In the latest college basketball AP Poll, Duke (23-2) returned to the #1 ranking after an impressive victory over Virginia (22-2), coupled with top-seeded Tennessee being upset by #5 Kentucky over the weekend.
Gonzaga (25-2) moved into the #2 spot, Virginia moved up a spot despite the loss to Duke, Kentucky moved into #4 and Tennessee (23-2) dropped to #5 overall.
NEW AP POLL – TOP 10
1. Duke 23-2
2. Gonzaga 25-2
3. Virginia 22-2
4. Kentucky 21-4
5. Tennessee 23-2
6. Nevada 24-1 7
7. Michigan 23-3
8. North Carolina 20-5
9. Houston 25-1
10. Michigan St. 21-5
The Nevada Wolfpack (24-1) are one of two teams with a single loss in the Top 10. They inched a spot closer to the Top 5 and currently hold down the #6 ranking. The Houston Cougars (25-1) continue their winning ways, yet remained unchanged at #9.
Duke Back in the Saddle
Duke won nine straight and 18 out of their last 19 games. One of their biggest wins of the season occurred last week when #2 Duke earned an easy win over the top team in the ACC with a 10-point victory over #3 Virginia. Freshman RJ Barrett led all scorers with 26 points. Zion Williamson added 18 points including another rim-rattling dunk.
Through 16 weeks of polling in college hoops. Duke has been #1 for at least seven of them. The initially lost the top spot during Christmas break during a loss to Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational.
Duke’s only other loss happened when Syracuse picked them off at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke was not playing with a full squad that game and lost in overtime. The game also included a stunning 3/4 court buzzer beater heading into halftime.
Tennessee Slide
The Vols held the top spot for four weeks before they lost it all in one game. Over the weekend, they faced the Kentucky Wildcats for the first of meetings in SEC action. PJ Washington led UK to a cakewalk victory with a 17-point drubbing.
The win propelled Kentucky into the #4 spot. Everyone else moved up by default, while Tennessee tumbled to #5 despite only having two losses.
Kentucky lost earlier in the week to LSU on a controversial buzzer beater, but bounced back with an impressive victory against the top team in the nation. The win also locked up the top spot in the poll for Duke.
On Deck: Heels and Cuse Rematch
One of the most exciting rivalries in college basketball happens this week. Duke vs. North Carolina. Who cares is UNC is #8 in the country and Duke is #1? These two intrastate rivals want to beat the snot out of each other no matter what. This will be the first of two regular season meetings. Duke hosts UNC this time in Durham, while their final game of the season is in Chapel Hill.
A win for Duke will help keep their top ranking. Meanwhile, a victory for Roy Williams and UNC could mean the Heels would inch closer to the Top 5.
Duke also heads north to Syracuse, New York for a revenge game. In mid-January, unranked Syracuse picked off #1 Duke in overtime. Tyus Battle dropped 32 on Duke.
In the first meeting, Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett combined for 58 points, while the rest of the team struggled against the zone.