Utah State Vaults Up AP Top 25, While BYU Falls Two Spots
Jan 15, 2024, 11:18 AM | Updated: Jan 16, 2024, 10:54 am
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah State Aggies enter their second consecutive week in the AP Top 25, moving up four spots after wins over Wyoming and UNLV.
BYU dropped two spots after finishing the week with a loss at then-No. 14 Baylor before beating UCF on the road.
Utah State rises in AP Top 25
The Aggies had plenty left in the tank after upsetting then-No. 13 Colorado State and moving into the rankings for the first time last week at No. 20.
Ranked for the first time since the 2019-20 season, Utah State rolled over Wyoming 83-59 at home before heading to Las Vegas for a thriller with UNLV. The Aggies trailed all afternoon until a five-point play with 8.4 seconds allowed USU to escape with an 87-86 win.
A 5-POINT PLAY capped off No. 20 Utah State's second-half comeback win over UNLV 🤯
(via @CBSSportsCBB)pic.twitter.com/gZpCX1bKPI
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 13, 2024
USU entered the season predicted to finish ninth in the Mountain West preseason polls but has reeled off the nation’s longest winning streak under first-year head coach Danny Sprinkle. This is the best start to a coaching career in program history and the third-best start to a season in Utah State history. Only the 2008-09 (24-1) and 2003-04 (20-1) teams started better.
USU’s 16 wins are tied with Grand Canyon for the most in the country.
Next up for the Aggies is a difficult road trip to The Pit against the New Mexico Lobos (14-3, 2-2) on Tuesday, January 16.
BYU drops two spots in AP Top 25
It was a momentous week for the Cougars as the men’s and women’s basketball programs each got their first Big 12 conference wins.
making it look easy pic.twitter.com/YSkioNrEt5
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 15, 2024
BYU opened the week with an 81-72 set-back at then-No. 14 Baylor. Mark Pope’s team didn’t fret after its second-straight loss to open conference play. The Cougars bounced back to knock off Central Florida 63-58 over the weekend.
The Cougars host the No. 24 Iowa State Cyclones at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, January 16.
AP Top 25: Where did the Aggies & Cougars settle?
Week 11 poll as of January 15, 2024
- UConn (15-2)
- Purdue (15-2)
- Kansas (14-2)
- North Carolina (13-3)
- Houston (14-2)
- Tennessee (12-4)
- Duke (13-3)
- Kentucky (12-3)
- Baylor (14-2)
- Memphis (15-2)
- Wisconsin (13-3)
- Arizona (12-4)
- Auburn (14-2)
- Illinois (12-4)
- Oklahoma (13-3)
- Utah State (16-1)
- Marquette (11-5)
- Creighton (13-4)
- TCU (13-3)
- BYU (13-3)
- Dayton (13-3)
- Mississippi (15-1)
- FAU (13-4)
- Iowa St. (13-3)
- Texas Tech (14-2)
Others receiving votes: Colorado St. 169, San Diego St. 153, Seton Hall 89, Alabama 60, Grand Canyon 49, Clemson 38, Boise St. 22, Nevada 22, Texas 20, Oregon 17, St. John’s 15, New Mexico 14, NC State 8, Princeton 5, Gonzaga 5, Utah 3, Mississippi St. 3, South Carolina 2, Villanova 2, McNeese St. 1, James Madison 1.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s coverage of the Bees, Big League Utah, and Aggie athletics here.
