Purdue back at No. 1 in AP Top 25, Alabama right behind

Purdue is back at No. 1 in the AP Top 25. Alabama is rightbehind the Boilermakers.

Purdue returned to the top spot in The Associated Press men’scollege basketball poll on Monday, moving up two spots after Templeknocked off No. 1 Houston over the weekend. The Boilermakersreceived 39 first-place votes from a 62-person media panel after avolatile week where just two teams kept the same spot from a weekago.

Alabama climbed two spots to No. 2, picking up 23 first-placevotes for its highest ranking since reaching No. 1 in 2002-03.Houston, Tennessee and Kansas State round out the top five.

Purdue (19-1, 8-1 Big Ten) had dropped to No. 3 after four weeksat No. 1 following a loss to Rutgers on Jan. 3, but has since wonsix straight.

Alabama (17-2, 7-0 SEC) has made a steady climb since beingranked No. 20 in the preseason AP Top 25, moving into the top 10 inearly December. The Crimson Tide had lopsided wins over Missouriand Vanderbilt after Darius Miles was dismissed from the team as hefaces a murder charge in a fatal shooting near campus.

Alabama coach Nate Oats reached out to Ray Lewis before theCrimson Tide played Vanderbilt last week, sharing a Bible versesuggested by the Hall of Fame linebacker. Alabama ended up beatingVandy by 12 and rolled over Missouri by 21.

“I did see some guys break down postgame,” Oats said. “I thinkthey’ve been bottling some stuff up. We’ve got a job to do. We’vegot to get to the game. We got to the game and took care ofbusiness, and then it’s almost like a big relief. The game’s over,and we can let out a sigh of relief.”

COUGARS FALL

Houston moved atop the AP Top 25 for the first time since thePhi Slama Jama of the 1980s earlier this season before a loss toAlabama dropped it back to No. 5.

The Cougars returned to No. 1 on Jan. 9, but their run endedafter two weeks with Sunday’s 56-55 loss to Temple. The win was theOwls’ first over a No. 1 team since 2000.

BEATING KU

Kansas State moved up eight spots to No. 5 after outlastingrival Kansas 83-82 at Bramlage Coliseum last week. It’s theWildcats’ highest ranking since reaching No. 3 in 2010-11.

TCU gave Kansas consecutive losses in the state for the firsttime since 1989 with a 23-point beatdown at Allen Fieldhouse onSaturday. It was one of Bill Self’s worst losses in 20 years asKansas’ coach and ended the Jayhawks’ 16-game home winningstreak.

The No. 14 Horned Frogs moved up three spots in this week’s pollafter the win. Kansas, the defending national champion, droppedseven spots to No. 9.

RISING/FALLING

Kansas State had the week’s biggest jump, followed by No. 4Tennessee and No. 6 Arizona each climbing five spots. No. 21 Baylormoved up four spots with wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma.

Gonzaga had the biggest fall, losing eight places to No. 14after Loyola Marymount ended the Zags’ 75-game home winning streakon Thursday. No. 13 Xavier dropped five spots after a one-pointroad loss to DePaul.

IN AND OUT

No. 22 Saint Mary’s is ranked for the first time this seasonafter rolling over Pepperdine and Santa Clara last week. No. 25 NewMexico is back in the poll after beating San Jose State andoutlasting Boise State in overtime.

A three-point loss to Michigan State knocked Rutgers out of thepoll from No. 23. Arkansas dropped out from No. 25 following a lossto Missouri.