Tag: Coaches Poll

Duke basketball stays outside of the top five in USA TODAY Sports coaches poll

The Duke Blue Devils rose three spots to sixth in the latest USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll on Monday.

The Duke Blue Devils won both of their games last week, including a Wednesday victory over the previously undefeated Auburn Tigers, to rise to sixth in the latest USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll.

Duke’s three-place rise makes the Blue Devils the highest-ranked team with multiple losses and the top team in the ACC. The Tigers stayed in place at No. 2 despite the loss, but the Tennessee Volunteers replaced the Kansas Jayhawks atop the rankings after two Kansas losses.

Iowa State, Marquette, and the Kentucky Wildcats all stayed above Duke to complete the top five. The Jayhawks tumbled down nine spots to No. 10, and the North Carolina Tar Heels completely vanished from the top 25 after four early losses.

The 9-1 Clemson Tigers catapulted all the way to No. 16 after they handed Kentucky their first defeat of the season, taking UNC’s place as the only other ACC team within the rankings.

Check out the complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll below.

Rank Team Record Points
1 Tennessee 8-0 745 (25)
2 Auburn 8-1 709 (5)
3 Iowa State 7-1 673
4 Marquette 9-1 633
5 Kentucky 8-1 630
6 Duke 7-2 613
7 Florida 9-0 530
8 Alabama 7-2 525
9 Gonzaga 7-2 462
10 Kansas 7-2 449
11 Purdue 8-2 424
12 Oregon 9-1 377
13 Houston 5-3 304
14 Michigan 8-1 258
15 Ole Miss 8-1 249
16 Clemson 9-1 237
17 Oklahoma 9-0 233
18 Texas A&M 8-2 194
19 Michigan State 8-2 166
20 UConn 7-3 152
21 UCLA 8-1 137
22 Wisconsin 8-2 129
23 Cincinnati 7-1 124
24 San Diego State 6-2 105
25 Baylor 5-3 99

Dropped Out

No. 15 Memphis; No. 17 Illinois; No. 19 Pittsburgh; No. 22 North Carolina

Receiving Votes

Mississippi State 93; Illinois 72; St. John’s 51; Pittsburgh 50; Arizona State 45; Maryland 42; Memphis 39; Drake 35; Utah State 32; Penn State 30; Saint Mary’s 28; Missouri 21; Creighton 20; Georgia 18; West Virginia 11; Arkansas 10; UC Irvine 5; Texas 5; Dayton 4; Texas Tech 2; North Carolina 2; Loyola Chicago 2; LSU 1

Seven SEC teams are ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll after championships

Seven teams from the SEC are ranked in the new US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Georgia Bulldogs knocked off the Texas Longhorns in an overtime thriller on Saturday, making them the 2024 SEC champions. Kentucky football nearly beat them in an early season matchup, which would have drastically altered things, but instead Georgia finishes the year ranked number two overall in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Seven teams from the SEC are ranked overall in the coaches poll. Texas still came in ranked fourth, and the Tennessee Volunteers are sixth. Those three SEC teams all made the College Football Playoff as well.

Related: Deone Walker enters NFL Draft

The Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Ole Miss Rebels all just missed the playoff, but are ranked 11th, 14th, and 15th respectively. Missouri was the other ranked SEC team, at 20th.

The regular season is finished now, and teams will prepare for bowl season. It was a wild year overall, though a disappointing one for Kentucky.

Here are the full rankings for the US LBM Coaches Poll after the conference championship games on Saturday.

 

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 12-0 1,350 (54)
2 Georgia Bulldogs 11-2 1,281
3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 11-1 1,214
4 Texas Longhorns 11-2 1,178
5 Penn State Nittany Lions 11-2 1,080
6 Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 1,069
7 Ohio State Buckeyes 10-2 1,037
8 Boise State Broncos 12-1 929
9 Indiana Hoosiers 11-1 925
10 Arizona State Sun Devils 11-2 856
11 Alabama Crimson Tide 9-3 749
12 SMU Mustangs 11-2 741
13 Clemson Tigers 10-3 707
14 South Carolina Gamecocks 9-3 668
15 Ole Miss Rebels 9-3 631
16 Miami Hurricanes 10-2 611
17 BYU Cougars 10-2 423
18 Army Black Knights 11-1 361
19 Iowa State Cyclones 10-3 355
20 Missouri Tigers 9-3 282
21 Illinois Fighting Illini 9-3 275
22 Colorado Buffaloes 9-3 228
23 Memphis Tigers 10-2 166
24 UNLV Rebels 10-3 140
25 Syracuse Orange 9-3 129

Georgia rises in US LBM Coaches Poll after SEC title

Georgia football is the first two-loss team to be ranked No. 2 in the Coaches Poll after Championship Week since the 2007

The Georgia Bulldogs are ranked No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll after earning a 22-19 overtime win over the Texas Longhorns in the 2024 SEC championship game.

Georgia has punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 national seed. UGA has a first-round bye in the playoff and will have a chance to heal up.

The 13-0 Big Ten champion Oregon Ducks have all 53 first place votes and are ranked No. 1. Notre Dame is ranked No. 3. Texas fell to No. 4 after losing to Georgia and Penn State rounds out the top five at No. 5.

Georgia is the first two-loss team to be ranked No. 2 in the Coaches Poll after Championship Week since the 2007 LSU Tigers, who went on to defeat Ohio State in the BCS national championship game.

US LBM Coaches Poll after Championship Week

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 13-0 1,350 (54)
2 Georgia Bulldogs 11-2 1,281
3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 11-1 1,214
4 Texas Longhorns 11-2 1,178
5 Penn State Nittany Lions 11-2 1,080
6 Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 1,069
7 Ohio State Buckeyes 10-2 1,037
8 Boise State Broncos 12-1 929
9 Indiana Hoosiers 11-1 925
10 Arizona State Sun Devils 11-2 856
11 Alabama Crimson Tide 9-3 749
12 SMU Mustangs 11-2 741
13 Clemson Tigers 10-3 707
14 South Carolina Gamecocks 9-3 668
15 Ole Miss Rebels 9-3 631
16 Miami Hurricanes 10-2 611
17 BYU Cougars 10-2 423
18 Army Black Knights 11-1 361
19 Iowa State Cyclones 10-3 355
20 Missouri Tigers 9-3 282
21 Illinois Fighting Illini 9-3 275
22 Colorado Buffaloes 9-3 228
23 Memphis Tigers 10-2 166
24 UNLV Rebels 10-3 140
25 Syracuse Orange 9-3 129

Clemson ranks behind SMU in latest US LBM Coaches Poll after ACC Championship win

Clemson climbs in the latest Coaches Poll.

Clemson football’s dramatic 34-31 victory over SMU in the ACC Championship propelled the Tigers to No. 13 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll. Despite the win, SMU remained one spot ahead at No. 12, sparking conversation about how rankings are evaluated.

Fueled by a game-winning 56-yard field goal from freshman kicker Nolan Hauser and standout performances from Cade Klubnik and Bryant Wesco, Clemson showcased its playoff potential. Yet, SMU’s consistent regular season earned them continued respect in the polls.

With the College Football Playoff looming, Clemson now has the added motivation of proving they belong among the nation’s elite. The rankings set the stage for what could be an exciting postseason journey for the Tigers.

Rank Team Record PTS 1st Prev Chg Hi/Lo
1
Oregon
 13-0 1350 54 1 – 1/7
2
Georgia
 11-2 1281 0 5
+3
 1/10
3
Notre Dame
 11-1 1214 0 4
+1
 3/19
4
Texas
 11-2 1178 0 2
-2
 1/6
5
Penn State
 11-2 1080 0 3
-2
 3/9
6
Tennessee
 10-2 1069 0 6 – 4/15
7
Ohio State
 10-2 1037 0 8
+1
 2/8
8
Boise State
 12-1 929 0 10
+2
 8/NR
9
Indiana
 11-1 925 0 9 – 5/NR
10
Arizona State
 11-2 856 0 13
+3
 10/NR
11
Alabama
 9-3 749 0 11 – 2/15
12
SMU
 11-2 741 0 7
-5
 7/NR
13
Clemson
 10-3 707 0 17
+4
 8/22
14
South Carolina
 9-3 668 0 12
-2
 12/NR
15
Ole Miss
 9-3 631 0 15 – 5/18
16
Miami (FL)
 10-2 611 0 14
-2
 4/19
17
BYU
 10-2 423 0 18
+1
 8/NR
18
Army West Point
 11-1 361 0 23
+5
 17/NR
19
Iowa State
 10-3 355 0 16
-3
 10/NR
20
Missouri
 9-3 282 0 20 – 8/NR
21
Illinois
 9-3 275 0 21 – 21/NR
22
Colorado
 9-3 228 0 22 – 18/NR
23
Memphis
 10-2 166 0 24
+1
 23/NR
24
UNLV
 10-3 140 0 19
-5
 19/NR
25
Syracuse
 9-3 129 0 25 – 25/NR

Others Receiving Votes

Texas A&M 50; Duke 40; Louisville 17; Kansas State 16; Marshall 14; Ohio 8; Tulane 6; Louisiana 6; Jacksonville State 3; Georgia Tech 3; LSU 1; Iowa 1;

Kentucky women remain 16th in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Kentucky women’s basketball remains 16th in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Kentucky women’s basketball got two wins this past week at the Music City Classic, first against Arizona State, then against a ranked Illinois team. However, in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, they remain at number 16.

The Wildcats are 7 – 0 under new coach Kenny Brooks, so perhaps they should be higher in the rankings. However, after a couple of tough seasons in Lexington, being undefeated and ranked is great for the program.

Related: Clara Strack is a rising star in college basketball

Kentucky is the fifth highest ranked team in the coaches poll out of the SEC. The Texas Longhorns are the highest at number three, followed by South Carolina at four and the LSU Tigers at number five. Seven SEC teams are ranked overall.

On December fifth, the Cats face the 15th ranked North Carolina Tarheels in what will be a huge test for Kentucky. Brooks has the team off to a hot start, and will try to keep it going in December.

Michigan State women’s basketball cracks top-25 in latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

The Spartans have earned a top-25 ranking after starting the season 8-0

After a perfect start to the 2024-25 basketball season, Michigan State women’s basketball is finally being rewarded for their efforts and starting to garner some national attention. On Tuesday, the Spartans cracked the top-25 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 25 after getting votes the last few polls.

This comes a day after MSU was named the No. 24 ranked team in the AP Poll. This is the first time the team has been ranked in the Robyn Fralick era.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

Duke women’s basketball jumps within top 10 of USA TODAY Sports coaches poll

After a pair of top-10 victories, Duke women’s basketball is now the highest-ranked ACC team in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.

The Duke women’s basketball team won three games last week, including a pair of top-10 triumphs over the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners at the Ball Dawgs Classic, and coaches around the country certainly think the Blue Devils are among the nation’s elite.

Duke rose four spots to ninth in the updated USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll on Tuesday, moving one spot ahead of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to lead all ACC teams in the ranking.

Senior guard [autotag]Reigan Richardson[/autotag] led the charge with a career-high 35 points against the Sooners, a game that earned her Associated Press national player of the week honors. She averaged 23.3 points and made 50.0% of her 3-point attempts for the week, dropping 16 against Kansas State and 19 against Columbia.

The UCLA Bruins, Connecticut Huskies, and Texas Longhorns took the top three spots. South Carolina, the defending national champions and Duke’s next opponent, followed at No. 4 ahead of its Thursday home game against the Blue Devils.

The North Carolina Tar Heels (7-1) followed at No. 15, the third-highest ACC team in the rankings.

Kentucky moves up two more spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Kentucky basketball moves up two more spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll after another 2 – 0 week.

Kentucky basketball wasn’t expected to be a top ten team this season by most. However, new coach Mark Pope has them out to a 7 – 0 start to the season, with a win over the Duke Blue Devils.

After wins over Western KY and Georgia State, they are now the sixth ranked team in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. That’s up two spots from eighth in last week’s coaches poll.

Related: Wildcats preparing for a December gauntlet

The Wildcats are the third highest ranked SEC team this week, behind the Auburn Tigers at number two, and the Tennessee Volunteers at number three. The Florida Gators and Ole Miss Rebels also made jumps this week.

The Alabama Crimson Tide fell three spots, while Texas A&M took a four spot drop. Arkansas fell out of the top 25 after losing to Illinois.

Overall, the SEC still has eight teams in the top 25 of the coaches poll. As for Kentucky, they are about to face a tough December schedule that starts with Clemson on Tuesday, followed by Gonzaga. If they win those two games, they’re certain to be even higher in the rankings next week.

Here is the full USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll:

 

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 7-0 760 (19)
2 Auburn 7-0 755 (12)
3 Tennessee 7-0 694
4 Marquette 8-0 646
5 Iowa State 5-1 629
6 Kentucky 7-0 628
7 Purdue 7-1 535
8 Gonzaga 7-1 517
9 Duke 5-2 472
10 Oregon 8-0 457
11 Wisconsin 8-0 450
12 Alabama 6-2 441
13 Florida 8-0 427
14 Cincinnati 6-0 376
15 Memphis 6-1 265
16 Baylor 5-2 262
17 Illinois 6-1 234
18 Houston 4-3 221
19 Pittsburgh 7-1 213
20 Ole Miss 6-1 139
21 Oklahoma 7-0 111
22 North Carolina 4-3 96
23 Michigan 6-1 90
24 Texas A&M 6-2 86
25 Michigan State 6-2 73

Alabama falls in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll amid brutal nonconference schedule

Check out where Nate Oats’ Alabama basketball team is ranked in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released Monday.

Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats knew what he was doing when he put together one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the nation ahead of the 2024-25 college basketball season. Oats’ team has since slipped a bit in the rankings after entering the year as preseason No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports’ Coaches Poll.

While Alabama (6-2) reeled off two impressive wins last week in the inaugural Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, defeating the Houston Cougars 85-80 in overtime and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 95-90, the Crimson Tide lost the finale of the Players Era Festival Saturday night with an 83-81 loss to Dana Altman’s Oregon Ducks.

As a result, Alabama fell three spots to No. 12 in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released Monday.

Oregon, previously unranked, jumped 27 spots and moved all the way to No. 10 in the Coaches Poll after beating Alabama, San Diego State and the Texas A&M Aggies to win the Players Era Festival.

The Wisconsin Badgers (8-0) also jumped past Mark Sears and the Crimson Tide, landing at No. 11 after wins over the Pitt Panthers and UCF Knights to win the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia.

The Purdue Boilermakers (7-1), who defeated Alabama 87-78 at Mackey Arena on Nov. 15, moved back into the top 10 at No. 7 after winning the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego with an 80-78 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels.

Alabama is ranked one spot behind the No. 11 Badgers and one spot ahead of the No. 13 Florida Gators in this week’s poll.

Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks (7-0) remained No. 1 for the fourth straight week after entering 2024 as preseason No. 1 in the Coaches Poll. Bruce Pearl’s Auburn Tigers (7-0), the Tennessee Volunteers (7-0) and Marquette Golden Eagles (8-0) were big risers in this week’s poll.

Auburn moved up one spot to No. 2 after dominant wins over the North Carolina Tar Heels and Memphis Tigers to win the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. Tennessee rose three spots to No. 3, with Marquette jumping seven spots to land at No. 4.

The Iowa State Cyclones (5-1) rounded out the top five.

Alabama basketball 2024 schedule

Next up for the Crimson Tide is a trip to Chapel Hill to face No. 22 North Carolina in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Tipoff for Alabama vs. North Carolina is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. CT Wednesday at the Dean Smith Center. The game will be televised on ESPN.

ESPN’s Matchup Predictor currently gives North Carolina a 57.7 percent chance of beating Alabama. The two teams met in the Sweet 16 last March, an 89-87 Alabama win over the No. 1 seed Tar Heels.

Full USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 7-0 760 (19)
2 Auburn 7-0 755 (12)
3 Tennessee 7-0 694
4 Marquette 8-0 646
5 Iowa State 5-1 629
6 Kentucky 7-0 628
7 Purdue 7-1 535
8 Gonzaga 7-1 517
9 Duke 5-2 472
10 Oregon 8-0 457
11 Wisconsin 8-0 450
12 Alabama 6-2 441
13 Florida 8-0 427
14 Cincinnati 6-0 376
15 Memphis 6-1 265
16 Baylor 5-2 262
17 Illinois 6-1 234
18 Houston 4-3 221
19 Pittsburgh 7-1 213
20 Ole Miss 6-1 139
21 Oklahoma 7-0 111
22 North Carolina 4-3 96
23 Michigan 6-1 90
24 Texas A&M 6-2 86
25 Michigan State 6-2 73

Schools Dropped Out

No. 2 UConn; No. 15 Indiana; No. 19 Creighton; No. 21 Arkansas; No. 22 Xavier; No. 23 Arizona

Others Receiving Votes

UConn 63; San Diego State 56; Texas 54; Mississippi State 39; Arizona State 39; Drake 34; Texas Tech 32; Arkansas 28; UCLA 17; Xavier 16; BYU 16; Ohio State 15; Utah State 13; Saint Mary’s 12; Dayton 10; St. John’s 8; Nebraska 8; Indiana 8; Creighton 8; West Virginia 5; Maryland 5; Clemson 5; Georgia 3; Arizona 2; UC Irvine 1; Nevada 1

Michigan basketball makes debut in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

About time. #GoBlue

Outside of Ann Arbor, not many had faith that Michigan basketball would be among the best teams in the country, but a few weeks into the 2024-25 season, new head coach Dusty May has the Wolverines rolling. At 6-1 thus far, the maize and blue are getting better and better, up to No. 22 in Kenpom with the 38th-best offense and No. 10 defense.

Coaches around the country are taking notice, it appears. In the fifth iteration of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, the Michigan basketball team made its debut, coming in at No. 23. Other Big Ten teams ranked include Purdue at No. 7, Oregon at No. 10, Wisconsin at No. 11, Illinois at No. 17, and Michigan State at No. 25.

Here are the full rankings.

USA TODAY Coaches Poll

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 7-0 760 (19)
2 Auburn 7-0 755 (12)
3 Tennessee 7-0 694
4 Marquette 8-0 646
5 Iowa State 5-1 629
6 Kentucky 7-0 628
7 Purdue 7-1 535
8 Gonzaga 7-1 517
9 Duke 5-2 472
10 Oregon 8-0 457
11 Wisconsin 8-0 450
12 Alabama 6-2 441
13 Florida 8-0 427
14 Cincinnati 6-0 376
15 Memphis 6-1 265
16 Baylor 5-2 262
17 Illinois 6-1 234
18 Houston 4-3 221
19 Pittsburgh 7-1 213
20 Ole Miss 6-1 139
21 Oklahoma 7-0 111
22 North Carolina 4-3 96
23 Michigan 6-1 90
24 Texas A&M 6-2 86
25 Michigan State 6-2 73

Schools dropped out:

No. 2 UConn; No. 15 Indiana; No. 19 Creighton; No. 21 Arkansas; No. 22 Xavier; No. 23 Arizona;

Others receiving votes

UConn 63; San Diego State 56; Texas 54; Mississippi State 39; Arizona State 39; Drake 34; Texas Tech 32; Arkansas 28; UCLA 17; Xavier 16; BYU 16; Ohio State 15; Utah State 13; Saint Mary’s 12; Dayton 10; St. John’s 8; Nebraska 8; Indiana 8; Creighton 8; West Virginia 5; Maryland 5; Clemson 5; Georgia 3; Arizona 2; UC Irvine 1; Nevada 1