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Five takeaways from AP Top 25 men's basketball poll
While this week's Associated Press Top 25 men's basketball poll, released on Monday, features the same No. 1 team, there is a lot of movement following an upset-filled week that saw each of the top two teams go down.
Here are five takeaways from the poll:
Florida moves up three spots after huge upset; Alabama inches closer to Auburn for top spot
The Gators (20-3, 7-3 SEC) picked up a massive road win over No. 1 Auburn on Saturday, ending the Tigers' 14-game winning streak in the process. Florida moves up three spots to No. 3 as a result.
Florida became the fifth team in AP poll history to take down multiple No. 1 teams in a single season (Tennessee and Auburn). Forward Alex Condon became the third player in Division I history to post multiple double-doubles in wins over AP No. 1 teams in the same season. If the Gators' defense can play more like they did on Saturday after holding Auburn to 31.8% shooting from long-range, that No. 1 ranking may not be far off.
With top-ranked Auburn (21-2, 9-1 SEC) and Alabama (20-3, 9-1 SEC), up one spot to No. 2, set to face off on Saturday, it will be the first time in SEC history that the top two teams in the AP poll will go against one another. This week should provide even more clarity on who should have the top spot going forward.
Duke falls one spot after loss to Clemson
Following a 77-71 loss to Clemson on Saturday, Duke (20-3, 12-1 ACC), drops one spot and is tied with Florida for the No. 3 ranking.
Despite freshman Cooper Flagg's takeover down the stretch, the Blue Devils saw their 16-game winning streak snapped, which was the longest active streak in Division I before the loss. While Duke is not scheduled to face another ranked team in conference play, the Blue Devils had difficulty slowing the Tigers down (58.8% shooting) and were dominated on the boards, 36-23. Those two areas must improve for Duke to make a long run in March.
St. John's moves up three spots following another double-digit comeback
Although St. John's trailed by as many as 14 against then-No. 19 UConn on Friday, the Red Storm (21-3, 12-1 Big East), up three spots to No. 9, pulled off their fifth double-digit comeback in as many games this season.
That is the longest streak by a Big East program in the last decade. With back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, St. John's has won 10 games in a row and is in sole possession of first place in the conference as of Monday afternoon. While St. John's did not shoot particularly well in either of those ranked wins, it outrebounded then-No. 11 Marquette, 50-28 and forced 22 UConn turnovers, which shows the multitude of ways the Red Storm can win games.
Arizona gains seven spots after another ranked win
Despite starting the season 0-2 against ranked opponents, Arizona (17-6, 11-1 Big 12), up seven spots to No. 13, picked up its fifth straight win over a ranked team with an 82-73 win over previously-No. 13 Texas Tech on Saturday.
After a 57-54 loss to a 24th-ranked UCLA team on Dec. 14, the Wildcats were 4-5. Arizona has won 13 of its last 14 games, with the lone defeat coming to a Red Raiders team it just took down on Saturday. Following an efficient shooting performance (51.7%) and dominance in the paint, 48-28, against Texas Tech, Arizona is tied atop the Big 12 standings with No. 6 Houston and appears poised to make a deep push come March.
Clemson joins rankings following key win over Duke
Impressively, Clemson's win over Duke was its fifth straight over an AP top five opponent going back to 2020. With the win, the Tigers (19-5, 11-2 ACC) inherit the No. 23 ranking.
The Tigers could not miss from the floor (30-of-51) against Duke and put together a solid defensive effort that kept Flagg from being much of a factor until late in the game. With wins over top five Kentucky and Duke teams this season, Clemson has two of the better wins in the country.
More must-reads:
- L.J. Cryer, Milos Uzan carry No. 6 Houston past Baylor
- No. 23 Clemson notches 20-point win over North Carolina
- The 'NFL mascot names' quiz
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Damian Lillard to serve as GM for Weber State basketball
Damian Lillard is the latest NBA player to take a management role with his alma mater, announcing Saturday that he will become the new general manager for the Weber State men’s basketball program (Twitter video link). Lillard was on hand for the school’s annual Basketball Alumni Classic, according to Isaac Fisher of The Ogden Standard-Examiner. After signing autographs for about 90 minutes, he addressed the crowd with the news of his continuing relationship with the university. “It’s something that, my relationship with coach (Eric) Duft and this program means a lot to me, and seeing the success of the program means a lot to me,” Lillard said. “I feel like I can do a lot to help the program be successful, to help the players even individually continue to grow their careers past college, that’s something that I’m passionate about.” Few details of the position were announced, but Lillard’s association should bring prestige to the program, which competes in the Big Sky Conference and is coming off a 12-22 season. WSU issued a press release stating that Lillard “will work closely with the coaching staff and athletic department leadership to provide insight, mentorship, and guidance, using his experience at the collegiate and professional levels to elevate the program.” Lillard is one of the most accomplished players in Wildcats history, twice earning conference Player of the Year honors before declaring for the draft in 2012. He had 1,934 points and left school as the second-leading scorer in Weber State history and No. 5 all-time in the Big Sky Conference. “All of the resources that I have, I’ve got an opportunity to be able to create for the program, while they’re in the program and even after the program, it’s something I’m excited about,” Lillard added. “I’m looking forward to doing that work, looking forward to continue to lift up the university, lift up the program. It’s going to be fun.” The new arrangement with Weber State continues an eventful offseason for Lillard, who had his contract waived and stretched by Milwaukee after suffering a torn Achilles in the playoffs. He wound up returning to the Trail Blazers on a three-year deal. Stephen Curry started the trend of active players helping to run college basketball programs in March when he became an assistant GM at Davidson. Since then, Trae Young (Oklahoma), Terance Mann (Florida State) and Patty Mills (Hawai’i) have accepted similar positions.
Brewers issue update on Jackson Chourio rehab timeline
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was tearing it up in July before he strained his hamstring legging out a triple. He was placed on the injured list, and it only got worse from there. Less than 24 hours later, manager Pat Murphy said Chourio would be out beyond the 10-day minimum and possibly at least a month. On Saturday, beat reporter Curt Hogg shed another tidbit of light on the slugger’s timetable. It’s not necessarily worse news, but Hogg’s update probably does not illuminate much. Fans already knew Chourio was going to be out a while after Friday’s report, so this latest info isn’t surprising. It isn’t all that encouraging, either. It certainly suggests no expedited return schedule. Not to make assumptions, but the emphasis on the location of the damage versus evaluating its severity seems to indicate the Brewers are just hoping Chourio avoided a worse-case scenario. In that case, caution would indeed be first in the order of operations. Only after ascertaining clarity would it make sense to seriously estimate a recovery timetable. That he won’t be ready to immediately resume baseball workouts further points to a slow, methodical recovery process. For however long he remains out, the lineup will miss him badly. Chourio’s 17 home runs rank second on the team behind Christian Yelich, as do his 67 RBI. His .786 OPS leads the offense among qualified hitters. In 90 at-bats in July, he hit .367/.408/.600. The Brewers are resilient everywhere, but without one of their few genuine power threats and hottest bats, plus an everyday outfielder, they are courting a potential offensive slump. The most fans can hope for from Chourio is that he returns fully healthy by the first week of September. Until then, Blake Perkins and trade pickup Brandon Lockridge should see plenty of playing time while Yelich takes more reps in the outfield after getting most of his at-bats this season as the designated hitter.
25-time Grammy winner's sports agency blasts Jerry Jones for 'comical' comment
The Dallas Cowboys may have 99 problems, and the way owner Jerry Jones handles contract negotiations could be considered a big one. Jones spoke with the media Saturday regarding Micah Parsons' contract situation. The EDGE, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, has requested a trade. The 82-year-old owner clarified the Cowboys have no plans to trade Parsons. While discussing negotiations, Jones took an unprovoked jab at former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and his agent, rapper Jay-Z. "When we have a problem within the team and a player, I don't ever find the agent. He's nowhere to be found," Jones said. "...Jay-Z and I negotiated [Bryant's contract in 2015], spent hours. He said, 'Anybody in my organization is on time.' He said, 'My office used to be on the street corner, and I've always been early. So, they will be on time.' And I said, 'Where do I sign? But I'm going to call you.' Finally, he quit taking my call." The 25-time Grammy winner's sports agency, Roc Nation, took issue with Jones' comment. In a statement released on X Sunday, it denied his claim, calling it "comical." This is yet another example of Jones prioritizing attention when he should be focused on extending two-time first-team All-Pro Parsons. The Cowboys often delay deals for their stars. The team signed Bryant to a five-year, $70M deal in July 2015, just before the deadline to extend players with a franchise tag. Last season, Dallas signed quarterback Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240M contract ahead of its season opener against the Cleveland Browns. The team's procrastination often leaves it paying even more for star players and wastes valuable time. Parsons is still with the team at training camp in Oxnard, Calif., but isn't participating. He likely wants a contract that's similar to that of Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt (three years, $123M). The pass-rusher is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. Jones' methods are one reason the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. Jay-Z should mention that if he wants to write a single that includes a lyric about the owner.
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Braves star injured in Speedway Classic at Bristol
In a season full of hard luck for the Atlanta Braves, Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds brought more. Star third baseman Austin Riley exited the Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway after tagging out Elly De La Cruz at home plate and saving a run in the bottom of the first inning. Riley fielded a ball that was smoked to third base off the bat of Miguel Andujar and chased Cruz down at the plate to keep Cincinnati's lead at one run. The next time Riley came up in the batting order, however, it was 28-year-old Luke Williams who stepped into the batter's box. The official reason given for Riley's departure from the contest was lower abdominal pain. Riley struck out in his lone plate appearance on Sunday. Riley, 28, is hitting .260 for Atlanta in 415 at-bats this season. He's hit 16 home runs with a .309 on-base percentage in 101 games. Riley strained an abdominal muscle on July 11 in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, which led to the Memphis, Tenn., native being on the injured list until July 25. Atlanta is hoping that the pain he suffered on Sunday doesn't lead to a long-term injury.
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