Kentucky mens basketball receives no votes in Week 13 AP Poll following loss to Kansas

Kentucky+Wildcats+forward+Jacob+Toppin+%280%29+reacts+to+a+foul+call+during+the+Kentucky+vs.+No.+9+Kansas+mens+basketball+game+on+Saturday%2C+Jan.+28%2C+2023%2C+at+Rupp+Arena+in+Lexington%2C+Kentucky.+Kansas+won+77-68.+Photo+by+Jack+Weaver+%7C+Staff

Jack Weaver

Kentucky Wildcats forward Jacob Toppin (0) reacts to a foul call during the Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas mens basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Kansas won 77-68. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff

Ayden Parece, Reporter

Despite entering the game on a four-game winning streak, Kentucky mens basketball was defeated by the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks, who themselves were on a three-game losing streak heading in. 

As a result of that defeat, Kentucky was once again left out of the week 13 AP Top 25, with the Wildcats once again receiving zero votes in the rankings. 

Purdue remained the No. 1 team in the country after the Boilermakers earned a convincing win over Michigan State, having been propelled to victory by Zach Edey’s 38-point night. 

While Kentucky continues to struggle to break through into the rankings, the SEC as a whole saw a big change in the new week’s poll, with a new No. 1 team in the conference.

Unranked Oklahoma stunned the college basketball world in a one-sided 93-69 victory over formerly No. 2 Alabama, which dropped the Crimson Tide two spots down to No. 4. 

Kentucky Wildcats guard Sahvir Wheeler (2) drives to the basket during the Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas mens basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Kansas won 77-68. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff (Jack Weaver)

With the drop, Tennessee became the highest ranked SEC school, taking over the No. 2 spot in the AP rankings with a noteworthy win over No. 10 Texas on Saturday.

The Houston Cougars fill out the No. 3 spot once again, earning a hard-fought 75-69 win over unranked Cincinnati. 

With the arrival of the new week’s AP poll the Big 12 and Big East have quickly started to overshadow the Southeastern conference with a combined 10 ranked teams, seven of which fall in the top 15, despite the SEC having two teams within the top four ranks. 

Baylor moved up six spots in the poll after back-to-back wins over Kansas and Arkansas, having handed the Jayhawks their third loss in a row before their eventual redeeming win over Kentucky. 

The Jayhawks themselves moved up one spot to No. 8 after the win after having dropped to No. 9 the week prior.

With only three votes in the week 12 AP Poll and 19 votes in the Coaches Poll prior to the loss, Kentucky once again fell completely off the radar, earning no AP votes or Coaches Poll votes in week 13.

The Wildcats will look to begin clawing their way back toward the rankings on Tuesday, Jan. 31, facing off against the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi.

Tipoff against the Rebels is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST and will air live on ESPN.

Kentucky will round out its week against Florida on Saturday, Feb. 4, inside Rupp Arena at 8:30 p.m. EST. 

A full list of AP Top 25 can be viewed below:

  1. Purdue Boilermakers (21-1)
  2. Tennessee Volunteers (18-3)
  3. Houston Cougars (20-2)
  4. Alabama Crimson Tide (18-3)
  5. Arizona Wildcats (19-3)
  6. Virginia Cavaliers (16-3)
  7. Kansas State Wildcats (18-3)
  8. Kansas Jayhawks (17-4)
  9. UCLA Bruins (17-4)
  10. Texas Longhorns (17-4)
  11. Baylor Bears (16-5)
  12. Gonzaga Bulldogs (18-4)
  13. Iowa State Cyclones (15-5)
  14. Marquette Golden Eagles (17-5)
  15. TCU Horned Frogs (16-5)
  16. Xavier Musketeers (17-5)
  17. Providence Friars (17-5)
  18. Saint Mary’s Gaels (19-4)
  19. Florida Atlantic Owls (21-1)
  20. Clemson Tigers (18-4)
  21. Indiana (15-6)
  22. San Diego State Aztecs (17-4)
  23. Miami Hurricanes (16-5)
  24. UConn Huskies (16-6)
  25. Auburn Tigers (16-5)

Others receiving votes:

Missouri (74), Charleston (68), Illinois (56), Creighton (51), New Mexico (47), North Carolina (47), NC State (39), Boise State (31), Duke (24), Rutgers (17), Texas A&M (16), Northwestern (13), Memphis (10), Arkansas (9), Pittsburgh (9), West Virginia (2), Nevada (2), Oral Roberts (2), Saint Louis (1)