Alabama No. 1 for first time in 20 years

Alabama is No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in 20 years.

The Crimson Tide (22-3) received 38 first-place votes to supplant Purdue atop the rankings in the poll released Monday. Alabama is No. 1 for the first time since the 2002-03 season, when it spent two weeks there under then head coach Mark Gottfried. This team under Nate Oats has won four in row to remain undefeated in league play.

Purdue (23-3) lost at Northwestern on Sunday and fell to third, claiming two first-place votes. Houston (23-2) remained at No. 2, garnering 22 first-place votes.

UCLA (21-4) jumped three spots to No. 4 and Kansas (20-5) rounds out the top 5, having jumped four spots.

Texas (20-5), Virginia (19-4), Arizona (22-4), Baylor (19-6) and Tennessee (19-6) comprise the rest of the top 10.

The Vols dropped just four spots despite two losses to unranked teams last week, including Vanderbilt. Tennessee hosts the top-ranked Tide on Wednesday.

Baylor was one of two teams to climb five spots in the rankings, joining No. 18 Creighton.

Iowa State was the week’s biggest faller, dropping eight spots to No. 19 following two losses.

Florida Atlantic (24-2) is back in the Top 25 — at 25 — one week after getting bounced. The Owls replace Rutgers, which got knocked out after losses to Indiana and Illinois.

The rest of the poll: 11. Marquette 12. Kansas State 13. Gonzaga 14. Indiana 15. Miami (FL) 16. Xavier 17. Saint Mary’s 18. Creighton 19. Iowa State 20. UConn 21. San Diego State 22. TCU 23. NC State 24. Providence 25. FAU

–Field Level Media