AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns men’s and women’s basketball teams are going in different directions in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings.
The latest polls released Monday put the men’s team ranked No. 4 in the country, up seven spots from No. 11 last week, and the women’s team down 16 spots to No. 19.
For the men’s team, they notched a signature win in their third game of the year Nov. 16 with a 93-74 blowout win over then-No. 2 Gonzaga at the Moody Center. They are 3-0 after the first week of the season and take on Northern Arizona on Monday in Edinburg, part of the Leon Black Classic. The Longhorns come back home Saturday, but not their main home. They’ll try to pack as many people as possible inside Gregory Gym for a game against UTRGV.
Another top-10 showdown at Moody Center is set for Dec. 1 when the Longhorns take on No. 10 Creighton.
North Carolina stayed at No. 1 in the men’s rankings. Houston, Kansas and Virginia round out the top five.
The situation the women’s team is in, falling from No. 3 to 19, doesn’t exactly explain how their season has gone early in the year. Yes, they are 1-3 and lost to unranked Marquette at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in The Bahamas on Saturday, and then dropped a game to then-No. 6 Louisville at the same tournament, but they’re down a key player. Sophomore point guard Rori Harmon, who was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year last year, has been out with a foot injury to start the year and it’s unclear when she’ll be able to take the floor this year.
The women’s team has a chance to get back on the right track with their finale in The Bahamas on Monday against Rutgers.
South Carolina stayed at the top of the women’s rankings after a 76-71 win over No. 2 Stanford. Connecticut, who beat Texas at home Nov. 14, is No. 3. Ohio State and Iowa State round out the top five in the women’s rankings
