Undefeated Gonzaga still atop AP poll after wild hoops week

By Jim O’Connell

Associated Press

Gonzaga is No. 1 for a second straight week in The Associated Press college basketball poll following a week in which all but four of the top 10 teams lost at least one game.

The Bulldogs (24-0), the only remaining unbeaten team in Division I, received 59 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel on Monday. Villanova (22-2) moved from fourth to second after receiving the other six No. 1 votes.

Kansas, which saw its 51-game winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse end over the weekend, held at third while Louisville jumped from sixth to fourth.

Oregon, coming off its impressive win over Arizona, went from 13th to fifth. Baylor, which lost twice last week, dropped from second to sixth.

Wisconsin was seventh followed by North Carolina, Arizona and UCLA.

Xavier and SMU are the week’s newcomers, replacing Notre Dame and Northwestern.

Cincinnati, riding a 14-game winning streak, went from 14th to No. 11 and was followed by Virginia, West Virginia, Florida State, Kentucky, Purdue, Florida, Duke, South Carolina and Saint Mary’s.

The last five ranked teams are Maryland, Butler, Creighton, Xavier and SMU.

Xavier returned to the poll after being out for one week. The Musketeers (17-6), who dropped out after losing four of five games, have won three straight.

SMU (20-4) is ranked for the first time this season. The Mustangs, who were ranked for all but one week last season, have won six straight and 16 of their last 17.

Notre Dame (17-7) was ranked for the last nine weeks, reaching as high as 14th, but the Fighting Irish dropped out from 20th after losing five of their last six.

Northwestern (18-5) lost to Purdue in its only game last week and fell from 25th after one week in the poll.

There are six double-ranked games this week: No. 4 Louisville is at No. 12 Virginia on Monday; No. 5 Oregon is at No. 10 UCLA and No. 8 North Carolina visits No. 18 Duke on Thursday; No. 1 Gonzaga visits No. 20 Saint Mary’s and No. 2 Villanova is at No. 24 Xavier on Saturday; and No. 11 Cincinnati is at No. 25 SMU on Sunday.