The Buckeyes are back in the AP Top 25.
After spending two weeks outside of the rankings, Ohio State climbed back to No. 21 in the AP poll Monday after wins over then-No. 1 Duke and Penn State over the past week. Ohio State started the season ranked No. 17, fell to No. 19 after a couple close calls against mid-major opponents to start the year, and then dropped out of the poll altogether following its first loss of the season to Xavier on Nov. 18.
But the Buckeyes have now won three of their past four games since that loss to the Musketeers, and their only other defeat this season came on a buzzer-beater three by Florida guard Tyree Appleby at the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Nov. 24.
Ohio State knocked off the Blue Devils at home, 71-66, last Tuesday, and began Big Ten play with a 12-point win over the Nittany Lions on the road Sunday. With Duke losing last week, Purdue is now the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time in program history.
Next on the schedule for the Buckeyes is a matchup with Towson at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Schottenstein Center, and Ohio State hosts Wisconsin at home on Saturday at noon to close out the week.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS | PREV | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PURDUE | 8–0 | 1,525 (61) | 2 | Big Ten |
| 2 | BAYLOR | 8–0 | 1,421 | 4 | Big 12 |
| 3 | DUKE | 7–1 | 1,390 | 1 | Atlantic Coast |
| 4 | UCLA | 8–1 | 1,293 | 5 | Pacific 12 |
| 5 | GONZAGA | 7–2 | 1,240 | 3 | West Coast |
| 6 | VILLANOVA | 6–2 | 1,175 | 6 | Big East |
| 7 | TEXAS | 6–1 | 1,101 | 7 | Big 12 |
| 8 | KANSAS | 6–1 | 1,068 | 8 | Big 12 |
| 9 | ALABAMA | 7–1 | 1,029 | 16 | Southeastern |
| 10 | KENTUCKY | 6–1 | 972 | 9 | Southeastern |
| 11 | ARIZONA | 7–0 | 919 | 11 | Pacific 12 |
| 12 | ARKANSAS | 8–0 | 905 | 10 | Southeastern |
| 13 | TENNESSEE | 6–1 | 762 | 13 | Southeastern |
| 14 | HOUSTON | 7–1 | 686 | 15 | American Athletic |
| 15 | CONNECTICUT | 8–1 | 527 | 17 | Big East |
| 16 | USC | 8–0 | 510 | 20 | Pacific 12 |
| 17 | IOWA STATE | 8–0 | 499 | 19 | Big 12 |
| 18 | AUBURN | 7–1 | 419 | 21 | Southeastern |
| 19 | MICHIGAN STATE | 7–2 | 405 | 22 | Big Ten |
| 20 | FLORIDA | 6–1 | 386 | 14 | Southeastern |
| 21 | OHIO STATE | 6–2 | 370 | – | Big Ten |
| 22 | WISCONSIN | 7–1 | 338 | 23 | Big Ten |
| 23 | SETON HALL | 7–1 | 177 | 25 | Big East |
| 24 | BYU | 7–1 | 157 | 12 | West Coast |
| 25 | LSU | 8–0 | 135 | – | Southeastern |
