Coach Dino Gaudio knew his Wake Forest team probably would move to No. 1 after becoming NCAA Division I’s only unbeaten team.
“I told the team when we got off the bus on Saturday, ‘If you guys are happy being No. 1 on Jan. 19, then you’re not the team I think you are,”’ Gaudio said Monday. “All we care worry about is getting better. There is tremendous room for improvement with these lads.”
Not as far as national ranking goes.
The Demon Deacons (16-0) beat Clemson 78-68 on Saturday, then top-ranked Pittsburgh lost 69-63 at Louisville hours later to set up Wake Forest’s jump from No. 2.
Wake Forest received all but four first-place votes from the 72-member national media panel. The Demon Deacons are No. 1 for the first time since a two-week run in November 2004, when they had Chris Paul at point guard.
“It was a very tough week with three games in seven days to start league play. It was incredibly challenging,” Gaudio said, referring to wins over North Carolina, Boston College and Clemson, the last two on the road. “Our defense carried us through the three games. The kids are buying into it and if we continue to do that, we’ll be in games to the end with a chance to win.”
Duke (16-1) received the other four first-place votes and moved up one place to second. Connecticut (16-1), which beat St. John’s and Seton Hall last week, moved from second to third, followed by Pittsburgh.
Gonzaga re-entered the rankings this week at No. 23. The Zags (12-4) have won four straight after losing four of five, a stretch that included losses to Arizona, Connecticut, Portland State and Utah. The Bulldogs were out of the poll the past two weeks after climbing as high as fourth.
Here is the complete poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote:
1. Wake Forest (68), 1,793
2. Duke (4), 1,721
3. Connecticut, 1,590
4. Pittsburgh, 1,569
5. North Carolina, 1,510
6. Oklahoma, 1,498
7. Michigan St., 1,394
8. Syracuse, 1,146
9. Louisville, 1,090
10. Clemson, 1,043
11. Marquette, 1,003
12. Georgetown, 979
13. UCLA, 897
14. Texas, 858
15. Xavier, 848
16. Butler, 726
17. Arizona St., 671
18. Purdue, 553
19. Notre Dame, 469
20. Villanova, 353
21. Minnesota, 298
22. Memphis, 208
23. Gonzaga, 201
24. Florida, 175
25. Illinois, 159
Others receiving votes: Baylor 148, Saint Mary’s, Calif. 137, Kentucky 105, California 82, Florida St. 34, Kansas 23, Ohio St. 20, Davidson 14, Missouri 14, Tennessee 14, Utah St. 12, Washington 12, Miami 8, West Virginia 8, Arkansas 6, Michigan 5, Dayton 4, George Mason 1, LSU 1.
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