Five takeaways from AP Top 25 men's basketball poll

In this week's Associated Press Top 25 men's basketball poll released Monday, a unanimous No. 1 emerges and two programs enter the rankings following massive turnarounds.

Here are five takeaways from the poll:

Auburn's six ranked wins make it a unanimous No. 1

The Tigers (17-1, 5-0 SEC) have now won six games over AP top 25 opponents this season, which is the most of any team.

Despite star forward Johni Broome's left ankle injury forcing him to be sidelined, Auburn picked up a commanding 88-66 win over then-No. 15 Mississippi State and a nail-biting 70-68 win over previously-No. 23 Georgia last week.

As the Tigers get set to host No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday, getting their star player back is going to be crucial considering they allowed 34 points in the paint in the win over Georgia. Even with Auburn not at full strength, though, the Tigers still picked up a pair of ranked wins, which should concern anyone that faces them, especially when Broome returns.

Houston gains three spots riding lengthy winning streak 

The Cougars (14-3, 6-0 Big 12) are winners of 10 straight games after somehow escaping Orlando with a 69-68 win over UCF on Saturday.

Houston trailed 38-30 at the break and 68-67 with nine seconds remaining before senior forward J'Wan Roberts hit the game-winning layup with one second to go. 

Poor three-point shooting (18.8%) was the story in the loss for a Houston team that is fourth in the country in long-range shooting (40.55%), per NCAA.com. If Houston can maintain its season-long efficiency to go along with its lockdown defense that has allowed fewer than 60 points in five of its six conference games, it will be a hard out the rest of the way.

Purdue sees substantial gain in rankings after impressive win 

The Boilermakers (15-4, 7-1 Big Ten), up six spots to No. 11, took advantage of their defense in a big road win over then-No. 13 Oregon, 65-58, on Saturday.

Despite shooting just 33.9% and an abysmal 2-of-12 (16.7%) from deep, Purdue got a team-high 23 points from junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and another sensational defensive performance.

In eight conference games, Purdue has given up 61 points or fewer in five of them. If the Boilermakers are able to sustain that, they may continue to add to their seven-game winning streak that also includes six straight conference wins.

UConn suffers second loss in three games, drops five spots

The Huskies (13-5, 5-2 Big East) fall to No. 19 after a 68-63 loss to Creighton on Saturday. 

Considering freshman forward Liam McNeeley, who is third on the team in scoring (13.6 PPG), has not played since he injured his right ankle against DePaul on Jan. 1, it is not too surprising that the Huskies have dropped a few games.

If UConn is at full strength, it is hard to imagine them losing either of those tightly contested games. With no ranked opponents scheduled until a road game at No. 10 Marquette on Feb. 1, the focus should be on getting its star freshman healthy for the second half of conference play and beyond.

Missouri, Louisville enter poll during turnaround seasons

The Tigers (15-3, 4-1 SEC) enter the rankings at No. 22 a year removed from finishing 8-24 overall and 0-18 in SEC play.

Missouri took down then-No. 1 Kansas on Dec. 8 and is currently on a four-game winning streak in the conference, including a road win at No. 5 Florida on Jan. 14. The Tigers have four players averaging double-figure scoring, which should bode well for them in a stacked SEC.

The Cardinals (14-5, 7-1 ACC) inherit the No. 25 ranking after winning their eighth straight game since a loss to in-state rival Kentucky on Dec. 14.

The last two years combined, Louisville went 12-52 and an atrocious 5-35 in conference play. Led by first-year coach Pat Kelsey, the Cardinals already had more wins by Nov. 28 (five) than they had the entire 2022-23 season and are currently tied for second in the ACC standings. 

Louisville has five players averaging 10 or more points each game, which consistently gives them someone to turn to when the shots are not falling.