Oklahoma basketball: Sooners' first loss knocks them down several rungs in AP poll
By Chip Rouse
Following if first loss of the season -- an 81-69 loss to No. 11 North Carolina (now up to No. 9) -- after 10 consecutive wins, the men's Oklahoma basketball team dropped from No. 7 to No. 12 in this week's Associated Press Top-25 rankings.
OU is No. 13 this week in the Coaches Poll, which had the Sooners on the No. 6 line a week ago, their highest national ranking since the 2015-16 season when Oklahoma reached the Final Four.
The Sooners (10-1) are one of six Big 12 teams in the nation's top 25, including two teams among the top three: No. 2 Kansas and No. 3 Houston. Oklahoma is next in line at No. 12 in the AP poll, followed by No, 14 BYU, No. 17 Baylor and No. 21 Texas.
Purdue remains No. 1 in both major national polls for the second straight week. The Boilermakers moved into the No. 1 spot in Week 4 after Kansas lost for the first time and fell from the No. 1 position. Purdue stayed No. 1 for a whole week before falling from the unbeaten ranks itself, dropping to No. 4. The Boilermakers have been working their way back up and regained to top spot last week after defeating No. 1 Arizona.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi moved the Sooners from a four seed to a five seed in his latest "Bracketology" projections for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, which means he sees Oklahoma as a top-20 team at this point in the season.
Oklahoma has been out of action since losing to North Carolina on Dec. 20. The Sooners will host Central Arkansas on Thursday and close out the 2023-24 nonconference schedule on Saturday against Monmouth on Dec. 31.