The latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll reflects early-season shakeups across men’s college basketball, as several ranked teams climbed or slipped following a week of key matchups.
Purdue remains firmly in control of the No. 1 position after securing an impressive road victory over Alabama. The Boilermakers collected 20 of the 31 first-place votes, maintaining a comfortable lead over second-ranked Houston. The Cougars narrowly escaped an upset against Auburn and picked up nine first-place votes of their own.
The top of the poll remains stable otherwise, with Connecticut holding steady at No. 3 and Duke retaining the No. 4 spot after receiving the remaining two first-place votes. Arizona rounds out the top five, boosted by a win over former Pac-12 foe UCLA.
One of the biggest jumps of the week came from Louisville, which surged from No. 12 into a tie for No. 6 with Michigan after a dominant rivalry win against Kentucky. Illinois also made a significant move, climbing six spots to No. 8 after knocking off Texas Tech.
Florida inched up to No. 9, while Brigham Young stayed in the top 10 despite a narrow defeat to UConn.
Alabama dropped slightly to No. 11 following its loss to Purdue. Kentucky slid to No. 13 after its setback against Louisville. Gonzaga moved up seven spots to No. 12, while Texas Tech fell four places to No. 15.
This week’s poll also welcomes two newcomers: Vanderbilt enters at No. 24 and Indiana at No. 25. Creighton and Auburn fall out of the rankings after recent losses.
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