One of Auburn basketball's upcoming opponents took a major hit in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll after suffering a season-opening loss.
The Wildcats dropped from No. 4 to No. 11 in this week's coaches poll after losing to old PAC-12 rival UCLA in Las Vegas on Nov. 2. Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov scored 38 points and secured 10 rebounds in the game, but the Wildcats could not bounce back from their 43-29 halftime deficit.
The Wildcats rebounded by defeating Cal Poly, 104-84, on Nov. 6, and will face Northern Arizona on Tuesday before it travels East to Auburn for Friday's showdown in Neville Arena.
The SEC has six representatives in this week's coaches poll. The Florida Gators take the top spot for the second week in a row, with Texas
and Tennessee in the top 10 at No. 7 and No. 9, respectively. Alabama is next at No. 16, with Vanderbilt and Arkansas rounding out the top 20 at No. 19 and No. 20. Kentucky, which was No. 23 in the preseason poll, has fallen out of the top 25 and joins LSU and Missouri in the "receiving votes" category.
Auburn did not receive votes in this week's ranking, but a strong showing against Arizona on Friday could lead to votes in next week's poll.
USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Week 2
Schools Dropped Out
No. 23 Kentucky; No. 24 Purdue;
Others Receiving Votes
Kentucky 101; Memphis 34; Saint Louis 23; Purdue 12; Indiana 12; Texas A&M 11; Baylor 9; North Carolina 6; Marquette 6; West Virginia 5; Missouri 4; LSU 3; Wisconsin 1; Villanova 1; Nevada 1;
Taylor Jones is the lead writer for Auburn Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky. FollowAuburn Wire on X andFacebook.
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Arizona slides in USA TODAY Coaches Poll before showdown at Auburn
