Houston returns to No. 1 after Purdue's run at top of Paste BN Sports men's basketball poll ends
Conference play is in full swing now in men’s college basketball, and that means there is a whole lot of shuffling in the Paste BN Sports coaches poll. Those changes include another switch at No. 1.
Houston returns to the top spot for the second time this season, having enjoyed a two-week stint at the top earlier this season. In close voting, the Cougars received 14 of 32 first-place votes to finish just seven points ahead of Kansas, which moves up to the No. 2 spot. The Jayhawks picked up 12 No. 1 votes but have yet to head the poll overall thus far in the current season.
Purdue retained six first-place votes but slips to No. 3 after a four-week reign at No. 1 due to a loss at home to Rutgers. A couple of SEC contenders, Alabama and Tennessee, move up to round out the top five as Connecticut and Arizona fall to No. 7 and 9 respectively..
UCLA gains a couple of positions to No. 6. No. 8 Gonzaga also moves up two spots. Texas drops four positions but remains in the top 10.
TOP 25: Complete Paste BN Sports men's basketball poll
No. 11 Xavier makes a seven-spot jump, but the biggest mover within the poll is Iowa State, vaulting all the way to No. 14 after being tied for 25th a week ago. Another upwardly mobile Big 12 squad,
Kansas State, heads the list of newcomers to the rankings this week, making a splashy debut at No. 13. It was a good week for the Big East as No. 19 Providence and No. 23 Marquette also move in.
Checking in at No. 24 this week is the College of Charleston, the first Top 25 appearance for the Cougars since Paste BN took over management of the coaches poll in the 1991-92 season. San Diego State also returns to the rankings at No. 25.
The list of dropouts this week features a number of name-brand programs, including Baylor, Indiana and Kentucky. New Mexico, Illinois and Ohio State also fall out.