UCLA Surges to Number 9 in New AP Poll After Beating Arizona
The Bruins jump thirteen spots following a win in Las Vegas, while Florida keeps its top ranking ahead of a trip to face Florida State.
By Yuki Melnyk ·
UCLA basketball entered the top ten in the first regular season Associated Press poll on Monday. The Bruins moved from number 22 to number 9 following their victory over Arizona. This marks the program's highest ranking since the final poll of the 2022-23 season. The jump occurred after the team defeated the Wildcats in Las Vegas.
Trent Perry scored 21 points to lead UCLA to an 84-75 win. The game remained close until late in the fourth quarter. Arizona's Ivan Kharchenkov posted a career high of 38 points. The Wildcats cut the lead to one point with 3:11 remaining on the clock. UCLA held on to secure the win and the ranking boost.
Florida remains the number one team in the country. The Gators received 53 of the 60 available first place votes from the media panel. Duke earned the remaining seven first place votes. Florida defeated Miami and Jacksonville in its first two games. Todd Golden, the Florida coach, prepared his team for an upcoming rivalry game against Florida State. He noted that the Gators are traveling to enemy territory as the number one team in the nation.
The top four teams in the poll stayed in the same order. Illinois held the number three spot. UConn is number four after defeating Michigan on Friday. Michigan State rounds out the top five. Arizona fell from its previous position to number 12 after losing its opening game. Tommy Lloyd, the Arizona coach, said the loss hurts but emphasized the importance of how the season ends rather than how it starts.
Virginia moved up three spots to number six. The Cavaliers won three games last week, including a victory over Arkansas. Texas and Houston follow at numbers seven and eight. Louisville is number ten after moving up one spot. Tennessee dropped to number 11 after beating Wofford. Arkansas fell to number 18 after its loss to Virginia. Michigan is number 20 following its defeat by UConn.
The Southeastern Conference holds seven teams in the top 25. The Big Ten has six ranked teams, including three in the top ten. The Big 12 lists five teams in the poll. The ACC has four ranked teams, and the Big East has two. Gonzaga is the only Pac-12 team in the top 25. Kentucky is one week away from becoming the first school in AP poll history to be ranked for 1,000 weeks. Nebraska joined the poll after wins over Le Moyne and Providence. Iowa State dropped out of the top 25 following a loss to Memphis.
