The UConn men’s basketball team held at No. 5 in Monday’s AP Top 25 poll after a Feast Week that was light on upsets.
UConn went 1-0 over the week, taking down then-No. 13 Illinois in a semi-home game at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Point guard Malachi Smith, a native of the Bronx, broke out for 14 points and nine assists in his return home – an effort good enough to earn a spot on the Big East’s weekly honor roll.
It wasn’t a great week for the league, which saw it’s only other ranked team, St. John’s, suffer two losses and fall nine spots to No. 23. Georgetown and Creighton each fell out of the “receiving votes” category, but Seton Hall, 7-1 with wins over NC State and Washington State, stepped in and received six voting points.
Fifth-ranked UConn men take down No. 13 Illinois, 74-61, at Madison Square Garden
The top five stayed the same aside from the No. 3 spot, where Michigan (No. 1 in the NET, No. 1 by KenPom) replaced Houston, which fell to No. 8 after a loss to Tennessee. Purdue held the top spot with 40 first-place votes, followed by Arizona at No. 2 with six first-place votes. Duke stayed at No. 4.
UConn, already with a 2-1 record in Quad One games, came in at No. 8 in the first NET rankings of the season. The Big East had only four teams ranked in the top 50 of the NET with Butler at No. 21, St. John’s at No. 23 and Seton Hall at No. 50.
The Huskies will play their fourth ranked game of the season and first true road contest when they return to Kansas’ Phog Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. The Jayhawks, who fell out of the poll with star freshman Darryn Peterson battling an injury, returned to the rankings at No. 21 this week. After Tuesday night, the Huskies have two high-major nonconference games left against No. 15 Florida and Texas before getting into league play.
AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll: Week 4
Purdue (40 first-place votes)
Arizona (6)
Michigan (15)
Duke
UConn
Louisville
Michigan State
Houston
BYU
Iowa State
Gonzaga
Alabama
Tennessee
Illinois
Florida
North Carolina
Vanderbilt
Kentucky
Texas Tech
Auburn
Kansas
Indiana
St. John’s
USC
Arkansas
