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PROVO — BYU dropped four spots in the latest Associated Press Top 25 rankings after Saturday's first loss of the season, a 4-point road setback to rival Utah.
The Cougars checked in at No. 18 Monday morning, the program's third consecutive week in the AP Top 25. That's one spot behind Colorado State, which was also among the half-dozen teams that took their first loss over the weekend. Only seven unbeaten teams remain nationally, including No. 1 Arizona (8-0), No. 4 Houston (10-0) and No. 6 Baylor (9-0).
"We spend a lot of time talking about Arizona basketball legacy," Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said over the weekend, per the Associated Press, "and this group right now, we're in the sun. The sun is shining on us right now."
POLL ALERT: Purdue climbs to No. 3 behind Arizona, Kansas in men's AP Top 25 basketball poll; No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 13 Clemson make big jumps.
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) December 11, 2023
Full poll: https://t.co/ZJG5mgWrsapic.twitter.com/4aXWYBd5QN
Rounding out the unblemished grouping are No. 11 Oklahoma (9-0), No. 13 Clemson (9-0), No. 20 James Madison (9-0), and Ole Miss (10-0) — which sits two spots outside the top 25 with 86 points. That makes the Big 12 the only conference in America with multiple undefeated teams remaining.
Utah (7-2) received 25 points after Saturday's upset win, the Utes' first over a ranked BYU team since 1993.
That the Cougars remained in the top 20 likely speaks to both the voters' appreciation of the Big 12, as well as BYU's strong standing in the computer rankings.
The Cougars rank No. 8 nationally in KenPom, including top-20 rankings in both adjusted offense and adjusted defensive efficiency. They also dropped just two spots to No. 3 in the NET following Saturday's loss, and checked in at No. 4 in BartTorvik's ratings that eliminate preseason bias (the Utes were No. 20).
BYU hosts Denver in the first of five consecutive home games Wednesday at 7 p.m. MST. The Utes are back home Saturday to face Utah Valley (2 p.m. MST).
