BYU Basketball Hangs On Inside Latest AP Top 25 Poll
Feb 19, 2024, 11:21 AM | Updated: Feb 20, 2024, 1:43 pm
PROVO, Utah – Despite a wire-to-wire loss to Oklahoma State, BYU basketball remains in this week’s AP Top 25 poll.
The pollsters kept BYU in at No. 25. That’s down six spots from last week’s No. 19 ranking.
#BYU hangs on in the AP Top 25 this week.
The pollsters ranked BYU at No. 25, down six spots after a 1-1 week that included a loss at Oklahoma State.#BYUHoops #Big12
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) February 19, 2024
BYU basketball is up to 13 consecutive weeks in the Top 25
By staying in the AP Top 25 poll, it extends BYU’s national ranking streak to 13 consecutive weeks this season. The only seasons in BYU basketball history that have had more weeks in the national rankings were 2011, 1981, 1980, and 1971.
What’s notable about those four seasons is that they featured a Naismith Award Winner (Jimmer Fredette, Danny Ainge) or a player who currently has his jersey retired in the Marriott Center (Ainge, Kresimir Cosic).
Last week was a mixed bag of results for BYU. They protected their home court against UCF by securing a win. But they allowed 88 points to the Knights and came away with a close 90-88 victory.
This past Saturday, BYU had a surprising performance against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys entered the game as the Big 12’s last-place team. But it didn’t matter, as BYU’s defense had no answers for the Pokes. BYU lost in Stillwater 93-83.
BYU is one of six teams from the Big 12 Conference that is ranked in this week’s poll.
Among the six Big 12 teams in the rankings is BYU’s next opponent, the Baylor Bears. Baylor checks into this week’s ranking at No. 11. They moved up one spot after defeating Oklahoma and West Virginia in the past week.
No. 25 BYU hosts No. 11 Baylor on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
After Tuesday night, BYU will go back on the road to face the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday in Manhattan.
AP Top 25: Week 16 edition
1. UConn (24-2 – Unanimous No. 1 team)
2. Houston (22-3)
3. Purdue (23-3)
4. Arizona (20-5)
5. Tennessee (19-6)
6. Iowa State (20-5)
7. Marquette (19-6)
8. Duke (20-5)
9. Kansas (20-6)
10. North Carolina (20-6)
11. Baylor (19-6)
12. Illinois (19-6)
13. Alabama (18-7)
14. Auburn (20-6)
15. Creighton (19-7)
16. Dayton (21-4)
17. Kentucky (18-7)
18. Saint Mary’s (21-6)
19. San Diego State (20-6)
20. South Carolina (21-5)
21. Washington State (20-6)
22. Colorado State (20-6)
23. Texas Tech (18-7)
24. Florida (18-7)
25. BYU (18-7)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
