Opponents are worth taking care of on your schedule.
In a week that saw several teams crash out of the polls, Auburn was rewarded with a respectable rise in the latest USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll. The Tigers register at No. 17 this week, which is a five-spot jump from last week’s ranking.
Auburn earned a midweek victory over Ole Miss on the road, 82-73, and returned to Neville Arena last Saturday to defeat Mississippi State, 69-63. Completing a sweep impressed not only college basketball coaches but Associated Press voters, who also moved Auburn five spots from last week’s poll to No. 16.
Several teams didn’t fare as well as Auburn did last week, as four teams dropped out of the USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll this week: Wisconsin, Missouri, Duke and San Diego State. Kentucky earned an impressive win over then-No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday, but they’re still on the outside looking in. The good news for the Wildcats is that their win in Knoxville dropped the Volunteers four spots to No. 9 in this week’s standings.
Here’s a look at this week’s USA TODAY Coaches Poll:
|
Range |
Team |
Registry |
Former |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
one |
houston |
17-1 |
one |
— |
|
2 |
Kansas |
16-1 |
2 |
— |
|
3 |
purdue |
16-1 |
3 |
— |
|
4 |
Alabama |
15-2 |
4 |
— |
|
5 |
University of California at Los Angeles |
16-2 |
6 |
one |
|
6 |
gonzaga |
16-3 |
8 |
2 |
|
7 |
Texas |
15-2 |
10 |
3 |
|
8 |
Javier |
15-3 |
eleven |
3 |
|
9 |
Tennessee |
14-3 |
5 |
-4 |
|
10 |
Virginia |
13-3 |
12 |
2 |
|
eleven |
Arizona |
15-3 |
9 |
-2 |
|
12 |
iowa state |
13-3 |
14 |
2 |
|
13 |
texan christian |
14-3 |
17 |
4 |
|
14 |
Connecticut |
15-4 |
7 |
-7 |
|
fifteen |
kansas state |
15-2 |
13 |
-2 |
|
sixteen |
Miami Florida |
14-3 |
fifteen |
-one |
|
17 |
Chestnut |
14-3 |
22 |
5 |
|
18 |
marquette |
14-5 |
23 |
5 |
|
19 |
Clemson |
15-3 |
NR |
9 |
|
twenty |
Providence |
14-4 |
19 |
-one |
|
twenty-one |
Charleston |
18-1 |
24 |
3 |
|
22 |
Baylor |
12-5 |
NR |
5 |
|
23 |
Illinois |
12-5 |
NR |
3 |
|
24 |
Santa Maria |
16-4 |
NR |
7 |
|
25 |
arkansas |
12-5 |
sixteen |
-9 |
Abandoned: No. 18 Wisconsin; No. 20 Missouri; No. 21 Duke; 25 San Diego Street
Vote reception: Rutgers 74; Duke 64; Florida Atlantic 58; 42 Michigan St.; Wisconsin 41; Indiana 32; New Mexico 25; 24 San Diego Street; Iowa 23; 21 Ohio Street; Missouri 21; Arizona State 20; State of North Carolina 16; Kentucky 10; Texas A&M 8; 7 Boise Street; Texas Tech 3; North Carolina 3; snowfall 2; tulano 1.
The story originally appeared on the Auburn Wire