Baylor has overshadowed nearly everything in the Big 12 this season as it tries to complete an undefeated season.
Oklahoma has been making a statement of its own.
With a win over then-No. 9 Alabama on Saturday, the Sooners became just the second team in 25 years to beat three straight top-10 opponents. Oklahoma also is the first team since 1974 to beat four top-10 teams in the same month.
The Sooners’ run led to a big jump in this week’s Associated Press men’s basketball poll.
Oklahoma moved up 15 spots to No. 9 in the Top 25 released Monday, its highest ranking since reaching No. 4 in 2017-18.
“Any time you can win a game like that is big from a resume standpoint, big from a confidence standpoint, momentum,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said after the 66-61 win over the Crimson Tide. “It’s continuing to move in the right direction. Those wins, you never take those for granted.”
Oklahoma had to replace leading scorer and rebounder Kristian Doolittle this season and was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 preseason poll.
The Sooners got off to shaky Big 12 start, opening 2-3 after losses to Baylor and Kansas.
Oklahoma (11-4, 6-3 Big 12) has been on quite a run since then, taking down then-No. 9 Kansas, No. 5 Texas and Alabama.
The Sooners, who beat No. 17 West Virginia earlier this month, knocked off the Crimson Tide despite playing without Austin Reaves and starting guard Alondes Williams due to COVID-19 protocols.
“I thought these guys (Oklahoma), they play hard to begin with and then when they’re down two starters, they really bought in,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said.
⦁ At the top: Gonzaga and Baylor remained atop the poll for the 11th straight week.
The Zags (17-0, 8-0 West Coast) received 61 first-place votes from a media panel to hold at No. 1 after routing San Diego and Pepperdine last week. The Bears (16-0, 8-0 Big 12) received the other three first-place votes following wins over Kansas State and Auburn.
Villanova and Michigan remained at Nos. 3 and 4, with Houston rounding out the top five. The Cougars have their highest ranking since the Phi Slama Jama team reached No. 2 in 1983-84.
⦁ Terrapins at No. 10 in women’s poll: Louisville keeps winning and remained atop The Associated Press women’s basketball poll.
The Cardinals are the only unbeaten team left in the Top 25 after topping Miami and North Carolina this past week. They received 26 of the 30 first-place votes in the poll released Monday.
Louisville (16-0) faced its stiffest challenge in the ACC on Monday night with a visit from No. 4 North Carolina State. This was potentially going to be a 1 vs. 2 matchup until the Wolfpack lost in overtime to Virginia Tech last Thursday. It was N.C. State’s first loss of the season.
South Carolina jumped up two spots to No. 2 in the poll and received the other four first-place votes.
UConn lost for the first time this season, falling to then-No. 19 Arkansas last week, but remained third in the poll. Arkansas rose three spots to 16th. It is the first time the Razorbacks have knocked off two top five teams in the same season after beating then-No. 4 Baylor in December.
UCLA rounded out the top five. Stanford, Texas A&M, Baylor and Arizona followed the Bruins. Maryland fell three spots to 10th after losing to Ohio State. The Buckeyes moved up three places to 11th.
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