A new year brought new movement to the AP Top 25 poll. The South Carolina Gamecocks are starting 2024 on top, but they are no longer unanimous as UCLA stole one vote after a win against the USC Trojans.
NC State and Iowa kept their No. 3 and No. 4 spots, but Colorado is new to the top five after a 76-65 win against now-No. 15 Utah. The Buffaloes are 11-1, with their only loss so far being to NC State.
Baylor had the best week, moving up four spots — even ahead of LSU — after a win against Texas. The Longhorns dropped five spots, but still remain in the top 10. Unfortunately for Texas, its season won’t get any easier as star point guard Rori Harmon suffered a torn ACL last week.
UConn is slowly inching its way closer to the top 10 while finding consistency. The Huskies climbed three places to No. 12 following a dominant 95-64 win against a ranked Marquette team.
North Carolina dropped out of the top 25, ending its 34-week run in the rankings — the seventh-longest active streak. Meanwhile, Syracuse entered the top 25 for the first time in the Felisha Legette-Jack era after a 86-81 win against then-No. 13 Notre Dame on Sunday. The 11-1 Orange are off to their best start since the 2017-18 season.
AP Women’s Basketball Top 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ women’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Sunday, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:
Others receiving votes: North Carolina 49, Washington 36, Oregon St. 19, Texas A&M 16, UNLV 15, Michigan St. 9, Michigan 8, Miami 8, Davidson 6, Mississippi St. 3, Vanderbilt 3.