The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference both have arguments to be considered the top league in women’s basketball.

Each has seven teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll Monday, including four apiece in the first 10. Both leagues have been bolstered this season by conference realignment, with No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 USC joining the Big Ten while No. 5 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma are new to the SEC.

UCLA was once again the top choice in the poll after receiving 30 of 32 first-place votes from a national media panel. The Bruins have been the solid No. 1 team since knocking off former top team South Carolina in late November. The Gamecocks, who remained No. 2, host No. 5 Texas on Sunday.

Notre Dame remained third, garnering the other two first place votes, taking one away from the Gamecocks.

LSU and UConn were next after the Longhorns. Undefeated Maryland was eighth with Ohio State moving up one spot to ninth after Oklahoma split a pair of games with Texas and then-No. 15 Tennessee.

Gophers’ McKinney is freshman of the week

Minnesota women’s freshman Tori McKinney was named the Big Ten’s freshman of the week on Monday.

On Sunday, she scored 11 points in the fourth to help the Gophers rally to beat Illinois.

A native of Minnetonka, Minn., McKinney has scored double digits in nine of her last 11 games, including a career-high 25 points against Penn State on Dec. 28. She’s started the last 11 games and is averaging 12.6 points per game during that stretch.

McKinney is the first Minnesota women’s player to receive the award since Grace Grocholski in February 2024.

The Gophers host Rutgers on Wednesday.

Volunteers are last DI men’s unbeaten

Tennessee tightened its grip on No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Monday following a pair of lopsided wins, including one over SEC rival Arkansas, that left the Volunteers as the only undefeated team in men’s Division I college basketball.

The Vols picked up four more first-place votes and had 45 of 60 from the national panel to remain atop the poll for the fifth straight week. Auburn earned the other 15 first-place nods and stayed at No. 2, while Iowa State, Duke and Alabama rounded out a top five that was unchanged following the first week of conference play for many leagues around the country.

Tennessee improved to 14-0 after beating Norfolk State and a 76-52 rout of the then-No. 23 Razorbacks, tying the third-longest winning streak in school history. And when Florida lost a shootout to Kentucky and Oklahoma was blown out by the Crimson Tide, it left the Volunteers as the only team in men’s major college hoops without a blemish.

“They’re the No. 1 team in the country for a reason,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said, “and my disappointment wasn’t coming to Tennessee and losing a game. It was that they kind of manhandled us.”

Monday’s games

Wisconsin 75, Rutgers 63 >> John Blackwell scored 21, Steven Crowl totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds and Wisconsin defeated Rutgers

Blackwell made 8 of 15 shots with a 3-pointer and all four of his free throws as the Badgers (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten Conference) upped their win streak to four.

Crowl hit 8 of 11 shots with two 3-pointers on the way to his first double-double of the season.

John Tonje added 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks for Wisconsin.

Tyson Acuff scored 17 off the bench to lead the Scarlet Knights (8-7, 1-3), who lost for the 1st time in 7 home games.

Blackwell had 13 points and Crowl scored 12 to help Wisconsin take a 43-34 lead into halftime. The Badgers scored the first six points and led by as many as 16 before the break.

Houston 65, Texas Christian 46 >> Emanuel Sharp scored 14 points, J’Wan Roberts added 12 and No. 12 Houston beat TCU for its seventh straight win.

L.J Cryer had 10 points for Houston (11-3, 3-0 Big 12), which shot 48% and went 8 of 19 on 3-pointers. The Cougars won their 31st consecutive home game.

Noah Reynolds scored 19 points and Vasean Allette added 11 for TCU (8-6, 1-2).