LAWRENCE, Ch. Kansas entered the Associated Press men’s basketball poll for the first time in 12 years on Monday, ending the Jayhawks’ record-breaking run of 231 consecutive weeks in the Top 25.
Gonzaga and Baylor held the top two places, just as they have all season, with the Bulldogs getting 55 of the 63 first place votes and the Bears the other eight. Michigan took advantage of Villanova’s loss at St. John’s to jump into the top three, rival Ohio State climbed 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 beat Kentucky and No. 11 Alabama to reach the top 10 for the first time since December 24, 2012.
However, the real drama didn’t hit the top of the poll, but the bottom.
The Jayhawks began their Top 25 streak on February 2, 2009, when freshman Bryce Thompson was 6 years old. Their decade-plus of dominance, which started the season after winning the national championship, included 10 consecutive Big 12 regular season titles, five conference tournament titles, two more Final Four trips, and a runner-up in 2012.
Their match against No. 23 Oklahoma State on Monday night would be the Jayhawks’ first unranked in 434 games.
“It’s basketball and we have one more game to focus on,” said Jayhawks security guard Jalen Wilson after losing 91-79 to No. 14 in West Virginia on Saturday, their sixth in the past 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 couldn’t do. Another day, another game that we just have to focus on.”
The Jayhawks started 8-1 and climbed to No. 3 on December 28, with their lone loss against Gonzaga and victories over then-seeded teams Kentucky, West Virginia, Creighton and Texas Tech on the road. But they’ve been scrambling since the start of Big 12 game, Thompson lost to injury and not getting enough production from an otherwise experienced team.
“We have enough games to win and I know this team can do it,” said Kansas guard Christian Braun. “Everyone’s head is in a good place, but we just have to do it on the field. We should stop talking about it and really stay about it.”
A bit like the Bulldogs and Bears have been this season.
Gonzaga trailed halfway through the Pacific last week, before making a 25-8 final round to win the game with ease, after which the game against Santa Clara was canceled over the weekend. The Bulldogs had a tough test against BYU on Monday evening.
“It’s really hard when everyone around them is national and everything thinks you’re going through it quickly,” said Bulldogs coach Mark Few after their latest win, “but it’s not reality.”
Baylor then hit-No. 6 Texas on the road last week in its first game with top-10 teams from the state of Texas, only to announce another break for COVID-19 on Thursday. That led to a reprieve against TCU and No. 11 Oklahoma, so the Bears won’t be back on the field – at the earliest – until they face Texas Tech on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide and Sooners were followed at No. 13 by the Longhorns, who fell seven places after losing to Baylor and Oklahoma State last week. The Mountaineers were next, with Iowa taking seven places to No. 15, followed by Tennessee, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Creighton, and Southern California.
The top 25 ended with Wisconsin, Loyola from Chicago, Oklahoma State, Purdue and Rutgers.
IN AND OUT
Loyola entered the poll for the first time since the last poll of the 1984-85 season. That might surprise those who remember the Ramblers’ dramatic run to the Final Four in 2018, but they never cracked the Top 25 that season.
The victory of the Trojans then: no. 21 Saturday night UCLA propelled them to their first rankings since December 2017, while Oklahoma State and Rutgers also made it to the Top 25. The Cowboys are ranked for the first time since February 2015.
The Bruins fell out, along with Kansas, Florida and Drake, whose 18-0 start was tainted in a 74-57 defeat to Valparaiso.
TO KNOCK ON THE DOOR
Colorado, San Diego State and Xavier were the first three to live outside the Top 25, while Belmont continued to garner votes after the Bruins improved to 20-1 romping across Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.