Houston, UCLA, Kansas top latest AP Top 25; Duke back in

UCLA is surging, both toward the postseason and in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

While Houston was No. 1 for a third straight week in Monday’s poll, the Bruins rose two spots to No. 2 for their highest ranking of the season. UCLA (27-4) has won its last 10 games, including a showdown with highly ranked Arizona in the regular-season finale behind star Jamie Jaquez Jr. to complete a perfect home record.

“I will say this, the recipe for success in March usually – I mean, aside from talent – is a great point guard and some senior leadership, like a guy like Jaime Jaquez,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said afterward. “I mean, we’ve got a chance. But as you know, that tournament’s crazy. It isn’t ‘March Normal.’”

Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars remained firmly entrenched at the top in their third stint at No. 1 this season, earning 58 firstplace votes with the other three going to UCLA.

Houston hadn’t reached No. 1 before this season since 1983 during the “Phi Slama Jama” era, but the Cougars have now spent a total of seven weeks at the top to tie Purdue for the most of any team this season.

Houston (29-2) closed out its regular-season schedule by winning at Memphis on a last-second basket Sunday, marking its 11th straight win.

THE TOP TIER

The only change in the top five came with UCLA trading places with No. 4 Alabama, with Kansas remaining at No. 3 despite a loss at Texas in Saturday’s regular-season finale and the Boilermakers staying at fifth.

Marquette stayed at No. 6, followed by the Longhorns climbing two spots to No. 7. Arizona, Gonzaga and Baylor rounded out the top 10.

RISING

Texas A&M is the week’s biggest climber, leaping six spots to No. 18 after beating Alabama in its regular-season finale. That’s part of a strong finish under fourth-year coach Buzz Williams, with the Aggies going 17-3 since mid-December and losing just once since the start of February. Before this season, Texas A&M hadn’t been ranked since February 2018.

In all, eight teams climbed from last week’s positions.

SLIDING

Tennessee took the week’s biggest tumble, falling five spots to No. 17 after losing at Auburn in its regular-season finale and its first full game since losing Zakai Zeigler to a season-ending knee injury. Indiana was next, falling four spots to No. 19 after losing at home to Iowa by 22 points.

In all, six teams slid from their ranking last week.

STATUS QUO

Nearly a third of last week’s ranked teams (eight) stayed in their same position, including No. 13 Virginia, No. 22 TCU