In another week of exhilarating action in men's college basketball, the AP Top 25 poll witnessed some major changes as teams shuffled around like kernels in a popcorn maker. Reigning national champion UConn held on to the top spot, while Purdue secured the second position. Let's take a closer look at the key highlights from this week's rankings.

UConn (15-2) maintained their position at number one after receiving 44 first-place votes from a 61-person media panel. Last week, they claimed the top spot for the first time in 15 years. The Huskies began their week with an impressive victory over No. 17 Creighton, with Donovan Clingan making a successful return from a right foot injury. They then narrowly defeated Villanova 66-65 in a physical contest that left coach Dan Hurley comparing the game to jujitsu, Muay Thai, and UFC fighting.

Purdue (16-2) secured the second spot and garnered 17 first-place votes. They dominated their rivals Indiana with an 87-66 triumph and followed it up with a solid 14-point win over Iowa. Purdue's big man, Zach Edey, continued his exceptional form, tallying 33 points and 14 rebounds against Indiana, and 30 points and 18 rebounds against Iowa.

A loss suffered by Kansas shook up the rest of the top five. No. 3 North Carolina (15-3), No. 4 Houston (16-2), and No. 5 Tennessee (14-3) each moved up a spot after sweeping two games apiece last week. Kansas (15-3) dropped four places to No. 7 following a hard-fought 91-85 defeat to West Virginia, which ended their six-game winning streak in the series.

North Carolina, coming off a disappointing season where they missed the NCAA Tournament, has shown tremendous resilience. Ranked No. 19 in the preseason, they have steadily climbed to No. 3 after winning eight consecutive games, including all seven of their Atlantic Coast Conference matchups. In their latest victories, the Tar Heels defeated Louisville 86-70 and overcame Boston College 76-66.

The rankings also witnessed significant changes lower down. Memphis (13-5) suffered the biggest drop, falling nine places to No. 19 following losses to South Florida and Tulane. Baylor (15-4) tumbled six spots to No. 15 after defeats against Kansas State and Texas. No. 12 Duke (13-4) slipped five places after their 80-76 loss to Pittsburgh.

On the positive side, No. 16 Dayton (14-2) made the biggest upward move, climbing six places after victories over Saint Louis and Rhode Island. No. 8 Auburn (15-3) and No. 20 Texas Tech (14-6) also advanced five spots in the rankings.

Two teams returned to the poll this week. No. 24 Colorado State (15-2) re-entered the rankings after wins over Air Force and UNLV, while No. 25 New Mexico (15-3) earned their first ranking since January 2021 after defeating No. 18 Utah State and Air Force.

In conference breakdown, the Big 12 continued to lead the nation with seven ranked teams despite Kansas State dropping out. The Big East, Southeastern, Big Ten, and Mountain West conferences all boasted three ranked teams. The Atlantic Coast and American Athletic conferences had two ranked teams each, while the Pac-12 and Atlantic-10 had one ranked team each.

As we head into the next round of thrilling college basketball showdowns, the rankings reflect the fierce competition and unpredictability that make the sport so captivating. Fans can certainly look forward to more exhilarating games in the coming weeks as teams battle for conference supremacy and tournament berths.