Auburn becomes longest consecutive AP Poll No. 1 since 2022
The seven-week reign as the country's top program is the longest run in over three full calendar years. Gonzaga, who earned the preseason No. 1 ranking in the 2020-2021 season, grasped onto the top ranking for 21 straight weeks before finally giving it up in Week 4 of the 2021-2022 campaign. Before Monday's poll, Connecticut (2024), was the only other program to hold the AP No. 1 for at least six weeks since the 2015 season, when Kentucky held the top ranking for that entire campaign.
Auburn also received every first place vote in the Week 17 AP Poll after an undefeated week. This is the fourth time the Tigers have been at the peak of every voters paper, and the first since Week 14. Florida, who received the only other first-place vote a week ago, slid down one spot in the top 25, to No. 3, in favor of Duke.
Other than the Gators and Auburn, Tennessee (No. 5) and Alabama (No. 6) make up the remaining SEC programs ranked in the top 10 of the poll. Texas A&M (No. 12) fell out of the top 10 after a pair of losses to Mississippi State and Tennessee, marking just the second time since Week 5 the SEC hasn't represented at least 50% of the top 10 teams in college basketball. Kentucky (No. 17) spent most of the early season ranked in the top third of the AP Poll before the Aggies planted themselves among the nation's top programs.
Missouri (No. 14), who very well could have won the SEC if the season was a month longer, continued its surge up the polls this week to round out conference programs ranked in the top 15, while Mississippi State continued its descent down the rankings, checking in at No. 24. Ole Miss (28) and Vanderbilt (2) were the only other SEC teams to receive votes. Old friend Yale received a single vote as well. Kansas, who had been ranked in the AP Poll for 80 consecutive weeks, only received 25 votes in Week 17.
Auburn will need to continue playing extraordinary basketball over the final stretch of the season if it hopes to continue the streak of AP No. 1. After a matchup with Ole Miss at Neville Arena early this week, the Tigers travel to Rupp Arena to take on No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday before taking a pit stop in College Station to take on the Aggies next Tuesday. The regular season then wraps up with part two of the 'Iron Bowl of Basketball' on March 8.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn becomes longest consecutive AP Poll No. 1 since 2022
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