FAYETTEVILLE — For the first time since the 1994-95 season, Arkansas basketball is in the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25.
The Razorbacks rose four spots to No. 8 in the poll, which was released Monday.
For Eric Musselman, Arkansas’ second-year coach, it is the second time in the last three seasons a team under his direction has won its way into the AP top 10. In 2018-19, Nevada was ranked in the top 10 for 16 weeks and as high as No. 5.
The Razorbacks (21-5) closed the regular season by winning 11 consecutive SEC games and 11 of 12 overall. Their last conference loss came Jan. 16 at Alabama.
Arkansas wrapped up SEC play at 13-4 after a 2-4 start and will be the No. 2 seed in this week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. The Razorbacks were projected to finish sixth in the league in the preseason.
Arkansas’ first game in Nashville is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. against the winner of 7-seed Missouri and 10-seed Georgia. The Razorbacks split the season series with the Tigers, each team winning on the other’s home floor, and defeated the Bulldogs 99-69 in Fayetteville on Jan. 9.
Alabama (6) is the only other SEC team in this week’s AP poll.
This week's AP Top 25
1 Gonzaga (61)
2 Baylor (2)
3 Illinois
4 Michigan
5 Iowa
6 Alabama
7 Houston
8 Arkansas
9 Ohio State
10 West Virginia
11 Kansas
12 Oklahoma State
13 Texas
14 Villanova
15 Florida State
16 Virginia
17 Creighton
18 Loyola-Chicago
19 San Diego State
T-20 Texas Tech
T-20 Purdue
22 Virginia Tech
23 Colorado
24 Southern California
25 Oklahoma