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

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

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

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

Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars remained firmly entrenched at the topin their third stint at No. 1 this season, earning 58 first-placevotes with the other three going to UCLA.

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

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

THE TOP TIER

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

Marquette stayed at No. 6, followed by the Longhorns climbingtwo spots to No. 7. Arizona, Gonzaga and Baylor rounded out the top10.

RISING

Texas A&M is the week’s biggest climber, leaping six spotsto No. 18 after beating Alabama in its regular-season finale.That’s part of a strong finish under fourth-year coach BuzzWilliams, with the Aggies going 17-3 since mid-December and losingjust once since the start of February. Before this season, TexasA&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 toNo. 17 after losing at Auburn in its regular-season finale and itsfirst full game since losing Zakai Zeigler to a season-ending kneeinjury. Indiana was next, falling four spots to No. 19 after losingat 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 intheir same position, including No. 13 Virginia, No. 22 TCU and No.23 Kentucky.

WELCOME BACK

The week’s three new additions are all returnees to the poll,headlined by No. 21 Duke.

The Blue Devils (23-8) returned to the poll for the first timesince falling out in mid-January after opening the year at No. 7.First-year coach Jon Scheyer has led Duke to six straight wins toclose out the regular season, including Saturday’s win at NorthCarolina for a rivalry sweep that wounded UNC’s iffy NCAATournament hopes.

Creighton checked in at No. 24, returning after a one-weekabsence for a third stint in the poll this season. Next came25th-ranked Missouri, which won its last four regular-season gamesto return to the poll after spending two weeks there in the firsthalf of January.

FAREWELL (FOR NOW)

Providence (No. 20), Maryland (No. 21) and Pittsburgh (No. 25)dropped out this week. All three will be playing in theirconference tournaments this week.

CONFERENCE WATCH

The Big 12 and Southeastern conferences shared the lead thisweek with five ranked teams each, though three of the Big 12′sgroup were inside the top 10.

The Big East was next with four ranked teams, including No. 11Connecticut. The Atlantic Coast Conference had three, followed bythe Big Ten, Pac-12 and West Coast conferences with two each.

The American Athletic and Mountain West conferences each had oneranked team.

ONE MORE

Next week’s poll marks the final edition for the 2022-23season.