Arkansas basketball is not close to being ranked. Not in the Associated Press poll. Not in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
But for anyone who hasn’t abandoned hope on the Hogs’ 2023-24 season, some good news can be had with Monday’s poll release.
Only five teams picked up votes in the coaches poll with only three of those five ranked at all. Tennessee checked in at No. 5 while Auburn and Kentucky tied at No. 6. After that, the closest team to being ranked was Alabama at a de facto No. 27. Ole Miss also picked up two points worth of votes to check in at a practical No. 40.
That means, with the rest of the SEC middling, Arkansas has plenty of opportunities to get on the winning track. The bad news, of course, is the Razorbacks have only played one of those five teams that are picking up votes. Arkansas travels to Ole Miss on Wednesday and gets Kentucky at home on Saturday.
After that, all that remain for the Hogs would be another game against Kentucky, one against the Volunteers and a final one against the Crimson Tide.
If the wins come, Arkansas could get the benefit of the doubt when the NCAA Tournament rolls around. Eric Musselman’s team beat No. 2 Purdue in the preseason – which doesn’t technically count – and beat No. 12 Duke. They played No. 3 North Carolina and No. 22 Memphis with quality on neutral courts.
The team that knocked Arkansas out of last year’s NCAA Tournament, Connecticut, was ranked No. 1, while Houston rounded out the top five at No. 4.
The complete poll is below.
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | UConn | 17-2 | 791 (24) | – |
| 2 | Purdue | 17-2 | 769 (8) | – |
| 3 | North Carolina | 15-3 | 734 | – |
| 4 | Houston | 16-2 | 678 | +1 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14-4 | 671 | +2 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 14-3 | 609 | +4 |
| 6 | Auburn | 16-2 | 609 | +5 |
| 8 | Kansas | 15-3 | 576 | -4 |
| 9 | Arizona | 14-4 | 528 | +4 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 14-4 | 480 | -2 |
| 11 | Illinois | 14-4 | 437 | +3 |
| 12 | Duke | 13-4 | 421 | -6 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 15-3 | 401 | +3 |
| 14 | Baylor | 14-4 | 362 | -5 |
| 15 | Marquette | 13-5 | 360 | +3 |
| 16 | Creighton | 14-5 | 299 | -1 |
| 17 | Dayton | 15-2 | 277 | +6 |
| 18 | Iowa State | 14-4 | 220 | +2 |
| 19 | BYU | 14-4 | 181 | – |
| 20 | Utah State | 17-2 | 176 | -3 |
| 21 | Texas Tech | 15-3 | 148 | +4 |
| 22 | Memphis | 15-4 | 130 | -10 |
| 23 | Colorado State | 15-3 | 119 | +3 |
| 24 | Florida Atlantic | 15-4 | 101 | +3 |
| 25 | New Mexico | 16-3 | 54 | +20 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 21 Ole Miss; No. 22 TCU; No. 24 San Diego State
Others Receiving Votes
San Diego State 43; Alabama 43; Seton Hall 33; Gonzaga 30; TCU 26; Texas 18; Clemson 15; Kansas State 14; Princeton 13; Utah 10; Saint Mary’s 6; Boise State 5; Indiana State 4; Grand Canyon 4; Ole Miss 2; James Madison 2; Michigan State 1