The panel of writers voting for the AP Men’s College Basketball Poll Top 25 will likely propel three programs into the Top 10 after impressive victories during Week 12. Conversely, they will demote three other schools following losses in the same period.
After Week 12 action, significant movement is anticipated in the AP Poll Top 25. Here are the biggest gainers and losers:
AP Poll Top 25 Predictions: Who Are the Risers and Fallers From Week 12?
Nebraska
Nebraska has extended its impressive run in the Big Ten Conference by toppling Washington (76-66) and Minnesota (76-57). The Fred Hoiberg-coached Cornhuskers (20-0, 9-0 Big Ten)Â have routed their last four opponents by at least 10 points, with Pryce Sandfort, Sam Hoiberg, and Jamarques Lawrence spearheading the charge.
The 6’7” Sandfort powered through the Huskies and Golden Gophers, averaging 22.5 points per game, while Hoiberg (14.0 ppg) and Lawrence (12.5 ppg) bolstered the junior forward as second-leading scorer Rienk Mast battled a mini-slump. They could surge up two places to No. 5, behind Duke, Michigan, UConn, and table-topping Arizona.
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Gonzaga
Gonzaga (21-1, 9-0 WCC) sustained its unbeaten drive in the West Coast Conference by dispatching Pepperdine (84-60) and edging San Francisco (68-66). The Bulldogs might have cracked the Top 5 this coming week if not for a 40-point drubbing suffered against Michigan in the early non-conference regular season.
Expect Mark Few’s Gonzaga to vault two places from No. 8 to No. 6 in the AP Poll Top 25 after conquering their WCC foes.
Iowa State
After back-to-back Week 11 setbacks toppled them from No. 2 to No. 9, Iowa State (18-2, 5-2 Big 12) rebounded by overpowering UCF (87-57) and Oklahoma State (84-71).
Senior forward Joshua Jefferson fueled the Cyclones over the past two games, racking up a 17-point, 10-rebound, 12-assist triple-double in the win over the Knights and notching 20 points against the Cowboys despite fouling out. Iowa State should climb to No. 7 from No. 9 in the AP Poll Top 25 after those victories.
Top Three Losers
Purdue
Purdue (17-3, 7-2 Big Ten) endured a pair of razor-thin defeats to UCLA (69-67) and No. 11 Illinois (88-82). These marked the Boilermakers’ first two losses in the Big Ten regular season, prompting experts to question the team’s intensity and drive to win.
The losses could tumble Purdue from No. 4 to No. 9 in the AP Poll Top 25, and its upcoming road clashes against rival Indiana and Maryland should ignite its sense of urgency this week.
Houston
Houston (17-2, 5-1 Big 12)Â stumbled in its only game this week against No. 12 Texas Tech despite a 42-point eruption from freshman Kingston Flemings. This marked the Cougars’ first setback of their Big 12 regular-season campaign.
Houston’s stumble in its only game this week may cost Kelvin Sampson and his squad dearly, as it could drop them three or four spots to possibly No. 9 or No. 10 in the AP Poll Top 25 after Week 12 play.
Virginia
Virginia (16-3, 5-2 ACC) fell to No. 22 North Carolina 85-80 in its lone game of the week. The Cavaliers collapsed in the final 5:25, surrendering an 18-9 run to the Tar Heels in that crucial stretch.
Virginia surged to a 16-point lead in the first half and nine by halftime before yielding to North Carolina’s 51-point second-half flurry. The defeat halts the Cavaliers’ 11-game home winning streak and could send them tumbling to No. 19 or No. 20 in the latest AP Poll Top 25, set for release on Monday.
