The UConn men’s basketball team rose to No. 3 in Monday’s AP Top 25 poll after escaping Providence with an overtime victory and taking down DePaul at home in a 2-0 week.
UConn, back up to No. 8 in the NET rankings, stayed at No. 4 in the USA Today Coaches Poll despite Michigan’s home loss to unranked Wisconsin on Saturday. The Wolverines, still No. 1 on KenPom and in the NET, dropped two spots in the AP Poll to No. 4.
Arizona, the only team to take down the Huskies this season when they won at Gampel Pavilion with both Braylon Mullins and Tarris Reed Jr. injured in November, received 60 of 61 first-place votes to hold onto the No. 1 ranking for the fifth week in a row. Iowa State, also undefeated, received a single first-place vote and moved up to No. 2. Purdue, which started the season atop the poll, held at No. 5, followed by Duke, Houston, Nebraska, Gonzaga and Vanderbilt in the top-10.
The Huskies will have a top-25 matchup on Tuesday when they travel to Seton Hall, which was ranked for the first time since January, 2022, to make two top-25 teams in the Big East after its 14-2 start to the season. Villanova (13-3) and St. John’s (11-5) also received votes.
UConn has four prior opponents included in this week’s top-25, headed by the top-ranked Wildcats along with No. 11 BYU, No. 13 Illinois and No. 19 Florida.
The Huskies also swept the Big East’s weekly awards on Monday for the first time since Dec. 23, 2024, when Alex Karaban was named Player of the Week and Liam McNeeley the top freshman. Point guard Silas Demary Jr. was named Player of the Week in the league, after pacing the Huskies in their overtime comeback victory at Providence and averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.0 steals over the 2-0 week. Demary’s 23 points, career-high 15 assists and five steals to only one turnover against the Friars was one of the best performances in recent memory.
Braylon Mullins, who took over in overtime and scored 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting in Providence logged his second Freshman of the Week nod after averaging 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks over two games.
AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll: Week 9
Arizona (60 first-place votes)
Iowa State (1)
UConn
Michigan
Purdue
Duke
Houston
Nebraska
Gonzaga
Vanderbilt
BYU
Michigan State
Illinois
North Carolina
Texas Tech
Virginia
Arkansas
Alabama
Florida
Louisville
Georgia
Clemson
Utah State
Tennessee
Seton Hall
