Villanova stays atop men’s AP Top 25, but No. 2 Virginia gets closer after beating Duke; Kentucky is back in

Villanova remained No. 1 in the AP Top 25, while Virginia, winner of 12 straight, remained at No. 2.

Purdue, Duke and Michigan State round out the top five.

Arizona, which was once as high as No. 2 before falling out of the poll, is now ranked No. 9.

Defending NCAA champion North Carolina fell to No. 19, while Kentucky re-entered the poll at No. 21 after winning at West Virginia, which fell to No. 15.

Dan Hurley and Rhode Island are up to No. 22 after posting a 9-0 start in the Atlantic 10.

AP POLL ALERT: Villanova stays atop men’s AP Top 25, but No. 2 Virginia gets closer after beating Duke; North Carolina down to 19 and West Virginia drops to 15. And Kentucky is back in. Full poll: https://t.co/nw0logXyjJ pic.twitter.com/VPlKLw4g4d
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) January 29, 2018

Written by Adam Zagoria

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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.