For the first time since the Ralph Sampson days — Dec. 21, 1982 to be exact — the Virginia Cavaliers are No. 1 in the AP Poll. The Cavaliers jumped into the top spot despite an overtime loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday, earning 30 first-place votes. Michigan State came in second, followed by Villanova in third. Xavier and Cincinnati round out this week’s top five.
NCAA basketball rankings 2018: Virginia No. 1 for the first time since 1982
Despite an overtime loss, the Cavaliers take the top spot for the first time in over 35 years.
Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Purdue dropped three spots to No. 6 after back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Michigan State. Texas Tech stayed steady at No. 7, Ohio State jumped six spots to No. 8, and Gonzaga’s win over St. Mary’s moved them into the top 10 at No. 9. Auburn suffered a loss to Texas A&M, dropping them two spots to No. 10.
Kentucky dropped out of the rankings for the second time this season after losing three straight games to Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas A&M.
The ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 all had four teams represented in this week’s poll. Check out the full rankings below:
AP Poll Week 15
Rank | Team | Record | Conference | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 23-2 | ACC | 2 |
| 2 | Michigan State | 24-3 | Big Ten | 4 |
| 3 | Villanova | 23-2 | Big East | 1 |
| 4 | Xavier | 23-3 | Big East | 5 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | 23-2 | AAC | 6 |
| 6 | Purdue | 23-4 | Big Ten | 3 |
| 7 | Texas Tech | 21-4 | Big 12 | 7 |
| 8 | Ohio State | 22-5 | Big Ten | 14 |
| 9 | Gonzaga | 23-4 | West Coast | 12 |
| 10 | Auburn | 22-3 | SEC | 8 |
| 11 | Clemson | 20-4 | ACC | 16 |
| 12 | Duke | 20-5 | ACC | 9 |
| 13 | Kansas | 19-6 | Big 12 | 10 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 19-7 | ACC | 21 |
| 15 | Saint Mary's | 24-3 | West Coast | 11 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 20-3 | A-10 | 18 |
| 17 | Arizona | 20-6 | Pac-12 | 13 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 18-6 | SEC | 15 |
| 19 | Wichita State | 19-5 | AAC | 22 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 18-7 | Big 12 | 19 |
| 21 | Texas A&M | 17-8 | SEC | NR |
| 22 | Michigan | 19-6 | Big Ten | 20 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | 16-8 | Big 12 | 17 |
| 24 | Nevada | 21-5 | Mountain West | 23 |
| 25 | Arizona State | 19-6 | Pac-12 | NR |
See More:
