A slew of holiday tournaments throughout the men’s college basketball landscape produced wholesale changes in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, including a new No. 1.
Houston takes over the top spot for the first time since USA TODAY Sports started administering the coaches poll in the 1991-92 season. The Cougars, who were second last week, have 23 of 32 first-place votes and inherit the top spot in the wake of a pair of losses by North Carolina. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, tumble all the way to 15th, a precipitous decline for a No. 1 team.
Texas climbs a couple of notches to No.