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AP Men’s Basketball Poll Week 18: Kentucky moves into top 5, Tennessee jumps into top 10
By Keith Farner
Published:
The final AP Top 25 poll before Selection Sunday was released on Monday, and SEC teams were on the move.
Gonzaga, Arizona and Baylor remained 1-2-3, however, Auburn and Kentucky each moved up, as the Tigers now sit at No. 4, and the Wildcats at No. 5 as they get set for the SEC Tournament in Tampa, Florida.
Tennessee also jumped to No. 9 from 13, and Arkansas slipped one spot to No. 15.
After Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Villanova, Purdue and Tennessee. The Boilermakers and Volunteers tied for the No. 9 spot, with Tennessee tying No. 13 UCLA and No. 16 Illinois with the week’s biggest jump of 4 spots.
Alabama was bumped from the poll in part because of No. 23 Colorado State and the 25th-ranked Tar Heels as the poll’s new additions, as Ohio State was also knocked out from last week’s rankings.
Auburn clinched the SEC regular season title after it went 15-3, including a 16-0 home season, Auburn’s first since 1998-99, as they won their 18th straight home game while setting the program season record with 15 SEC wins.
“They know how to win, they know how to compete, they know how to train, they know how to prepare. The coaching staff did a phenomenal job as well. I’ve got the best staff in the country,” Pearl said. “That’s the best part of our team,” coach Bruce Pearl said. “Our chemistry and our character.”
Auburn will begin the SEC Tournament on Friday facing the winner of Texas A&M-Florida.
Kentucky as the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament will play the winner between Alabama and the winner of 14-seeded Georgia and 11-seeded Vanderbilt, on Friday in Tampa at about 8 p.m. ET.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
