The college basketball world, at least in the SEC, is about to get a lot more fun.
Here’s everything you missed from Week 8 of the college basketball season, and the latest Associated Press men’s basketball poll.
SEC play starts this week
It was a very quiet week over the holidays, and not much changed at the top of the rankings. Tennessee retained the No. 1 spot on Monday, followed again by Auburn, Iowa State, Duke and Alabama. In fact, the first 13 teams remained the same as last week. The biggest improvement came from UCLA, which rose seven spots to No. 15 after beating Gonzaga 65-62 on Saturday. That pushed the Bruins to 11-2 and made up for last week’s two-point loss to North Carolina.
However, SEC play starts this week and we should learn a few things very quickly.
Let’s start with the Vols, who will host No. 23 Arkansas on Saturday. It marks the first legitimate game for Tennessee since sneaking past Illinois earlier this month on a game-winner from Jordan Gainey. The game against the Razorbacks will serve as a good precursor to next Tuesday’s game against undefeated Florida.
Speaking of the Gators, they will enter SEC play with a perfect 13-0 record. It’s the best start for the program since the 2005-06 season. Although five of Florida’s wins have come against Power 5 opponents, they have yet to play another ranked team. That will change when they travel to Rupp Arena and play No. 10 Kentucky on Saturday morning – which will be the first of three straight ranked games.
We’ll see in the coming days if this Gators team is as good as their record shows.
“We definitely feel like we’re prepared [for SEC play]guard Walter Clayton Jr. said. following their 40-point win over Stetson on Sunday, via the Gainesville Sun. ‘There are clearly things we need to solve. I just learned a lot from winning. So just keep learning, don’t be complacent and I think we’ll be ready.”
Finally, let’s talk about No. 12 Oklahoma. The Sooners are in a similar position to Florida. They will still enter conference play undefeated, but have defeated just two ranked opponents so far this season. After sneaking past Michigan on a wild four-point play earlier this month, they have swept Central Arkansas and Prairie View on their way to what is their best start in three decades.
Oklahoma will take on No. 5 Alabama first on Saturday in its first conference game since joining the SEC. While it’s likely impossible to get through one of the best conferences in sports unscathed, and the Crimson Tide don’t look like they’ve missed a step after last spring’s Final Four run, a strong performance for the Sooners could be a success against Alabama. They have come a long way to prove they are capable of joining the conference’s best this winter.
Games to watch this week
Thursday January 2
No. 22 Illinois at No. 9 Oregon | 10:00 PM ET | FS1
Friday January 3
Creighton at No. 8 Marquette | 9:00 PM ET | FS1
Saturday January 4
No. 6 Florida at No. 10 Kentucky | 11am ET | ESPN
No. 23 Arkansas at No. 1 Tennessee | 1:00 PM | ESPN
No. 25 Baylor at No. 3 Iowa State | 2:00 PM ET | CBS
No. 12 Oklahoma at number 5 Alabama | 6:00 PM ET | SEC Network
AP Top 25
The complete Associated Press men’s basketball poll as of Dec. 30, 2024.
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Tennessee (12-0)
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Chestnut brown (11-1)
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Iowa State (10-1)
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Duke (10-2)
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Alabama (10-2)
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Florida (13-0)
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Kansas (9-2)
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Marquette (11-2)
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Oregon (11-1)
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Kentucky (10-2)
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UConn (10-3)
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Oklahoma (13-0)
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Texas A&M (11-2)
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Houston (8-3)
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UCLA (11-2)
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Cincinnati (10-1)
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Mississippi State (11-1)
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Michigan State (10-2)
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Gonzaga (9-4)
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Purdue (9-4)
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Memphis (10-3)
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Illinois (9-3)
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Arkansas (10-2)
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Ole Miss (11-2)
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Baylor (8-3)
Others receiving votes: Maryland 133, Drake 100, St. John’s 98, Dayton 90, Michigan 65, Utah State 59, Georgia 48, Pittsburgh 35, West Virginia 30, San Diego State 28, Ohio State 19, Missouri 19, North Carolina 19, Arizona State 13 , Indiana 11, Texas Tech 8, Clemson 8, Wisconsin 7, Penn State 5, St. Bonaventure 2, Nebraska 1
