Baylor has overshadowed almost everything in the Big 12 this season as he tries to complete an unbeaten season.
Oklahoma made its own statement.
With a victory at the then No. 9 Alabama became the Sooners second only team in 25 years to beat three straight top 10 opponents on Saturday. Oklahoma is also the first team since 1974 to beat four top-10 teams in the same month.
The run-up to the Sooners led to a big jump in this week’s Associated Press basketball games. Oklahoma moved up 15 places to No. 9 in the Top 25 released Monday, the highest position since its No. 4 in 2017-18.
“Every time you can win a game like that, it’s big from a CV point of view, big from a confidence point of view, momentum,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said after the 66-61 victory over the Crimson Tide. “It keeps moving in the right direction. The victories, you never take it for granted.”
Oklahoma had to replace leading scorer and rebounder Kristian Doolittle this season and was selected to finish sixth in the Big 12 preseason poll.
The Sooners got off to a shaky Big 12 start, opening 2-3 after a loss to Baylor and Kansas.
Oklahoma (11-4, 6-3 Big 12) has been going on ever since and is taking the no. 9 Kansas, No. 5 Texas and Alabama.
The Sooners, who beat No. 17 in West Virginia earlier this month, beat the Crimson Tide despite playing without Austin Reaves and starting guard Alondes Williams due to COVID-19 protocols.
“I thought these guys (Oklahoma), they’re playing hard to start with, and when they’s two beginners down, they’re really bought in,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said.
ON THE TOP
Gonzaga and Baylor remained at the top of the vote for the 11th consecutive week.
The Zags (17-0, 8-0 West Coast) received 61 votes in the first place from a media panel held at number 1 after San Diego and Pepperdine were on their way last week. The Bears (16-0, 8-0 Big 12) received the other three votes in first place after victories over Kansas State and Auburn.
Villanova and Michigan remained at number 3 and 4, while Houston rounded out the top five. The Cougars have their highest rankings since the Phi Slama Jama team reached number 2 in 1983-84.
LOVE THE DRAGONS
Drake won 24 games in his first season under coach Darian DeVries and had 20 last year before the pandemic canceled everyone’s season.
The Bulldogs have taken the next step this year through an unbeaten season.
Drake won three times last week and is ranked 25th in the poll for the first time since 2007-08.
The Bulldogs (16-0, 7-0 Missouri Valley through Sunday) batted from an 11-point deficit to beat Illinois 78-76 in overtime this past weekend and are their best start in 13 years.
RISE
Oklahoma had by far the biggest jump in the poll this week, but Ohio State’s no. 7 also cracked the top 10 by moving up six places. The Buckeyes beat Penn State last week and crushed Michigan State.
Nr. 11 Tennessee climbed seven places after beating Kansas by 19 points. Nr. 12 in Illinois also moved up seven places to a five-point victory over Iowa, dropping three points to eight.
FALL
17 West Virginia dropped six spots after a home loss to Florida and a one-point victory at no. 13 Texas Tech. … Nr. 14 Virginia also scored six points after a 14-point loss at Virginia Tech, just like Missouri, no. 18, after losing to Auburn last week. … Nr. 19 Wisconsin dropped five spots after being knocked out by Michigan.
IN AND OUT
Florida took part in the No. 22 voting for the first time this season after the win over West Virginia. … No. 24 Purdue also made his season debut this week with a win over Minnesota. The Gophers drop out at no. 21. … Saint Louis drops out at no. 22 after a loss to Dayton and Louisville is at no. 25 after losing to Clemson.