Back at No. 1! Houston Cougars basketball reclaims top spot in national polls

The Houston Cougars basketball team, coming off a 2-0 week, once again captured its spot as the No. 1 team in the country in both national polls.

In The Associated Press poll, Houston garnered 1,534 total points, including 48 first-place votes, to secure the top spot. The Cougars passed the Alabama Crimson Tide following its loss to Tennessee during the week.

Alabama is this week’s second-ranked team in the AP Poll with 1,448 total points. The Crimson Tide got seven first-place votes. Kansas came in at No. 3 in Monday’s poll. The Jayhawks got 1,409 total points and also picked up seven first-place votes.

UCLA stayed at No. 4, and Purdue fell to No. 5 after the Boilermakers lost to Maryland on Thursday. Texas fell to No. 8 in the latest poll following its loss to Texas Tech last Monday. Baylor stayed at No. 9 despite losing to Kansas on Saturday. TCU fell to No. 24. Texas A&M rose to No. 25.

In the coaches poll, Houston also elevated to No. 1. The Cougars picked up 791 total points and 24 first-place votes. Alabama fell to No. 2. The Crimson Tide got six first-place votes. UCLA rose to No. 3 in the coaches poll. Kansas rose to No. 4, and Purdue fell to No. 5.

Around the state, Texas fell to No. 8, Baylor dropped to 10th, and Texas A&M stayed at No. 25 in the coaches poll. TCU dropped out of the Top 25.

In the NCAA Evaluation Tool, or NET, rankings, the Cougars stood pat as the top-ranked team. The NET rankings take into account various factors, including UH’s strength of schedule. Houston is 8-0 in Quad Two games this season. The Cougars are 4-1 in Quad One games.

Alabama is No. 2, Tennessee is No. 3, UCLA is No. 4, and Purdue is No. 5 in the NET rankings. Kansas is sixth, St. Mary’s is seventh, and Connecticut is eighth.

The Houston Cougars basketball will play two games before next Monday’s poll. UH will host Tulane on Wednesday at 8 p.m. and travel to East Carolina on Saturday night.