Auburn flies to No. 1 in AP Top 25 for first time in history

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War Eagle is flying high over men's college basketball for the first time in history.

A barely ranked afterthought to begin the season, Auburn climbed past Gonzaga to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll released Monday. The Tigers beat Kentucky over the weekend for their 15th consecutive win, then scooped up 45 of 61 first-place votes to become the nation's top-ranked team for the first time since the poll began with the 1948-49 season.

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The Bulldogs dropped to No. 2 with 15 first-place votes. Arizona remained third and earned the other No. 1 vote.

"The No. 1 ranking matters because it's historical," Tigers coach Bruce Pearl said Monday. "I'm very happy for Auburn. I'm very happy for my coaches and or players to have been able to achieve that. That said, we got a lot of work to do."

This week alone, it includes a trip to Missouri on Tuesday night and a showdown with Oklahoma on Saturday.

The Tigers (18-1, 15-0 SEC) spent most of the 1999-2000 season ranked in the top 10, including one week at No. 2. They also spent a week at No. 2 late in the 1998-99 season and another week at No. 2 back in February 1959.

But being No. 1? That's a whole new experience. The Tigers are the fifth team to reach that spot this season, following two stints by the Bulldogs and runs by Duke, Purdue and defending national champion Baylor.

It's not new for Pearl, though. He led Tennessee to the No. 1 spot during the 2007-08 season.

"I don't know that I could draw differences between the other teams," he said. "What I can tell you I like more is how much they enjoy playing with each other, and how close they are off the court.