FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball fell five spots in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll after a 1-1 week that included a home loss to Kentucky.
The Razorbacks (16-6, 6-3 SEC) are ranked No. 21 in the poll that was released on Monday, Feb. 2. John Calipari's squad rallied for a midweek win over Oklahoma before suffering their first defeat inside Bud Walton Arena against the Wildcats.
Darius Acuff Jr. led the way for Arkansas, averaging 21.5 points and 6.5 assists across the two games. He scored 21 and provided the game-winning layup against the Sooners.
However, Arkansas shot 5 for 31 on 3-pointers and struggled at the free-throw line during the week. John Calipari said his team got "out-toughed" in the loss to Kentucky.
The other ranked SEC teams this week are No. 15 Vanderbilt, No. 16 Florida and No. 25 Texas A&M. The Hogs will face the Gators and Crimson Tide later this month.
Arizona (22-0) kept hold of its grip on the top spot. Michigan, UConn, Duke and Gonzaga round out the top five.
Three of Arkansas' six losses this season came to No. 3 Duke, No. 8 Houston and No. 10 Michigan State. The Razorbacks have ranked wins over No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 23 Louisville.
The Razorbacks return to action on Saturday, Feb. 7 with a road trip to Mississippi State.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball ranking latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll