KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas, Kansas State and University of Missouri men's basketball teams are all represented in the top 20 of this week's AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll. It is the first time since 2013 where all three teams were ranked at the same time in the AP Poll.
The Jayhawks (14-1) are just shy of the top spot in the AP Poll, moving up to secure second while on an eight-game winning streak.
The Wildcats (14-1) made their AP Poll debut for the first time since 2019, in a very good showing, at No. 11. It is their highest ranking in the AP Poll since 2013.
Mizzou (13-2), which lost at No. 15 Arkansas on Wednesday then rallied Saturday to beat Vanderbilt at Mizzou Arena, remained No. 20 for the second straight week.
The Jayhawks' advancement comes by virtue of last week's top ranked team, Purdue, beginning the new year losing at home to unranked Rutgers. The Boilermakers dropped down to No. 3 in this week's poll, moving the Jayhawks and the now-top-ranked Houston Cougars up a spot.
But it wasn't an easy week for the Jayhawks, as they had to squeeze by in Lubbock with a tight 75-72 win over Texas Tech, before blowing out West Virginia 75-62.
The Wildcats had a phenomenal week in Texas, where they began by defeating then-No. 6 Texas 116-103 in Austin, before continuing their success by defeating the No. 17 Baylor Bears in Waco 97-95 in overtime.
Kansas State's inclusion to the poll keeps the Big 12 with five teams in the AP Top 25, as Baylor dropped out of the poll.
Kansas State will have a chance to give AP voters plenty of opportunity to move them into the Top 10 next as the Wildcats host Oklahoma State on Tuesday at 6 p.m., before they travel down to Texas once more to play the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Kansas will also have opportunity to unseat Houston in next week's poll, as the team plays Oklahoma on Tuesday at 8 p.m., before a visit from Iowa State on Saturday at 3 p.m. Both games will be held at Allen Fieldhouse.
Meanwhile, the Tigers will be taking on Texas A&M at in College Stadium on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., before traveling to Gainesville to face Florida Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
