Checking in on the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll ahead of Power Five conference tournaments.
For the third straight week, the Houston Cougars remain the country’s top-ranked team in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The Cougars received 29 of 31 first-place votes in the latest poll.
UCLA comes in behind Houston at No. 2, with Purdue, Kansas, and Alabama rounding out the top five. The Bruins and Boilermakers both moved up two spots from No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, while the Jayhawks and Crimson Tide fell in this week’s ranking from No. 3 and No. 2.
Also coming in within the top 10 are Marquette, Texas, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Baylor.
This week’s biggest mover was the Duke Blue Devils, moving up nine spots from being unranked to No. 21 after wins over North Carolina State and North Carolina. Connecticut had the second biggest move up the rankings this week, moving from No. 18 to inside the top-15 at No. 14.
This week’s biggest losers are Tennessee and Providence. Tennessee fell five spots from No. 14 to No. 19, while Providence fell from No. 20 to outside the top-25; they’re currently the first team out of the top-25.
A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Points |
Change |
| 1 |
Houston |
29-2 |
771 |
– |
| 2 |
UCLA |
27-4 |
740 |
+2 |
| 3 |
Purdue |
26-5 |
673 |
+2 |
| 4 |
Kansas |
25-6 |
666 |
-1 |
| 5 |
Alabama |
24-5 |
657 |
-3 |
| 6 |
Marquette |
25-6 |
636 |
– |
| 7 |
Texas |
23-8 |
571 |
– |
| 8 |
Gonzaga |
26-5 |
515 |
+2 |
| 9 |
Arizona |
25-6 |
494 |
– |
| 10 |
Baylor |
22-9 |
440 |
-2 |
| 11 |
Virginia |
23-6 |
419 |
+1 |
| 12 |
Kansas State |
23-8 |
409 |
-1 |
| 13 |
Miami |
24-6 |
381 |
+2 |
| 14 |
Connecticut |
24-7 |
367 |
+4 |
| 15 |
Xavier |
23-8 |
338 |
+2 |
| 16 |
Saint Mary’s |
25-6 |
336 |
– |
| 17 |
Indiana |
21-10 |
280 |
-4 |
| 18 |
Texas A&M |
23-8 |
251 |
+3 |
| 19 |
Tennessee |
22-9 |
249 |
-5 |
| 20 |
San Diego State |
24-6 |
205 |
-1 |
| 21 |
Duke |
23-8 |
119 |
+9 |
| 22 |
Creighton |
20-11 |
118 |
+1 |
| 23 |
TCU |
20-11 |
111 |
-1 |
| 24 |
Kentucky |
21-10 |
97 |
+3 |
| 25 |
Northwestern |
21-10 |
31 |
+1 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 20 Providence; No. 24 Maryland; No. 25 Pittsburgh.
Others Receiving Votes
Providence 30; Maryland 26; Florida Atlantic 25; Iowa State 24; Missouri 18; Oral Roberts 14;
Michigan St. 14; Toledo 11; Pittsburgh 10; NC State 9; West Virginia 6; Utah St. 5; Virginia Tech 3;
Iowa 3; Vanderbilt 2; Boise St. 1.
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