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AP Poll: Tennessee moves to No. 1 in Top 25, Duke drops to No. 2

Associated PressJan 21, 2019, 2:27 PM EST

Top-ranked Duke went down early in the week. No. 2 Michigan and No. 4 Virginia, the last of Division I’s unbeaten teams, both fell over the weekend. In all, six top-10 teams lost.

Tennessee kept rolling amid chaos across the AP Top 25.

The Vols are the new No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll on Monday, climbing three spots to earn their first top ranking since the 2007-08 season.

Tennessee received 48 of 64 first-place votes from a media panel in the poll released Monday, well ahead of No. 2 Duke with 11. No. 3 Virginia received three first-place votes and No. 6 Michigan State two. Gonzaga and Michigan rounded out the top five.

“The guys playing right now built this thing,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said.

Expectations followed the Vols into the 2018-19 season. With its top six scorers back from a team that shared the SEC title, Tennessee had its highest preseason ranking at No. 6 and was eyeing a deep NCAA Tournament run in Barnes’ fourth season.

The Vols have lived up to the forecast so far, bouncing back from an overtime loss to then-No. 2 Kansas to win 12 straight games. Tennessee knocked Gonzaga from atop the AP Top 25 with Barnes’ first win over a No. 1 team in early December and won its two games last week, rolling over Arkansas and holding off Alabama .

The only other time Tennessee (16-1, 5-0) was No. 1, it lost the next night to Vanderbilt — the Vols’ opponent on Wednesday.

“Tennessee basketball hasn’t been ranked No. 1 in a long time,” Vols guard Jordan Bone said. “That’s a good feeling, but we can’t be so locked in on that. We have to continue to stay hungry. We can’t be so focused on that. It’s so fleeting. It can change really quick.”

The changes in the AP Top 25 came quickly after a wild week.

Duke started by losing to Syracuse in overtime at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils played without a sick Cam Reddish and lost point guard Tre Jones to a shoulder injury in the first half.

Reddish returned against Virginia on Saturday and Duke responded with a superb game, knocking Virginia from the unbeaten ranks with a 72-70 victory despite playing without Jones.

Michigan lost to Wisconsin by 10, also on Saturday, leaving the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers as the last Division I team to go undefeated.

No. 7 Kansas, No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 9 Virginia Tech also lost. The Jayhawks fell two spots after losing to West Virginia. The Red Raiders dropped six spots to No. 14 after losses to Iowa State and Baylor. The Hokies were down one to No. 10 following a loss to Virginia.

In all, 13 ranked teams lost last week.

HERE IS THE FULL POLL

1. Tennessee (48 first-place votes)
2. Duke (11)
3. Virginia (3)
4. Gonzaga
5. Michigan
6. Michigan State
7. Nevada
8. Kentucky
9. Kansas
10. Virginia Tech
11. North Carolina
12. Marquette
13. Maryland
14. Texas Tech
14. Buffalo
16. Auburn
17. Houston
18. Villanova
19. Iowa
20. Ole Miss
21. N.C. State
22. Mississippi State
23. Louisville
24. Iowa State
25. LSU

KENTUCKY RISING

Kentucky saw a steady slide down the AP Top 25 after opening the season with a blowout loss to Duke. The preseason No. 2, the Wildcats were down to No. 19 just a month ago, but started climbing again.

Kentucky is up to No. 8 after beating No. 14 Auburn and Georgia this week, with games against No. 22 Mississippi State and No. 9 Kansas coming up.

RISING AND FALLING

No. 13 Maryland moved up six spots after beating Wisconsin and Ohio State.

Kentucky, No. 17 Houston and No. 18 Villanova each moved up four spots.

Florida State after stretching its losing streak to three games with losses to Pittsburgh and Boston College, falling out of the poll from No. 11.

MOVING IN

Louisville moved into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 23 following wins over Boston College and Georgia Tech.

Iowa State’s wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State put the Cyclones back in at No. 24 after they dropped out from No. 20 last week.

LSU beat then-No. 19 Mississippi and South Carolina last week to return to the poll at No. 25.

MOVING OUT

Oklahoma joined Florida State in dropping out of the poll following losses to Kansas State and Texas. The Sooners were No. 20 last week.

Indiana, No. 25 last week, did not receive a single vote after lopsided losses to Nebraska and Purdue.

Bracketology: All Hail the Wolverines

Leon Halip/Getty Images

By Dave OmmenJan 17, 2019, 10:35 AM EST

FIRST FOUR – DAYTON
EAST REGION	VCU vs. Pittsburgh
WEST REGION	Texas vs. Arizona State
SOUTH REGION	Norfolk State vs. Prairie View
EAST REGION	Sam Houston vs. UMKC

SOUTH – Louisville		EAST – Washington, DC
Columbus		Columbia
1) MICHIGAN		1) VIRGINIA
16) PR VIEW / NORFOLK ST		16) SAM HOUSTON / UMKC
8) NC State		8) Kansas State
9) Mississippi State		9) Minnesota

Salt Lake City		Des Moines
5) Florida State		5) VILLANOVA
12) LIPSCOMB		12) VCU / Pittsburgh
4) Marquette		4) Maryland
13) GEORGIA STATE		13) YALE

Des Moines		Jacksonville
6) Nebraska		6) Indiana
11) SAINT LOUIS		11) Arizona
3) HOUSTON		3) Kentucky
14) LOYOLA-CHICAGO		14) VERMONT

Jacksonville		Tulsa
7) LSU		7) Auburn
10) TCU		10) Syracuse
2) Duke		2) Texas Tech
15) RIDER		15) UTSA

WEST – Anaheim		MIDWEST – Kansas City
Tulsa		Columbia
1) KANSAS		1) TENNESSEE
16) WEBER STATE		16) WAGNER
8) Purdue		8) Ohio State
9) St. John’s		9) Seton Hall

Hartford		San Jose
5) Iowa		5) Louisville
12) Texas / Arizona State		12) MURRAY STATE
4) North Carolina		4) Oklahoma
13) HOFSTRA		13) UC-IRVINE

San Jose		Hartford
6) Iowa State		6) BUFFALO
11) WOFFORD		11) Temple
3) NEVADA		3) Virginia Tech
14) NORTHERN KENTUCKY		14) SOUTH DAKOTA ST

Salt Lake City		Columbus
7) Wisconsin		7) Ole Miss
10) Cincinnati		10) WASHINGTON
2) GONZAGA		2) Michigan State
15) RIDER		15) LEHIGH

BUBBLE NOTES
Last 4 Byes	Last 4 IN	First 4 OUT	Next 4 OUT
TCU	Texas	Butler	Clemson
Cincinnati	Arizona State	UCF	San Francisco
Temple	VCU	Florida	Fresno State
Arizona	Pittsburgh	Alabama	Dayton

Garza’s 22 lead No. 23 Iowa over Penn State 89-82

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Associated PressJan 16, 2019, 10:38 PM EST

Iowa hands No. 16 Ohio State its 3rd straight loss, 72-62

Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images

Associated PressJan 12, 2019, 6:45 PM EST

1 Comment

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa and Ohio State are trending in completely different directions.

That’s great news for the Hawkeyes — and terrible news for the suddenly scuffling Buckeyes.

Luka Garza scored 16 points, Tyler Cook had 15 points with eight rebounds and Iowa rolled past No. 16 Ohio State 72-62 on Saturday, handing the Buckeyes their third straight loss.

Ryan Kriener scored 11 points for the Hawkeyes (14-3, 3-3 Big Ten), who have won three straight after a 0-3 start to league play.

“We’ve obviously got a lot of work to do and a lot to improve on,” Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said.

That was painfully evident in a tough road environment in Iowa City.

Iowa used a 9-0 run early in the second half to seize control, and Joe Wieskamp put Iowa ahead 53-41 with four straight free throws.

Wieskamp had gotten to the line by drawing star Kaleb Wesson’s fourth foul, which came with 8:23 left. Wesson was held to a season-low two points on 1 of 5 shooting.

“If you let Kaleb Wesson catch it deep, he’s going to get 25,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “I wasn’t expecting him to get two. But I didn’t want him to get 20.”

The flummoxed Buckeyes (12-4, 2-3) then threw a zone at Iowa, and Isaiah Moss drilled an open 3 to make it 59-45. But Iowa’s raucous crowd went silent after Cook — who missed Wednesday’s win at Northwestern with a sore knee — appeared to hurt his left ankle and was taken to the locker room with 4:08 left.”

“He’s a little sore,” McCaffery said of Cook. “We’ll see how he does in the next couple of days.”

Ohio State’s C.J. Jackson, the team’s second-leading scorer at 13.1 points, didn’t start for the first time this season. He has been dealing with leg cramps and finished with 10 points before fouling out with 20 seconds to go.

Andre Wesson had 13 points for Ohio State, which committed a season-high 21 turnovers.

THE BIG PICTURE

Ohio State: The Buckeyes got just two points from Wesson and Jackson in the first half — and led by two anyway. But Ohio State couldn’t hang with the Hawkeyes with Wesson and Jackson in so much foul trouble. “They’re a little bit bigger and longer than they’ve been,” Holtmann said of Iowa.

Iowa: This was about as good as the Hawkeyes had looked all season. They overcame early struggles on the perimeter by pounding it inside. But losing Cook for an extended stretch would be critical. “We’ve really come together as a group,” McCaffery said. “But we’re not there yet. We’ve got to keep going.”

J-BO NOT A NO-SHOW

Jordan Bohannon’s season-long struggle to consistently locate his once-lethal jumper continued, as he was just 1 of 7 shooting. But Bohannon did have eight assists, four rebounds and two steals, and he passed the 1,000-point mark late in the second half. “I thought he was great,” McCaffery said. “He pushed the ball.”

THE NUMBERS

It could have been worse for Ohio State. The Buckeyes hit 10 3s while Iowa was just 4 of 16 from beyond the arc. …The Hawkeyes forced 11 steals. …Ohio State, which was forced to send Kaleb Wesson to the bench after he picked up two fouls in the first three minutes of the game, was outscored 36 to 18 in the paint. …Cook had five turnovers. …The series between these longtime league rivals is now tied at 80 wins apiece.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Losses to Rutgers and Iowa, albeit on the road, aren’t very good ways to stay ranked. But will the Buckeyes tumble 10 spots and out of the poll? It’ll be interesting to see if they do on Monday. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, could return to the poll after a 2-0 week.

UP NEXT

Ohio State hosts Maryland on Friday.

Iowa plays at Penn State on Wednesday.

Go and download the new NBC Sports Scores app

NBC Sports

By Rob DausterJan 10, 2019, 12:24 PM EST

Bracketology: Virginia climbs to top line

AP Photo/Steve Helber

By Dave OmmenJan 10, 2019, 10:28 AM EST

3 Comments

Yes, Virginia, another No. 1 seed is yours for the taking. Thanks to the unbeaten Cavaliers’ dominant win over Florida State and Kansas’ loss at Iowa State, UVA climbs to the top line in this week’s bracket update. With its No. 1 NET rating (as of early this morning), Virginia also edges out Tennessee for No. 3 on the seed list, effectively bumping the Volunteers to the West Region.

A quick housekeeping note … now that conference play is underway, current league leaders receive the automatic bid for the bracket. Tie breakers in the loss column are settled by NET rating at the time of publication. As an example, Fresno State receives the Mountain West’s auto bid today after Nevada’s loss at New Mexico.

We still have a variety of hit-or-miss resumes on the board. Conference play will help separate teams over the next month. Enjoy your college hoops!

BRACKET UPDATE: January 10, 2019

FIRST FOUR – DAYTON
EAST REGION	Arizona vs. Temple
MIDWEST REGION	Purdue vs. Alabama
EAST REGION	NC A&T vs. Sacred Heart
SOUTH REGION	Purdue-FW vs. Sam Houston

EAST – Washington, DC		SOUTH – Louisville
Columbia, SC		Columbus
1) DUKE		1) MICHIGAN
16) NC A&T / SACRED HEART		16) P-FT. WAYNE / SAM HOUSTON
8) Mississippi State		8) LSU
9) TCU		9) Arizona State

Hartford		San Jose
5) BUFFALO		5) VILLANOVA
12) WOFFORD		12) MURRAY STATE
4) Indiana		4) Kentucky
13) YALE		13) GEORGIA STATE

San Jose		Jacksonville
6) Maryland		6) Ohio State
11) Arizona / Temple		11) VCU
3) Nevada		3) North Carolina
14) UC-IRVINE		14) RADFORD

Tulsa		Salt Lake City
7) Seton Hall		7) Iowa State
10) Syracuse		10) Ole Miss
2) TEXAS TECH		2) GONZAGA
15) LEHIGH		15) GREEN BAY

WEST – Anaheim		MIDWEST – Kansas City
Jacksonville		Columbia, SC
1) TENNESSEE		1) Virginia
16) NORTHERN COLORADO		16) RIDER
8) Minnesota		8) Nebraska
9) Louisville		9) Cincinnati

Salt Lake City		Des Moines
5) Wisconsin		5) Marquette
12) FRESNO STATE		12) LIPSCOMB
4) Florida State		4) Houston
13) HOFSTRA		13) NORTH TEXAS

Hartford		Des Moines
6) Iowa		6) NC State
11) Texas		11) Purdue / Alabama
3) Virginia Tech		3) Oklahoma
14) VERMONT		14) GRAND CANYON

Tulsa		Columbus
7) St. John’s		7) Auburn
10) WASHINGTON		10) UCF
2) Kansas		2) Michigan State
15) TEXAS SOUTHERN		15) VALPARAISO

BUBBLE NOTES
Last 4 Byes	Last 4 IN	First 4 OUT	Next 4 OUT
Cincinnati	Purdue	Kansas State	Florida
Ole Miss	Temple	Butler	Clemson
Syracuse	Arizona	Creighton	San Francisco
Texas	Alabama	Saint Louis	Missouri

TOP SEED LINE: Duke is the No. 1 overall seed followed by Michigan, Virginia, and Tennessee.

Breakdown by Conference …

Big 10 (10): MICHIGAN, Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin, Maryland, Iowa, Ohio State, Nebraska, Minnesota, Purdue

ACC (8): DUKE, Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Florida State, NC State, Louisville, Syracuse

SEC (7): TENNESSEE, Kentucky, Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss

BIG 12 (6): TEXAS TECH, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa State, TCU, Texas

Big East (4): VILLANOVA, Marquette, Seton Hall, St. John’s

American (4): UCF, Houston, Cincinnati, Temple

Pac 12 (3): WASHINGTON, Arizona State, Arizona

Mountain West (2): FRESNO STATE, Nevada

Atlantic 10 (1): VCU

West Coast (1): GONZAGA

ONE BID LEAGUES: Valparaiso (MVC), Rider (MAAC), North Texas (C-USA), Georgia State (SBELT), Yale (IVY), Northern Colorado (BSKY), Green Bay (HORIZON), Sam Houston (SLND), WOFFORD (STHN), UC-Irvine (BWEST), Buffalo (MAC), Lipscomb (ASUN), Murray State (OVC), Hofstra (CAA), Radford (BSO), NC A&T (MEAC), Purdue-Fort Wayne (SUM), Grand Canyon (WAC), Vermont (AEAST), Lehigh (PAT), Sacred Heart (NEC), Texas Southern (SWAC)

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