Men's Basketball AP Poll: UCLA Suffers Biggest Drop in Top 25

Two losses in Las Vegas caused the Bruins to fall 11 spots, which was tied for the worst week-to-week move alongside Kentucky.

A chaotic week led to some major shifts in the rankings, and the Bruins were one of the biggest victims in the new poll.

UCLA men's basketball (3-2) fell from No. 8 all the way to No. 19 in the latest edition of the AP Poll on Monday. The Bruins earned 506 points – down 632 points from a week ago – and tied Kentucky for the most extreme drop of 11 spots.

The week actually began with a win for UCLA, as the team wrapped up its season-opening homestand with a decisive victory over Norfolk State. The Bruins' fortunes changed when they headed out for Las Vegas, though, as they lost 79-70 to Illinois on Friday and then lost 80-75 to Baylor on Sunday.

The Illini and Bears were the first high major or ranked opponents on the Bruins' slate this year, and both teams fared pretty well in the polls after dismantling the blue and gold down the stretch. Illinois moved up from No. 19 to No. 16, while Baylor only fell two spots from No. 5 to No. 7 despite losing to Virginia in the finals on Sunday. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, shot up from No. 16 to No. 5 after winning the Continental Tire Main Event.

There was plenty of movement at the top, although North Carolina held onto the No. 1 spot with the vast majority of first-place votes. Houston went from No. 3 to No. 2, Kansas went from No. 6 to No. 3 and Texas went from No. 11 to No. 4.

Gonzaga fell from No. 2 to No. 6 after suffering its first loss of the year against Texas, and Duke dropped from No. 7 to No. 8 after falling to Kansas in Indianapolis.

Arizona took over as the highest-ranked team in the Pac-12, staying put at No. 14 while UCLA dropped five spots below them. No other teams from the conference earned a spot in the top 25, but Arizona State picked up five points and Oregon picked up four.

UCLA has two ranked opponents on its remaining nonconference schedule, starting with a road game at Maryland on Dec. 14. The Terrapins improved to 5-0 with wins over Saint Louis and Miami (FL) over the past week, entering the rankings at No. 23 as a result.

Kentucky is the other ranked team coming up for the Bruins, although coach John Calipari's squad fell from No. 4 to No. 15 after losing to both Michigan State and Gonzaga. That game will take place on Dec. 17 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The full AP Poll is listed below:

1. North Carolina (4-0), 1541 points (47 first-place votes)
2. Houston (4-0), 1499 (9)
3. Kansas (4-0), 1396 (1)
4. Texas (3-0), 1377 (5)
5. Virginia (4-0), 1279 (1)
6. Gonzaga (3-1), 1273
7. Baylor (4-1), 1102
8. Duke (3-1), 1057
9. Arkansas (3-0), 1038
10. Creighton (4-0), 1004
11. Indiana (4-0), 932
12. Michigan State (3-1), 825
13. Auburn (4-0), 737
14. Arizona (3-0), 725
15. Kentucky (3-2), 685
16. Illinois (4-1), 673
17. San Diego State (3-0), 601
18. Alabama (4-0), 510
19. UCLA (3-2), 506
20. UConn (5-0), 298
21. Texas Tech (3-0), 275
22. Tennessee (1-1), 238
23. Maryland (5-0), 223
24. Purdue (3-0), 215
25. Iowa (3-0), 132

Others Receiving Votes: TCU 82, Saint Mary's 59, Ohio State 56, Michigan 24, Xavier 22, Charleston 17, Toledo 16, Miami (FL) 10, Dayton 9, Villanova 7, Arizona State 5, Virginia Tech 5, Saint Louis 5, UNLV 5, Oregon 4, West Virginia 3, Texas A&M 2, Utah State 1, Penn State 1, Mississippi State 1

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