Overtime win at Texas Tech gives Kentucky a boost in latest AP poll

Kentucky’s men’s basketball team moved up two spots — from 15th to 13th — in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The Cats (15-4, 5-1 SEC) are on a three-game winning streak, including victories this past week against Georgia (89-79 at home) and Texas Tech (76-74 in overtime on the road in the Big 12/SEC Challenge).

Nick Richards, who averaged 22.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in the two wins, was named the NCAA March Madness National Player of the Week and the SEC Co-Player of the Week.

Up next, UK faces Vanderbilt (8-11, 0-6 SEC) at home Wednesday and No. 17 Auburn (17-2, 4-2 SEC) on the road Saturday.

The top seven teams in the poll remained unchanged, including Baylor at No. 1, followed by Gonzaga, Kansas, San Diego State and Florida State. That comes in a season that has seen seven different teams reach No. 1 (including Kentucky), matching a record set during the 1982-83 season.

Louisville (17-3) held steady at No. 6 in this week’s poll.

Texas Tech, which had been 18th last week, dropped out of the latest poll.

▪ The USA Today Sports coaches’ poll also had Kentucky 13th. Louisville remained at No. 5 in those rankings.

▪ Kentucky’s women’s basketball team, coming off a loss at LSU and ahead of Monday’s game against Auburn, dropped one spot in the women’s AP poll to 13th. Louisville stayed put at No. 5.

AP men’s top 25

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 26, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:

Others receiving votes: Creighton 59, Arizona 55, Texas Tech 33, Ohio St. 16, Indiana 15, ETSU 14, N Iowa 13, Memphis 11, Southern Cal 9, Purdue 6, Rhode Island 6, Florida 4, Arkansas 3, Saint Mary’s (Calif.) 3, SMU 3, Tulsa 3, Akron 1, Harvard 1, Wisconsin 1.

AP women’s top 25

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ women’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 26, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:

Others receiving votes: Princeton 44, Florida Gulf Coast 7, TCU 7, LSU 2, Rutgers 1, Stony Brook 1, Texas 1, West Virginia 1.

This story was originally published January 27, 2020 at 12:10 PM.