Utah State Soars Into AP Top 25, BYU Tumbles Down Rankings
Jan 8, 2024, 11:38 AM | Updated: Jan 9, 2024, 10:19 am
SALT LAKE CITY – After taking down nationally-ranked Colorado State, the Utah State Aggies are in the AP Top 25.
The Aggies checked in at No. 20 for the week ten edition of the rankings.
Utah State climbs into AP Top 25 at No. 20
Under first-year head coach Danny Sprinkle, the Aggies have laid low on the national landscape despite having one of the nation’s longest winning streaks. The 77-72 win over Colorado State gave 14-1 Aggies the showcase win to put them in the national conversation.
Despite the victory over the Rams, who suffered only their second setback of the season, CSU remains ranked three spots in front of Utah State at No. 17.
It’s the first time the Aggies have been ranked in the AP Top 25 since the 2019-20 season. That year, Utah State went on to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament behind star Sam Merrill, before the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The previous four seasons that have produced at least one week in the rankings for the Aggies have led to an eventual NCAA Tournament bid. So that bodes well for the Aggies who continue on their 13-game winning streak.
Next up for Utah State is a Tuesday night home tilt in the Spectrum against 8-7 Wyoming.
BYU basketball drops six spots
While one team in the state soared into the AP Top 25, another took a tumble.
BYU dropped six spots in this week’s ranking after suffering a home loss to unranked Cincinnati in its Big 12 Conference debut.
The win for Cincinnati put them in the receiving votes category this week. They would be at No. 29 in the poll if it extended that far.
This is the second appearance of the season at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 for BYU. The Cougars have been ranked in the poll for seven consecutive weeks.
Next up for BYU is a road matchup against another ranked opponent, the Baylor Bears. Baylor jumped four spots from 18 to No. 14 after defeating Cornell and Oklahoma State on the road to begin Big 12 action.
AP Top 25: Where is BYU, Utah State Basketball ranked?
Week 10 poll as of January 8, 2024
1. Purdue (14-1)
2. Houston (14-0)
3. Kansas (13-1)
4. UConn (13-2)
5. Tennessee (11-3)
6. Kentucky (11-2)
7. North Carolina (11-3)
8. Arizona (12-3)
9. Oklahoma (13-1)
10. Illinois (11-3)
T-11. Marquette (11-4)
T-11. Duke (11-3)
13. Memphis (13-2)
14. Baylor (12-2)
15. Wisconsin (11-3)
16. Auburn (12-2)
17. Colorado State (13-2)
18. BYU (12-2)
19. San Diego State (13-2)
20. Utah State (14-1)
21. Clemson (11-3)
22. Creighton (11-4)
23. Gonzaga (11-4)
24. Florida Atlantic (11-4)
25. Texas (11-3)
Receiving Votes: Dayton 126, Ole Miss 125, James Madison 98, Cincinnati 79, Nevada, Texas Tech 62, Wake Forest 38, Grand Canyon 35, Seton Hall 34, South Carolina 29, Miami 27, St. John’s 18, Iowa State 16, Colorado 8, NC State 7, Michigan State 7, Alabama 7, Providence 6, Oregon 4, TCU 3, Northwestern 3, Princeton 2, Utah 2.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.
