Gonzaga and UCLA proceed their maintain on the highest two spots within the AP Prime 25 school basketball ballot, setting the stage for his or her extremely anticipated showdown.
SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga and UCLA continued their maintain on the highest two spots in The Related Press Prime 25 school basketball ballot on Monday, setting the stage for his or her extremely anticipated showdown this week, whereas Purdue and Duke barged their manner into the highest 5.
The Bulldogs (4-0) had a straightforward week with wins over Alcorn State and Bellarmine and obtained 55 first-place votes from the 61-person medial panel that recurrently covers school basketball. The Bruins (4-0) obtained 5 first-place votes after blowing out Lengthy Seaside State and North Florida final week to go to Las Vegas with some momentum.
Gonzaga performed Central Michigan and UCLA confronted Bellarmine on Monday night time within the Good Sam Empire Basic. Then, the nation’s prime two groups will sq. off Tuesday night time in a Remaining 4 rematch of a sport gained by the Bulldogs in additional time.
SUBSCRIBE to Locked On Zags, your day by day podcast for all issues Gonzaga basketball
Click on right here to seek out the day by day Locked On podcast on your college or convention
“It is essential for everyone if you wish to make the NCAA Match,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few stated. “If you wish to accrue a excessive seed, it’s important to play actually, actually good groups. I believe it is essential for school basketball.”
Purdue obtained the one different first-place vote and leapfrogged Kansas into third within the Prime 25 following the Boilermakers’ win over then-No. 5 Villanova within the Corridor of Fame Tip-Off event. The Jayhawks have been fourth and the Blue Devils have been fifth.
Defending nationwide champion Baylor jumped to sixth after operating roughshod over Central Arkansas and Stanford, whereas the Wildcats dropped solely to seventh because of beating then-No. 12 Tennessee earlier than dropping to Purdue. Texas and Memphis have been subsequent, with Kentucky and Alabama in a tie for tenth within the second regular-season ballot of the season.
The Wildcats and Crimson Tide have been adopted by Houston, Arkansas, Illinois and Tennessee at No. 15.
St. Bonaventure solidified its standing as this season’s early mid-major darling by leaping six spots to No. 16 following wins over Clemson and Marquette. Arizona made the most important leap into the ballot at No. 17 after beating Wichita State and romping previous then-No. 4 Michigan within the Roman Important Occasion, adopted by one other newcomer to the ballot in BYU.
“We obtained good gamers,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd stated. “I do know we’ve been out of the limelight; perhaps somewhat little bit of that’s my fault as a result of I haven’t been searching for it. However you understand what? We’re right here now. And we belong.”
Auburn and Michigan rounded out the highest 20 with Seton Corridor, UConn, Florida, USC and Xavier finishing the ballot.
“That is the place we’re as a program,” stated Seton Corridor coach Kevin Willard, whose Pirates beat the Wolverines final week for his or her first win over a top-five nonconference group on the highway. “We will play with anyone within the nation and now we have achieved that within the final seven years.”
FULL RANKINGS
CONFERENCE CALL
SEC — 6 (Nos. 10, 10 tie, 13, 15, 19, 23)
Massive East — 4 (Nos. 7, 21, 22, 25)
Massive 10 — 3 (Nos. 3, 14, 20)
Massive 12 — 3 (Nos. 4, 6, 8)
Pac-12 — 3 (Nos. 2, 17, 24)
American — 2 (Nos. 9, 12)
West Coast — 2 (Nos. 1, 18)
Atlantic 10 — 1 (No. 16)
UP AND DOWN
Purdue and Baylor moved up three spots throughout the prime 10, and Alabama transfer up 4 spots to forge a tie with SEC rival Kentucky. The most important drop got here with Michigan, which was fourth earlier than a pair of losses despatched coach Juwan Howard’s crew tumbling all the best way to No. 20.
“We’re going to get higher, and I belief we’ll,” stated Howard, whose group has one other powerful take a look at with North Carolina on Dec. 1. “It’s a part of the sport: adversity. Adversity hits, it defines the person, or how he responds the following time.”
IN AND OUT
Arizona would have are available in at No. 31 final week and debuted within the ballot at No. 17 this week, whereas BYU would have been twenty ninth per week in the past and entered the ballot at No. 18. Seton Corridor would have been thirty eighth per week in the past and got here in at No. 21, whereas Xavier gave the ballot 4 newcomers this week.
Oregon went from No. 12 to the primary group out. Ohio State, North Carolina and Maryland additionally fell out.
