LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas dropped out of the Associated Press men’s college basketball survey for the first time in 12 years on Monday, ending the record 231 consecutive weeks of the Jayhawks ranked in the top 25.
Gonzaga and Baylor maintained the top two positions, as they did throughout the season, with the Bulldogs receiving 55 of the 63 votes for first place and the Bears receiving the other eight. Michigan took advantage of Villanova’s defeat at St. John’s to jump to the top three, rival Ohio State moved up three places to No. 4 and the Wildcats completed the top five.
Illinois gave the Big Ten three teams in the top six after beating Indiana in overtime and beating No. 21 Wisconsin over the weekend. The Illini were followed by Texas Tech, Houston, Virginia and Missouri, who defeated Kentucky and Alabama’s No. 11 to reach the top 10 for the first time since December 24, 2012.
The real drama did not come at the top of the poll, but at the end of it.
The Jayhawks started their Top 25 streak on February 2, 2009, when freshman guard Bryce Thompson was 6 years old. His dominance of more than a decade, which started the season after winning the national championship, included 10 consecutive titles from the 12 major regular season titles, five conference tournament titles, two more trips to the Final Four and a second place in 2012.
Their game against No. 23 Oklahoma State on Monday night was to be the first unranked Jayhawks in 434 games.
“It’s basketball and we have another game to focus on,” said Jayhawks guard Jalen Wilson, after a 91-79 loss in West Virginia’s 14th place on Saturday, their sixth in the last 10 games. “In basketball, sometimes you have to focus on what’s in front of you and not think about the past and what you haven’t been able to do. Another day, another game we just have to focus on.”
The Jayhawks started 8-1 and moved up to position 3 on December 28, with their only loss to Gonzaga and victories over teams classified as Kentucky, West Virginia, Creighton and Texas Tech on the road. But they have been fighting since the start of the big 12 game, losing Thompson to an injury and failing to get enough production from a veteran team.
“We have a lot of games ahead of us and I know this team can do that,” said Kansas playmaker Christian Braun. “Everyone’s head is in a good place, but we just have to do it on the court. We have to stop talking about it and really be about it.”
Kind of like the Bulldogs and the Bears have been this season.
Gonzaga lost Pacific at halftime last week, before a series of 25-8 submissions to win the game easily, so his game against Santa Clara was canceled over the weekend. The Bulldogs had a difficult test against BYU on Monday night.
“It’s very difficult when everyone around you nationally and everything thinks you’re going to get over things,” said Bulldog coach Mark Few, after his last win, “but it’s not reality.”
Baylor then hit – No. 6 Texas on the road last week in the first clash involving the top 10 teams in the state of Texas, just to announce another break for COVID-19 on Thursday. This led to postponements against TCU and No. 11 in Oklahoma, so the Bears will not be on the court again – as soon as possible – until they face Texas Tech on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide and Sooners were followed in 13th place by the Longhorns, who fell seven places after the defeats to Baylor and Oklahoma State last week. The Mountaineers were next, with Iowa dropping seven places to 15th, followed by Tennessee, Florida, Virginia Tech, Creighton and Southern California.
Completing the Top 25 were Wisconsin, Chicago’s Loyola, Oklahoma State, Purdue and Rutgers.
IN AND OUT
Loyola entered the poll for the first time since the final vote of the 1984-85 season. This may surprise those who remember the dramatic Ramblers race to the Final Four in 2018, but they never made it to the Top 25 that season.
The Trojans’ victory then … No. 21 UCLA on Saturday night propelled them to their first classification since December 2017, while Oklahoma State and Rutgers also joined the Top 25. The Cowboys are ranked for the first time since February 2015 .
The Bruins withdrew, along with Kansas, Florida and Drake, whose 18-0 start was spoiled in a 74-57 loss to Valparaíso.
KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
Colorado, San Diego State and Xavier were the first three to reside outside the Top 25, while Belmont continued to win votes after the Bruins improved to 20-1 with antics over Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.