a high ankle sprain on New Year’s Day, and his absence proved critical as the team failed to get over the hump down the stretch against the Bluejays. Coach Dan Hurley sent a message to his players through the media after the game as he called for “tenacity” both on the defensive end and on the backboards, again calling out his group of “swell guys” after they couldn’t find a way to get the win.
Designated as a Quad 3 loss, the team’s third of the season, UConn fell to No. 32 in the NCAA’s NET rankings. Continuing to struggle on the defensive end, where Hurley said “the bar is so low,” UConn enters Week 12 ranked No. 30 by KenPom’s efficiency metrics, where its offense is ranked No. 7 and its defense No. 128.
The AP voters ranked UConn just above St. John’s, which reentered the Top 25 at No. 20 this week, giving the Big East three ranked teams for the first time since Week 4. Marquette, which suffered a two-point loss at home to Xavier on Saturday, came in at No. 10 with its 15-3 overall record.
The Johnnies and the Golden Eagles are the only two Big East teams with only one loss in league play.
Auburn, at 17-1, held onto its top spot in the AP Poll after receiving all 62 first place votes. Duke and Iowa State flipped spots at No. 2 and 3, respectively, after the Cyclones suffered their second loss of the year at West Virginia. Alabama and Florida held in their spots to round out the top five.
Of UConn’s nonconference opponents, Memphis was the only team to remain ranked as it fell to No. 24. Both Gonzaga and Baylor dropped into the receiving votes category.
AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll: Week 12
- Auburn (62 first place votes)
- Duke
- Iowa State
- Alabama
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Houston
- Michigan State
- Kentucky
- Marquette
- Purdue
- Kansas
- Texas A&M
- Mississippi State
- Oregon
- Ole Miss
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- UConn
- St. John’s
- Michigan
- Missouri
- West Virginia
- Memphis
- Louisville
