Kentucky, Vanderbilt into top 10 in women's AP Top 25 after 4 of top 10 teams fall; UConn, Texas 1-2

Kentucky and Vanderbilt made major jumps in The Associated Press women's basketball Top 25 on Monday after four of the top 10 teams lost last week, causing a shakeup in the poll.

This was the first week since the end of November that a new school had entered the top 10 this season.

The first four remained unchanged with UConn still No. 1, receiving 28 first-place votes and No. 2 Texas getting the other four. South Carolina and UCLA followed while Oklahoma moved up to fifth, the Sooners' highest ranking since they were fourth in the final poll of 2009.

Kentucky and Vanderbilt each rose five spots to sixth and seventh, respectively, after each knocking off then-No. 5 LSU in consecutive games. The Wildcats edged LSU 80-78 on a last-second shot.

Vanderbilt has not been in the top 10 since it was seventh on March 12, 2007. Vandy's 65-61 win over LSU on Sunday was its first against a top five team in 17 years.

The Tigers, one of seven unbeaten teams to lose over the last week, plummeted to 12th.

Maryland fell one spot to eighth after losing to Illinois, its first defeat of the season. Michigan dropped two places to ninth after a loss at Washington, which re-entered the Top 25 at No. 23.

There are only four undefeated teams left: UConn, Texas, Vanderbilt and No. 17 Texas Tech.

Unbeaten no more

Besides LSU, Maryland and TCU losing for the first time this season, No. 11 Iowa State, Arizona State, Alabama and Georgia also all suffered their first losses.

Falling Irish

Notre Dame saw its run of 85 consecutive appearances in the Top 25 end after the Irish (10-4) lost to Georgia Tech and Duke last week. It was the third-longest active streak, trailing only UConn (615) and South Carolina (257). Notre Dame had been in the poll every week since Nov. 29, 2021.

Louisville's Jeff Walz and Miami's Tricia Cullop both earned their 500th career victories last week, doing so in back-to-back games against Virginia Tech.

Game of the week

No. 2 Texas at No. 12 LSU, Sunday. The Tigers will have a chance to rebound from the tough week with a game against the Longhorns. A victory would get LSU back in the SEC regular-season title race.

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