BYU Climbs Back Into AP Top 25 Rankings, Utah State Stays Put
Mar 4, 2024, 11:30 AM | Updated: Mar 5, 2024, 11:02 am
SALT LAKE CITY – The AP Top 25 poll is out for the final week of the regular season.
Once again, two teams from the state of Utah are in the rankings.
BYU at No. 20, Utah State at No. 22 in the Week 18 rankings
After its historic win at Kansas and a home victory against TCU, BYU basketball climbs back into the AP Top 25 at No. 20.
#BYU jumps back into the AP Top 25 poll at No. 20.
Cougars will face No. 6 Iowa State on Wednesday night in Ames.#BYUHoops #Big12 pic.twitter.com/KHbg5jW9kC
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 4, 2024
Utah State held serve with league victories over Fresno State and Air Force to remain at No. 22.
For BYU, it’s the 14th week this season that the Cougars have found themselves in the national rankings. Last week, BYU surprisingly dropped out of the poll after a road loss to Kansas State. But before that, they defeated nationally ranked Baylor at home.
BYU is 21-8 overall this season and 9-7 in Big 12 play. Mark Pope’s squad has won three of its last four games.
Utah State has compiled the third-most wins in college basketball this season with 24 victories. The Aggies are 24-5 overall and 12-4 in a Mountain West Conference that is expected to get a handful of teams into the NCAA Tournament.
Utah State closes the regular season at San Jose State this week, then returns home for senior day against the New Mexico Lobos in the Spectrum. On Monday, NCAA.com college basketball insider Andy Katz ranked USU-New Mexico as one of the top games in college basketball this week.
🗣 @USUCoachSprink #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/4eCl80A3IA
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 2, 2024
The gauntlet continues in the Big 12. BYU’s next outing is on Wednesday night on ESPN2 against No. 6 Iowa State.
The Cyclones will likely have revenge on the mind as they suffered an 87-72 loss to BYU in Provo on January 16. Iowa State has won seven of its last eight games, with the lone blemish coming against No. 1 Houston on February 19.
BYU closes the regular season with Senior Day at the Marriott Center in a revenge game of their own against Oklahoma State. The Pokes crushed BYU 93-83 in Stillwater on February 17.
AP Top 25: Week 18
Week of March 4, 2024
1. Houston (26-3)
2. UConn (26-3)
3. Purdue (26-3)
4. Tennessee (21-6)
5. Arizona (23-6)
6. Iowa State (23-6)
7. North Carolina (23-6)
8. Marquette (22-7)
9. Duke (23-6)
10. Creighton (22-8)
11. Baylor (21-8)
12. Illinois (22-7)
13. Auburn (22-7)
14. Kansas (21-8)
15. Kentucky (21-8)
16. Alabama (20-9)
17. South Carolina (24-5)
18. Washington State (23-7)
19. Gonzaga (24-6)
20. BYU (21-8)
21. San Diego State (22-7)
22. Utah State (24-5)
23. Saint Mary’s (24-7)
24. South Florida (22-5)
25. Dayton (22-6)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
