BYU Remains In AP Top 25 After Rivalry Setback, Utah Receiving Votes
Dec 11, 2023, 11:32 AM
BYU basketball is ranked in the week six AP Top 25 poll. Utah is receiving votes. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Despite suffering its first regular season loss, BYU basketball remains in the AP Top 25.
BYU (8-1) checks into the December 11th, 2023 poll at No. 18. That’s down four spots from last week, where they were No. 14.
BYU suffered a 73-69 loss last Saturday at rival Utah in a game where they shot poorly in all three phases.
On the flip side, the win for Utah garnered some recognition from pollsters as Craig Smith’s squad is in the receiving votes category. If the poll extended as far, Utah would be No. 32 in the rankings. They pulled down 25 points in votes.
Utah is 7-2 on the season. Their only losses of the year are to No. 4 Houston and St. John’s from the Big East.
This is the second time in the Mark Pope era at BYU that the Cougars are ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll. In 2021, BYU was No. 18 for two games and was 2-0 in those contests.
BYU is 21-4 all-time when ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll.
The Cougars are one of six teams from the Big 12 Conference that are ranked in the AP Top 25. Those teams include Kansas (2), Houston (4), Baylor (6), Oklahoma (11), BYU, and Texas (19).
BYU returns home this week to host Denver on Wednesday then Georgia State on Saturday. Utah stays put at the Huntsman Center as well. They will be welcoming in-state foe Utah Valley this Saturday.
AP Top 25: Where is BYU basketball ranked?
Week of December 11, 2023
1. Arizona (8-0)
2. Kansas (9-1)
3. Purdue (9-1)
4. Houston (10-0)
5. UConn (9-1)
6. Baylor (9-0)
7. Marquette (8-2)
8. Creighton (8-1)
9. North Carolina (7-2)
10. Gonzaga (7-2)
11. Oklahoma (9-0)
12. Tennessee (6-3)
13. Clemson (9-0)
14. Kentucky (7-2)
15. Florida Atlantic (7-2)
16. Illinois (7-2)
17. Colorado State (9-1)
18. BYU (8-1)
19. Texas (7-2)
20. James Madison (9-0)
21. Duke (6-3)
22. Virginia (8-1)
23. Wisconsin (7-3)
24. Miami (FL) (7-2)
25. Northwestern (7-1)
Receiving Votes: Colorado 116, Ole Miss 86, Texas A&M 58, Auburn 57, Memphis 56, Alabama 43, Utah 25, Iowa State 20, Ohio State 9, Providence 7, San Diego State 7, TCU 6, Nevada 5, South Carolina 3, New Mexico 2, Washington 2, Kansas State 1, Grand Canyon 1, Dayton 1, Saint Joseph’s 1.
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.
