BOISE, Idaho — The new AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll released Monday features a pair of Mountain West teams in the top 25. Three other squads in the conference were listed under "receiving votes," including Boise State.
Defending national champion UConn maintained its top-ranked status ahead of Purdue, followed by North Carolina, Houston and Tennessee in the top five. Wisconsin jumped seven spots to No. 6, while Duke and Marquette moved up five to also enter the top 10.
ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
Utah State appeared at No. 17 in both the AP and coaches polls on Monday and remains the top-ranked team in the Mountain West. The Aggies climbed one spot in the AP poll following Saturday's 90-84 overtime win over the Broncos (14-6, 5-2 MW).
At 18-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play, Utah State sits atop the league standings ahead of Tuesday's matchup with San Jose State (8-12, 1-6). The Aggies have been ranked in both polls four-straight weeks.
Utah State's remaining schedule includes two showdowns with San Diego State (Feb. 3) and a second meeting with Boise State (Feb. 10), Colorado State (Feb. 17) and New Mexico (March 9).
LOBOS CLIMBING QUICKLY
Boise State's schedule features back-to-back top-20 opponents with a trip to Albuquerque on deck Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. MT on Fox Sports 1. The Lobos have been the best in the Mountain West as of late, averaging 91.2 points per game during their five-game winning streak.
New Mexico (18-3, 6-2) moved up six spots to No. 19 on Monday, passing the likes of Florida Atlantic, Dayton, BYU and Oklahoma, who dropped 12 from No. 11 to No. 23. The Lobos also swept Monday's weekly league awards, with Jaelen House earning conference player of the week and JT Toppin being named freshman of the week.
The streaking squad improved to 11-0 at home with an 89-55 rout of Nevada on Sunday. New Mexico is ranked above both San Diego State (16-4, 5-2) and Utah State in the NET rankings, and leads the Mountain West at No. 19 on KenPom.
RECEIVING VOTES
- San Diego State (95): The Aztecs received the second-most votes of teams outside of the top 25 both Monday and in last week's AP poll. San Diego State picked up an 81-65 home win over Wyoming this week following its 67-66 loss to the Broncos in Boise on Jan. 20. The Aztecs face Colorado State in Fort Collins at 7 p.m. MT Tuesday on CBS Sports Network.
- Colorado State (10): After jumping back into the AP top 25 as the 24th-ranked team last week, Colorado State fell out Monday on the heels of back-to-back Mountain West losses. The Rams fell to 15-5 overall and 3-4 in conference play with a 77-64 loss at Nevada and 79-76 loss at Wyoming. Colorado State looks to end its skid Tuesday against San Diego State.
- Boise State (5): The Broncos received five votes Monday, four less than last week's AP poll. Boise State had an interesting week with a pair of anxiety-filled contests at Fresno State and against Utah State. The Broncos survived the Bulldogs 72-68, but fell in overtime 90-84 to the Aggies. Following Wednesday's trip to New Mexico, Boise State hosts Air Force at 2 p.m. MT Saturday.
AP TOP 25 POLL - MONDAY, JAN. 29, 2024:
- UConn (18-2)
- Purdue (19-2)
- North Carolina (17-3)
- Houston (18-2)
- Tennessee (15-4)
- Wisconsin (16-4)
- Duke (15-4)
- Kansas (16-4)
- Marquette (15-5)
- Kentucky (15-4)
- Arizona (15-5)
- Iowa State (16-4)
- Creighton (16-5)
- Illinois (15-5)
- Texas Tech (16-3)
- Auburn (16-4)
- Utah State (18-2)
- Baylor (14-5)
- New Mexico (18-3)
- Florida Atlantic (17-4)
- Dayton (16-3)
- BYU (15-5)
- Oklahoma (15-5)
- Alabama (14-6)
- TCU (15-5)
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