Purdue Falls to No. 5 in Latest AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll

Sitting at 24-4 and 13-4 in the Big Ten, Purdue dropped to No. 5 in Monday's Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll. The Boilermakers suffered back-to-back road losses before returning home to Mackey Arena for a victory over Ohio State.
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After suffering its fourth loss of the season, Purdue fell to No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll on Monday. The Boilermakers, at 24-4 and 13-4 in the Big Ten, have been ranked in the top five for 13 straight weeks. 

Purdue went on the road to face off against Maryland last week and was dominated in the second half, giving up a deciding 29-4 run after building an eight-point lead. The team struggled on both ends of the floor, falling 68-54 and marking its third straight loss away from home. 

The Boilermakers had a chance to bounce back on Sunday at Mackey Arena and took down an Ohio State team that's now lost 13 of its last 14 games. They won 82-55 and led by as many as 31 points in the second half after taking a nine-point advantage into halftime. 

Three Big Ten schools were ranked in this week's poll. Purdue was joined by No. 17 Indiana and No. 21 Northwestern in the national rankings. Maryland and Illinois also received votes. 

The Boilermakers will welcome the Hoosiers to West Lafayette on Saturday, Feb. 25, for a rematch between the two in-state rivals. That game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on FOX. 

AP Top 25 college basketball poll, Feb. 20

Here's a look is the Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll for Week 16, with Big Ten teams in bold.

  1. Houston (25-2)
  2. Alabama (23-4)
  3. Kansas (22-5)
  4. UCLA (23-4)
  5. Purdue (24-4)
  6. Virginia (21-4)
  7. Arizona (24-4)
  8. Texas (21-6)
  9. Baylor (20-7)
  10. Marquette (21-6)
  11. Tennessee (20-7)
  12. Gonzaga (23-5)
  13. Miami (22-5)
  14. Kansas State (20-7)
  15. Saint Mary's (24-5)
  16. Xavier (20-7)
  17. Indiana (19-8)
  18. UConn (20-7)
  19. Creighton (18-9)
  20. Providence (20-7)
  21. Northwestern (20-7)
  22. San Diego State (21-5)
  23. Iowa State (17-9)
  24. TCU (18-9)
  25. Texas A&M (20-7)

Other receiving votes: 

North Carolina State 54, Pittsburgh 34, Maryland 14, Oral Roberts 14, Kentucky 12, Boise State 12, Arkansas 6, Florida Atlantic 6, Charleston 4, Missouri 3, Duke 3, Illinois 2, Kent State 2, Nevada 1, Oklahoma State 1

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Related Stories on Purdue Basketball

  • Purdue Gets Bounce-Back Win in 82-55 Rout of Ohio State: Purdue junior center Zach Edey led all scorers with 26 points, and the Boilermakers had 32 points from its bench in a decisive win over Ohio State on Sunday. The team had nine different players score at least four points. CLICK HERE 
  • Purdue Implodes in Second Half During Loss to Maryland: Maryland buried No. 3 Purdue with a 29-4 run in the second half after a technical foul on junior forward Mason Gillis. The Boilermakers have lost their last three road games, falling to 23-4 overall and 12-4 in Big Ten play. CLICK HERE

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.