AP poll Week 4 reaction: What you need to know about each Top 25 team
The past week was chaos. We can all agree about that. Top-2 team UConn lost three consecutive games at the Maui Invitational. Top-5 teams Gonzaga and Iowa State each lost a game. It was the second time in AP poll history, according to ESPN Stats & Information, that AP-Top 5 teams lost at least five games in a calendar week in November (following Nov. 21-27 in 2021). Look at the rest of last week’s AP Top 25 and there were more upsets and surprise results.
So, with the new poll released, there have understandably been changes. Kansas holds on to the No. 1 spot, but after running through the Maui Invitational field, Auburn will challenge the Jayhawks. Tennessee, Kentucky and Marquette round out the top 5, while newcomers include Oregon, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Oklahoma and San Diego State.
Defending national champion UConn slid all the way to the very bottom at No. 25.
Let’s take a look at the Week 4 AP men’s college basketball poll for the 2024-25 season, and what’s next for each team in the rankings.
Previous polls: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3
Stats courtesy of ESPN Research and The Associated Press.
All times Eastern
Previous ranking: 1
2024-25 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Kansas is the first non-ACC team to beat Duke and North Carolina when both are ranked in the AP Poll in the same season since Arizona beat the two ACC schools in 1987-88.
What’s next: Wednesday at Creighton (Big 12-Big East Battle), 8:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 4
2024-25 record: 7-0
Stat to know: With his 21 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists in the Maui Invitational championship game, Johni Broome became the first SEC player in the past 25 seasons with multiple games of 15 points, 15 reounds and 5 assists. He’s also tied for the longest streak of 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in a game by an SEC player over the past 25 seasons.
What’s next: Wednesday at Duke (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 9:15 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 7
2024-25 record: 7-0
Stat to know: After defeating UT Martin last week, Rick Barnes is now 33-6 (.846) against in-state competition in his 10 years with Tennessee, including 16-1 (.941) over the last 17 such contests.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Syracuse (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 8
2024-25 record: 7-0
Stat to know: After the 105-76 win over Georgia State, Kentucky has now had four games scoring 100-plus points this season, the most in Division I. The Wildcats are averaging 96.7 PPG this season, also the most in Division I. Seven UK players scored at least 10 points against Georgia State, tied for their most in a game in past 25 years (third instance).
What’s next: Tuesday at Clemson, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 10
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: After Saturday’s 94-52 win over Western Carolina, Kam Jones is the fifth Marquette player in the past 25 seasons with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists in a game, after Tyler Kolek (four times), Travis Diener (twice), Jerel McNeal (twice) and Dwyane Wade.
What’s next: Wednesday at Iowa State (Big 12-Big East Battle), 8 p.m.
Previous ranking: 5
2024-25 record: 5-1
Stat to know: Iowa State is 27-2 against unranked opponents over past two seasons (7-7 against ranked teams over that span).
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Marquette (Big 12-Big East Battle), 8 p.m.
Previous ranking: 3
2024-25 record: 7-1
Stat to know: Gonzaga bounced back from its loss to West Virginia in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis by beating then-No. 14 Indiana in the second round. Ryan Nembhard had 11 points, a career-high 13 assists and 5 steals, making history in a number of ways: It’s his sixth game with 12-plus assists (most among active players); he is the first Gonzaga player under Mark Few with 10 points, 10 assists, 5 steals in a game; and he’s the third player this century with 10 points, 12 assists and 5 steals against a ranked team.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Kentucky (Battle in Seattle), 10 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 13
2024-25 record: 7-1
Stat to know: Braden Smith had his 11th career points-assists double-double in the 80-78 win against Ole Miss in the Rady Children’s Invitational championship game — that’s the 2nd-most points-assists double-doubles in Purdue history behind Bruce Parkinson (13).
What’s next: Thursday at Penn State, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 11
2024-25 record: 5-2
Stat to know: After the loss to Kansas in Las Vegas last Tuesday, Duke is 3-9 in games decided by 5 points or less since the start of last season. In Jon Scheyer’s first season (2022-23), Duke was 7-2 in those situations.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Auburn (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 9:15 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 9
2024-25 record: 6-2
Stat to know: Mark Sears had just 11 points in the overtime loss to Oregon in the Players Era Festival title game, shooting just 3 of 14 from the field, 1 of 11 from the 3-point line. His 10 missed 3-point field goal attempts are the most in a game in his career.
What’s next: Wednesday at North Carolina (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 7:15 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 15
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: Wisconsin, which entered Saturday’s game against Chicago State as the No. 1 team in the nation in free-throw percentage at 86.5% (147-of-170), made 18 of 21 from the line in the 74-53 win against the Cougars.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Michigan, 9 p.m., Peacock
Previous ranking: Unranked
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: In the Ducks’ 83-81 upset of ranked Alabama in the Players Era Festival title game, Keeshawn Barthelemy came off the bench to score a game-high 22 points — the highest-scoring game by an Oregon reserve against an AP-ranked opponent since A.D. Smith had 23 points against No. 10 UCLA in January 1998.
What’s next: Wednesday at USC, 10:30 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 18
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know:
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Virginia (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 7 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 16
2024-25 record: 6-0
Stat to know: Connor Hickman, who transferred to Cincinnati after three seasons at Bradley, didn’t score in 24 minutes against Alabama State last week. He is four points away from 1,000 for his career.
What’s next: Tuesday at Villanova (Big 12-Big East Battle), 6:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 17
2024-25 record: 5-2
Stat to know: Norchad Omier has five double-doubles so far this season; his 73 for his career (including at previous stops Miami and Arkansas State) are the most among active NCAA players.
What’s next: Wednesday at UConn (Big 12-Big East Battle), 6:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: Unranked
2024-25 record: 6-1
Stat to know: In Memphis’ loss to Auburn in the Maui Invitational championship game, PJ Haggerty had 27 points and 9 rebounds — the most points by a Memphis player against an AP Top-5 opponent since Kendric Davis (31) in 2023 vs No. 1 Houston.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Louisiana Tech, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 6
2024-25 record: 4-3
Stat to know: The Cougars were another ranked team to fall to an unranked opponent in overtime. They saw just seven points from their bench and had only two players score in double-figures in the loss to San Diego State in the Players Era Festival game.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Butler (Big 12-Big East Battle), 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: Unranked
2024-25 record: 7-1
Stat to know: Zack Austin’s buzzer-beating 3-point to defeat Ohio State 91-90 in overtime is the first go-ahead field goal in the final 5 seconds of a game since Jamarius Burton scored with 1 second left at St. John’s on Dec. 18., 2021, according to CBB Analytics.
What’s next: Wednesday at Mississippi State (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 9:15 p.m., SEC Network
Previous ranking: Unranked
2024-25 record: 6-1
Stat to know: With 21 points and 10 rebounds against Arkansas, Tomislav Ivisic became the first Illinois player to have a 20-point, 10-rebound game against an AP-ranked opponent since Terrence Shannon Jr. in November 2022.
What’s next: Friday at Northwestern, 9 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 12
2024-25 record: 4-3
Stat to know: UNC’s 94-91 overtime loss to Michigan State in the Maui Invitational was its 17th loss against an unranked opponent since Hubert Davis took over the program in 2021-22. It was the Tar Heels’ 10th such loss as a ranked team.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Alabama (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 7:15 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: Unranked
2024-25 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Oklahoma has started 7-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. The Sooners went 10-0 last season before losing their first game.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Georgia Tech (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 9 p.m., ESPNU
Previous ranking: 20
2024-25 record: 6-2
Stat to know: Henry Coleman III finished the Aggies’ Players Era Festival run with a team-best 77.7% shooting percentage (14 of 18). He also grabbed a team-high 22 rebounds.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Wake Forest (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 9 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 23
2024-25 record: 6-1
Stat to know: Ole Miss has lost eight consecutive AP-ranked matchups after being defeated by Purdue in the Rady Children’s Invitational championship game, tied for the second-longest active losing streak in those games. The Rebels last won an AP-ranked matchup against Vanderbilt on Jan. 30, 2008.
What’s next: Tuesday at Louisville (SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge), 9 p.m., ACCN
Previous ranking: Unranked
2024-25 record: 4-2
Stat to know: In defeating ranked Houston in the Players Era Festival on Saturday, San Diego State went 3-7 against AP top-10 opponents, after winning just two of the team’s 23 such games.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Fresno State, 10:30 p.m., FS1
Previous ranking: 2
2024-25 record: 5-3
Stat to know: The Huskies became the fourth AP Top-2 team to lose three straight games in the AP poll era (since 1948-49) when they lost to Memphis (99-97 OT), Colorado (73-72) and Dayton (85-67) in the Maui Invitational. They join 2017-18 Arizona, 1986-87 Louisville and 1966-67 Louisville on that list.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Baylor (Big 12-Big East Battle), 6:30 p.m., FS1
