NCAAB: BYU, Michigan jump in latest AP Top 25 rankings

A new leader emerged in the AP Top 25 college basketball poll this week, as Kansas regained the No. 1 spot after a win over previous No. 1 Baylor.

Movement occurred across the board in the rankings, with a few teams experiencing a major shakeup. Here are this week’s top risers and fallers, with an update on each school’s odds to win the NCAA Tournament.

Risers

BYU Cougars: up six spots to #17

The BYU Cougars finally jumped into the Top 25 last week and climbed up the rung Monday, after the team’s eighth consecutive win.

BYU beat Santa Clara, 85-75, Thursday, then surprised former-No. 2 Gonzaga, 91-78.

The 23-7 Cougars boast +4000 odds to win the NCAA Tournament and sit second in the West Coast Conference standings, behind the 27-2 Bulldogs. A road trip to Pepperdine on Saturday is all that is left on the schedule before the WCC tournament the first week of March.

Michigan Wolverines: up seven spots to #19

The Wolverines have been difficult to peg all season. Michigan went from unranked to fourth after it won its first seven games, then stumbled through December and January with eight losses, including four straight.

Now Michigan is on a roll. The Wolverines defeated then-No. 16 Michigan State, 77-68, on Feb. 8, and since then Juwan Howard’s squad has collected four more wins and earned a spot in the Top 25 for the first time since Jan. 13.

The Wolverines are a +4000 longshot to claim the national title but have the coaching personnel and experience on their roster to make a deep run.

Fallers

Penn State Nittany Lions: down seven spots to #16

Just a week ago Penn State was on the rise, with a No. 9 ranking and eight consecutive victories. The Nittany Lions took down then-No. 21 Ohio State and Michigan State in that span but unraveled with a home loss to Illinois on Feb. 18.

Penn State followed up that disappointment with a 68-60 road defeat at Indiana on Sunday and fell into a tie for third in the Big Ten.

The Nittany Lions' NCAA Tournament odds held steady at +3000, but Penn State’s upcoming schedule could reshape expectations ahead of March Madness, depending on the team’s success.

Dates with Rutgers, No. 18 Iowa, No. 24 Michigan State, and Northwestern remain and will prove whether Penn State can bounce back from adversity with the pressure of the Big Dance looming.

Marquette Golden Eagles: #19 to unranked

Marquette’s reign as a member of the Top 25 didn’t last long. On Feb. 10 the Golden Eagles appeared at No. 18 in the poll, then dropped to 19th the following week, before a disheartening collapse.

A game after Marquette beat then-No. 19 Butler, 76-57, the 15th-ranked Villanova Wildcats handed the Golden Eagles a one-point road loss. Then Creighton beat down on Marquette at home and Providence pulled off an 84-72 upset at Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

The Golden Eagles’ odds of winning the NCAA Tournament are +6600. No. 13 Seton Hall will be a challenge on the upcoming schedule, but 15-12 Georgetown, 14-14 DePaul, and 14-13 St. John’s should offer a reprieve and a confidence boost going into the Big East Tournament.

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