The seventh USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 coaches poll, released Monday, is showing the sort of stability you might expect from one of the last weeks of preconference basketball. The top five show no movement from last week as Duke once again retains the top spot it has held since the preseason, and Kansas held on to its No. 3 ranking after edging out USC at home this past weekend.
NCAA Basketball Rankings: Duke Remains No. 1, Tennessee Drops In USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25
The rest of the names of the top 25 should seem familiar, as only one team, UNLV, dropped out from last week’s rankings, with Texas A&M filling the void.
A lesson that can be taken from this week’s poll, though, is not to lose to mid-majors you are heavily favored against. Illinois dropped all the way from No. 14 to No. 21 after their loss to UIC, and Tennessee fell all the way from No. 7 to No. 18 after back-to-back losses to Oakland and Charlotte. As conference play picks up, look for even more movement in future polls.
The complete USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 coaches poll:
- Duke (31)
- Ohio State
- Kansas
- Connecticut
- Syracuse
- Pittsburgh
- San Diego State
- Villanova
- Georgetown
- Missouri
- Kansas State
- Michigan State
- Purdue
- Kentucky
- Baylor
- Minnesota
- Memphis
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Notre Dame
- Illinois
- Texas
- Brigham Young
- Texas A&M
- Louisville
Dropped out: No. 22 UNLV (10-2).
Others receiving votes: Central Florida 47; Wisconsin 39; UNLV 32; West Virginia 32; Washington 27; Northwestern 21; Temple 20; Vanderbilt 15; New Mexico 13; Wichita State 5; Oklahoma State 4; Old Dominion 3; Saint Mary’s 3; Washington State 2; Cincinnati 1; Richmond 1.
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