UCLA was the biggest mover in the newest Associated Press Top 25 poll after upsetting No. 14 Gonzaga 65-62 on Saturday night.
The Bruins climbed from 22nd to 15th by running their record to 11-2.
For the most part, it was an uneventful holiday week in men's basketball and the rankings reflect that with only nine teams shifting around from Week 8.
Week 9 AP Top 25 Poll
1. Tennessee
2. Auburn
3. Iowa State
4. Duke
5. Alabama
6. Florida
7. Kansas
8. Marquette
9. Oregon
10. Kentucky
11. UConn
12. Oklahoma
13. Texas A&M
14. Houston
15. UCLA
16. Cincinnati
17. Mississippi State
18. Michigan State
19. Gonzaga
20. Purdue
21. Memphis
22. Illinois
23. Arkansas
24. Ole Miss
25. Baylor
UCLA vs. Gonzaga was the only encounter pitting Top 25 teams against one another and it didn't disappoint.
Senior guard Ryan Nembhard gave the Zags a two-point lead with just under a minute remaining before UCLA guard Sebastian Mack scored inside though contact and hit his ensuing free throw with 33.4 seconds on the clock.
After Bruins guard Skyy Clark sank two more free throws, Nembhard had an opportunity to tie the game with 8.4 seconds remaining. He laid the ball in while drawing a foul on Mack but hit the front rim on the resulting foul shot.
Capping off his tough finish to the game, Nembhard chucked up a prayer from beyond half court despite more than three seconds being on the clock. He had more time to advance ball and get a better look.
Nembhard said after the game he thought UCLA was preparing to foul forward Ben Gregg, and that would've denied Gonzaga the chance to force overtime.
The Zags paid a steep cost for their loss with so few other upsets, falling to 19th in the newest AP poll.
Ole Miss' 87-70 lopsided loss at the hands of Memphis was the other notable outcome from last week, which catapulted the Tigers up into the Top 25 at No. 21.
Fans have been on a roller-coaster ride ever since Penny Hardaway returned to his alma mater in 2018, so they're probably still cautiously optimistic with the team reeling off 10 wins through its first 13 games.
At the risk of falling into the same trap again, this might be the year everything clicks into gear for Memphis.
Senior guard Colby Rogers dropped 28 points on Ole Miss, while senior center Moussa Cisse had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds against his old team. Senior forward Dain Dainja came off the bench to chip in 16 points toward the Tigers' offensive effort.
You can't totally overlook the losses to Arkansas State and Mississippi State, but Memphis has made some strong statements on the court in nonconference play.
Speaking of nonconference play, that's firmly in the rear-view mirror for a lot of teams now with conference clashes becoming the order of the day. The coming week will feature a handful of big games.
Oregon hosts Illinois on Thursday in a highly anticipated Big Ten battle. Saturday will see four Top 25 matchups (Florida vs. Kentucky; Arkansas vs. Tennessee; Baylor vs. Iowa State; Oklahoma vs. Alabama) between conference foes.
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