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Houston and Texas stay firmly entrenched atop The Related Press males’s school basketball ballot, whereas preseason No. 1 North Carolina has dropped out fully after a fourth straight loss.
The Cougars earned 37 of 62 first-place votes in Monday’s ballot, extending this system’s first keep at No. 1 because the “Phi Slama Jama” days within the Nineteen Eighties for one more week. Houston (8-0) beat Norfolk State and Saint Mary’s in its first week on the prime.
“I do not dwell on it,” coach Kelvin Sampson stated final week in regards to the No. 1 rating. “We’re not working round right here pushing our chest out, considering we’re one thing we’re not.”
The Longhorns obtained 14 first-place votes. No. 3 Virginia bought three votes and No. 4 Purdue bought the remaining eight.
UConn (9-0) climbed to No. 5, this system’s highest rating since early within the 2011-12 season. Aside from the highest 5, there are three different groups within the AP Prime 25 that entered Monday undefeated (No. 11 Auburn, No. 13 Maryland and No. 23 Mississippi State).
SWIFT FALL
North Carolina is barely the sixth staff to go from preseason No. 1 to unranked since a minimum of the 1961-62 season, most just lately with Michigan State through the 2019-20 season.
Of that group, the Tar Heels had the swiftest exit from the ballot to begin the season (4 weeks) aside from UCLA in 1965-66. The Bruins fell out of the ballot after simply three weeks again when solely 10 groups had been ranked.
Ranked No. 18 final week, the Tar Heels (5-4) misplaced their fourth straight sport over the weekend at Virginia Tech whereas taking part in with out banged-up massive man Armando Bacot. They appeared on a single poll this week from the 62-member panel that votes on the AP Prime 25.
“I advised them additionally that I am not panicked, I am not any of that,” coach Hubert Davis stated afterward. “I am satisfied we’ll be an incredible basketball staff by the top of the season.”
Final 12 months’s Tar Heels had been on the bubble to even make the NCAA match nicely into February in Davis’ debut season. They went on a final-month tear all the way in which to the NCAA championship sport earlier than falling to Kansas.
THE TOP TIER
Kansas climbed to No. 6, adopted by three Southeastern Convention groups in Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas. For the Volunteers and Crimson Tide, it marked their first appearances inside the highest 10 this 12 months. Arizona rounded out the highest 10, falling six spots after a loss at Utah.
RISING
No. 13 Maryland had the most important soar of the week, vaulting 9 spots after wins towards Louisville and Illinois final week within the Terrapins’ first 12 months beneath Kevin Willard. That marks this system’s highest rating since pushing into the highest 10 through the 2019-20 season.
Tennessee was subsequent up with a six-spot climb, whereas No. 11 Auburn rose 4 spots.
In all, 13 groups climbed from final week.
SLIDING
Creighton had the week’s largest fall, tumbling 14 spots to No. 21 after shedding at Texas and at house to Nebraska final week.
No. 12 Baylor fell six spots after a loss to Marquette, although the Bears responded by beating Gonzaga on Friday in a rematch of the 2021 NCAA championship sport received by Baylor.
The Zags, now No. 18, fell 4 spots to their lowest rating since checking in at No. 20 on Christmas Day in 2017.
In all, 4 groups slid from final week.
STATUS QUO
Past the highest three, No. 25 Ohio State remained in place after a troublesome loss at No. 15 Duke final week.
WELCOME
No. 23 Mississippi State and No. 24 TCU had been the brand new additions to the ballot, with the Bulldogs (8-0) incomes their first AP Prime 25 rating beneath first-year coach Chris Jans since January 2019.
The Horned Frogs had been ranked 14th and fifteenth, respectively, within the first two polls earlier than falling out for 2 weeks.
FAREWELL (FOR NOW)
Along with UNC, Michigan State (No. 20) fell out after losses to Notre Dame and Northwestern.
CONFERENCE WATCH
The SEC led the way in which with six ranked groups, together with No. 16 Kentucky. The Huge Ten and Huge 12 every had 5 ranked groups, adopted by two every for the Atlantic Coast, Pac-12 and Huge East conferences.
The American Athletic, West Coast and Mountain West conferences every had one.
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