For the first time this season, Auburn men’s basketball is ranked in the Associated Press top 25 poll, slotting in at No. 25 in the New Year’s Day edition.

Auburn has received votes in all but one of the nine rankings so far this season — the only exception being the poll released directly after Auburn’s loss to Appalachian State. Auburn had hovered on the edge of the top 25 rankings during its current five-game winning streak, frequently being among the top two teams outside of the poll.

The exclusion of Auburn after wins over Indiana and USC during the five-game streak drew significant criticism. Auburn received votes as high as No. 13 during the win streak, but didn’t crack the poll before New Year’s Day.

This week, after beating Chattanooga 101-66 on Saturday, Auburn had enough votes to get into the rankings. Auburn’s highest vote in the poll this week came from Stefan Krajisnik of the Clarion Ledger, who ranked the Tigers at No. 7. Auburn was left off 31 ballots.

This is the first time Auburn has been ranked since Jan. 30, 2023. Auburn was ranked No. 25 in that poll, too.

Auburn will host Penn at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Auburn. It will then begin SEC play at 1 p.m. Saturday on the road against Arkansas.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]