Five takeaways from AP Top 25 men's basketball poll

There is a lot to unpack in this week's Associated Press Top 25 men's basketball poll, released on Monday, with a new team at the top and several changes throughout the rankings following an action-packed and historical week.

Here are five takeaways from the poll:

New No. 1 emerges despite star player's injury concerns

Following former No. 1 team Tennessee's blowout loss to previously-No. 8 Florida, the Auburn Tigers (15-1, 3-0 SEC) vault to the top spot for only the second time in program history after claiming 60 of the 62 first-place votes.

Although the Tigers have won eight straight since a Dec. 4 loss to then-No. 9 Duke, they head into a three-game stretch against AP-ranked opponents with the status of their star player, senior forward Johni Broome, uncertain after he suffered a left ankle injury in Saturday's win over South Carolina.

As the schedule gets tougher, Broome's status is crucial for Auburn, as he leads the team in points (17.9), rebounds (10.7), assists (3.3) and blocks (2.7).

Duke rises to No. 3 following Cooper Flagg's historic performance

The Blue Devils (14-2, 6-0 ACC), up one spot to No. 3, are currently riding a 10-game winning streak in which Flagg has either led or co-led the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. He is the fifth player since 2000 to do so in all five categories during a 10-game winning streak.

With his 42-point outburst on Saturday, Flagg scored the most points by a Duke player since Danny Ferry's program-record 58 points against Miami in 1988 and surpassed Boston College's Olivier Hanlan's previous ACC freshman record of 41 points, which was set in the 2013 ACC Tournament, per Aaron Beard of the Associated Press.

If Flagg continues to shoot like he did against Notre Dame (11-of-14 FG, 16-17 FT), Duke is going to be hard to slow down in a conference with half of its teams currently possessing a 9-7 record or worse.

Florida, Tennessee go opposite directions after lopsided game

Florida moves up three spots to No. 5 after knocking off a No. 1 ranked Tennessee team, 73-43, which was the third-largest margin of victory against the top-ranked team in the AP poll era (since 1948-49).

Led by senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. (17.2 PPG), the Gators have four players averaging double figures each game. Aside from a poor defensive showing against then-No. 10 Kentucky in which Florida allowed a season-high 106 points, this team is balanced on both sides of the ball and looks like one of the top teams in the entire country.

A week removed from being the last unbeaten team in Division I, Tennessee (15-1, 2-1 SEC) became the third AP No. 1 team to lose by 30 or more points and the first since UCLA in 1968.

Besides not shooting well at all, the Volunteers were dominated on the glass, 56-37, and in the paint, 40-14, by the Gators. That is a recipe for a loss in most cases and something Tennessee must find a way to improve as the SEC gauntlet continues.

Michigan State, Michigan each climb four spots after impressive outings

After a 5-2 start to the season, Michigan State (14-2, 5-0 Big Ten) has won nine games in a row, which is its longest winning streak since 2021-22.

While the Spartans have nine players that average at least six points per contest, only senior guard Jaden Akins (14.1 PPG) averages double figures. As Michigan State's conference slate gets tougher, it will need more production, in addition to Akins, if it is going to stay atop the Big Ten.

Not far away in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines (13-3, 5-0 Big Ten), up four spots to No. 20, are on a five-game winning streak and 8-0 at home.

Michigan is currently 15th in the country with 85.1 PPG. Unlike the Spartans, the Wolverines have five players averaging 10 or more points, led by senior center Vladislav Goldin (15.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG). If Michigan can remain balanced and score at that rate throughout conference play, both Michigan teams could still be at or near the top of the Big Ten when March rolls around.

Georgia ends AP poll drought after back-to-back wins over ranked opponents

For the first time since 2011, the Georgia Bulldogs (14-2, 2-1 SEC) are ranked. The No. 23 Bulldogs are ranked for just the second time since the 2002-03 season.

After impressive outings against a No. 6 Kentucky team, 82-69, and then-No. 17 Oklahoma, 72-62, Georgia has three wins over AP-ranked teams this season, its most since 2017-18. If the Bulldogs continue to win on the glass and keep getting to the charity stripe after going 29-of-38 against the Wildcats and 27-of-37 against the Sooners, expect them to be a surprise contender in a loaded SEC.