Arizona men’s basketball’s controversial loss to BYU didn’t dissuade many Associated Press poll voters from ranking the Wildcats as a top 25 team.
Arizona dropped three spots to No. 22 in the AP poll, while the team that just beat them, BYU, entered the rankings at No. 25.
Meanwhile Kansas, the Big 12 preseason favorite, fell out of the rankings entirely for the first time in nearly four years.
Arizona received 289 votes in this week’s poll, down from 362 votes a week ago. Under other circumstances, a home loss to an unranked BYU team might have dropped Arizona out of the rankings entirely, but voters didn’t appear to knock the Wildcats too harshly for the one-point defeat.
BYU’s elevation into the Top 25 marks the first time the Cougars have been ranked this season.
Three Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 10: No. 4 Houston, No. 9 Iowa State and No. 10 Texas Tech.
Auburn is once again ranked No. 1, followed by Duke and Florida.
Arizona will face No. 9 Iowa State in Ames Saturday. Before that the Wildcats host Utah Wednesday at 7 p.m. MST.