Auburn hangs onto No. 1 ranking in AP Poll for eighth consecutive week
The Auburn Tigers held firm at the top of the AP Poll this week, yet again earning every single first place vote in the process. Bruce Pearl’s squad put together possibly it’s most impressive performance of the season last week, blowing out an above-average Kentucky team in Rupp Arena.
The win, with was Auburn’s first in Lexington since 1988, came without the usual dominance from superstar Johni Broome, who scored just 9 points in the contest. In his stead, Auburn’s backcourt trio of Chad Baker-Mazara, Tahaad Pettiford, and Miles Kelly scored 73 of the Tigers 94 road points, adding to the fact this battle-tested Auburn team can win in an abundant variety of ways.
That diversification, along with the Tigers nation-leading 16 ‘Quadrant 1’ victories, have helped them hold the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll for a three-year-old record 8 straight weeks. In most other years, No. 2 ranked Duke, who has lost just three contests all season, would have had at least a turn at the No. 1 spot during that two month stretch.
Big 12 leader Houston, who Auburn defeated all the way back in November, climbed back into the top 3 after another undefeated week, while Florida (No. 5) volunteered its placement in the top 4 to Tennessee (No. 4). The Cougars prowl into the top 3 marked the first time since the Week 13 AP Poll the top 3 did not feature at least a pair of SEC programs.
Alabama, who slid No. 7 after a buzzer-beating defeat to Tennessee, rounded out the four programs from the SEC. While the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee rarely considers the AP Poll as a tool when selecting their seeds, Week 18’s placement among the three teams vying for second place in the conference may indicate the Volunteers have the inside track at claiming the ever-important final No. 1 overall seed in the ‘Field of 68’.
Missouri (No. 15), and Kentucky (No. 19) were the only other SEC teams ranked inside the top 20, while Texas A&M (No. 22) slide 10 spots down the list and Mississippi State (No. 25) barely hung onto it’s ranking. Vanderbilt (78) and Ole Miss (13) also received votes in the poll.