Kansas takes over No. 1 ranking in AP poll
By JACOB POLACHECK The Kansas Jayhawks are the
Duke, which now has four freshmen projected
Zion Williamson and Duke remained No. 1
Villanova is back atop The Associated Press’s men’s basketball poll after last week’s No. 1 team, Baylor, finally suffered a loss at West Virginia.
The Wildcats (17-1) sat at the pinnacle of the AP list in every poll released since Dec. 5, excluding last week.
Despite getting the top nod this week, with a total of 1,580 points, Villanova received the second most first-place votes with 28. Kansas (16-1) took home the most first-place votes with 32. UCLA with three, and Gonzaga with two were the only other teams to receive first-place votes.
Currently in the middle of Big East play, Villanova will face Seton Hall at home Monday night in hopes to affirm their spot as the nation’s top basketball team.
(AP) — Duke is in a familiar place to open the college basketball season.
The Blue Devils are the runaway choice for No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 on Monday. It is the eighth time Duke has held the preseason No. 1 ranking. North Carolina has the most preseason No. 1s with nine and UCLA also has eight.
Duke was also the No. 1 pick in the USA Today/Coaches’ Poll.
The Blue Devils, who return three starters from last season’s team and have what is considered one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, received 58 of the 65 first-place votes from the national media panel.
Kentucky, which had two No. 1 votes, is second, while Kansas is third. Defending national champion Villanova had four first-place votes and was fourth while Oregon, which had the other No. 1 vote, is fifth.
