Houston, Alabama remain atop AP Top 25 men's basketball poll

The top five spots in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll remained the same. The rest of the AP Top 25 was a big jumble.

Houston was No. 1 for the second straight week in the poll released Monday, receiving 49 first-place votes from a 62-person media panel. No. 2 Alabama had five first-place votes and No. 3 Kansas received eight.

UCLA and Purdue rounded out the top five. The Boilermakers held at No. 5 despite losing to No. 15 Indiana.

First-place votes in parentheses.

In the rest of the poll, only No. 20 Providence kept the same position from last week as teams get ready for conference tournaments next week and the start of March Madness.

Alabama held its spot after winning two games despite a challenging week off the court. Brandon Miller had a pair of huge games since police alleged that he brought a gun to former teammate Darius Miles, who is charged with capital murder in a fatal shooting.

Against Arkansas on Saturday, Miller's regular pregame introduction with a Crimson Tide staffer giving him a pat down didn't sit well with coach Nate Oats — or anyone else.

«I can assure you it definitely will not happen again the remainder of this year,» Oats said.

Miller had 24 points in the 86-83 win over the Razorbacks after scoring 41 in a two-point win over South Carolina.

SOARING EAGLES

Marquette has made a quick rise under coach Shaka Smart.

The Golden Eagles wrapped up a share of their first Big East regular-season title in a decade with a 90-84 win over DePaul on Saturday and climbed four spots in this week's poll to No. 6. It is Marquette's highest ranking hitting No. 1 in 1977-78.

HOUSTON ON TOP

Houston moved into the top spot last week and held onto it after a pair of routs last week. The Cougars'