Auburn keeps winning and Kentucky is rising, and that has the Southeastern Conference putting its imprint atop the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for this week.
Bruce Pearl’s Tigers earned 49 of 61 first-place votes in Monday’s new poll to extend the program’s first stay at No. 1 to two weeks, while John Calipari’s Wildcats jumped to No. 5 for the program’s highest ranking in the AP Top 25 in more than two years. The SEC has a pair of top-five teams for the first time in nearly three years.
Auburn (20-1) has won 17 straight games since losing a double-overtime game to Connecticut in November. The Tigers earned a narrow win at Missouri in their first game at No. 1 then followed with Saturday’s home win against Oklahoma. The school also reached a deal with Pearl on an eight-year contract.
