Another all-time NCAA basketball streak now belongs to Kansas.
The KU men’s basketball program dropped a spot in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 — from No. 6 to No. 7 — but in doing so still was ranked for the 222nd consecutive week.
That breaks a tie at the top with UCLA for consecutive weeks ranked in the AP poll. The Bruins were ranked in 221 straight polls from 1966-80.
KU now has passed UCLA for consecutive regular season conference titles (14, from 2005-2018) and consecutive weeks ranked in the AP poll. Unlike that first one, which was snapped during the 2018-19 season, the Jayhawks can still add to this one in the weeks ahead.
There’s no telling when this streak will end, but even when it does KU figures to stay at the top for a long time. Sixth-ranked Duke is currently second on the active list, having been ranked in the last 85 AP polls.
KU dropped a spot in the AP preseason poll after losing its season opener to No. 1 Gonzaga on Thanksgiving and bouncing back a day later with a 22-point win over Saint Joseph’s.
The Jayhawks (1-1) will now take on Kentucky on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
John Calipari’s Wildcats lost to Richmond at home on Sunday and the result of that game was reflected in this week’s AP poll, with the ‘Cats falling from No. 10 to No. 20 and Richmond jumping into the poll from unranked to No. 19.
Four of the top 10 teams in the country lost during the opening week of the 2020-21 season, with KU, No. 3 Villanova, No. 4 Virginia and Kentucky all going down.
As a result, Gonzaga maintained its spot at the top of the poll and now has 57 of the 63 first-place votes. Baylor stayed at No. 2 and received the other six first-place votes.
Big Ten programs Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois rounded out this week’s top five.
AP Top 25
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1 – Gonzaga, 2-0, 1,569 (57)
2 – Baylor, 2-0, 1,513 (6)
3 – Iowa, 2-0, 1,410
4 – Wisconsin, 2-0, 1,287
5 – Illinois, 3-0, 1,281
6 – Duke, 1-0, 1,185
7 – Kansas, 1-1, 1,169
8 – Michigan State, 2-0, 1,028
9 – Creighton, 1-0, 981
10 – Houston, 3-0, 949
11 – West Virginia, 3-0, 943
12 – Villanova, 2-1, 939
13 – Tennessee, 0-0, 878
14 – North Carolina, 1-0, 591
15 – Virginia, 1-1, 581
16 – Virginia Tech, 3-0, 570
17 – Texas, 1-0, 478
17 – Texas Tech, 2-1, 478
19 – Richmond, 2-0, 382
20 – Kentucky, 1-1, 363
21 – Oregon, 0-0, 338
22 – Florida State, 0-0, 304
23 – Ohio State, 2-0, 282
24 – Rutgers, 3-0, 252
25 – Arizona State, 2-1, 233
**Others receiving votes:** Michigan 90, San Diego State 86, Saint Louis 69, Louisville 55, Alabama 52, Florida 45, Indiana 38, UCLA 14, Maryland 9, Providence 7, Stanford 7, Connecticut 6, Clemson 4, LSU 3, Arkansas 2, Loyola Chicago 1, TCU 1, Colorado 1, BYU 1
