The past week of hoops did little to give us a taste of the same drama that we had last week when No. 1 Kentucky fell to UCLA.The top of the poll remains nearly the same, with the top 11 holding firm, but there were a few games that caused a shakeup down the poll.
AP Top 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 11, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking.
| Team | Record | Points | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Villanova (56) | 10-0 | 1613 | 1 |
| 2. UCLA (3) | 10-0 | 1505 | 2 |
| 3. Kansas | 9-1 | 1455 | 3 |
| 4. Baylor (6) | 8-0 | 1439 | 4 |
| 5. Duke | 10-1 | 1391 | 5 |
| 6. Kentucky | 9-1 | 1277 | 6 |
| 7. North Carolina | 10-1 | 1222 | 7 |
| 8. Gonzaga | 10-0 | 1195 | 8 |
| 9. Indiana | 8-1 | 1124 | 9 |
| 10. Creighton | 10-0 | 1043 | 10 |
| 11. Louisville | 9-1 | 981 | 11 |
| 12. West Virginia | 8-1 | 864 | 15 |
| 13. Virginia | 8-1 | 848 | 14 |
| 14. Wisconsin | 9-2 | 779 | 17 |
| 15. Purdue | 8-2 | 652 | 18 |
| 16. South Carolina | 8-0 | 598 | 19 |
| 17. Xavier | 8-2 | 526 | 13 |
| 18. Butler | 9-1 | 492 | 16 |
| 19. Arizona | 8-2 | 436 | 20 |
| 20. Saint Mary's | 7-1 | 391 | 12 |
| 21. Notre Dame | 9-1 | 310 | 23 |
| 22. Oregon | 8-2 | 251 | 24 |
| 23. Florida State | 10-1 | 227 | - |
| 24. Southern Cal | 9-0 | 158 | - |
| 25. Cincinnati | 7-2 | 155 | 22 |
Others receiving votes: Florida 44, Wichita State 33, Virginia Tech 32, Maryland 31, Valparaiso 9, TCU 8, Middle Tennessee 7, Minnesota 6, Miami 6, Kansas State 4, UCF 2, Michigan St. 2, Syracuse 2, Ohio State 2, Pittsburgh 2, Clemson 1, Loyola of Chicago 1, Iowa State 1.
Takeaways from this week's AP Top 25
1. It's time to buy stock in Duke again
If you ever sold your stock, then I would suggest now is a good time to get back in. The aren't No. 1, but after dominating UNLV in Las Vegas this weekend by 49 points, they look every bit the part of the preseason No. 1 team they were. They've got Marques Bolden back. They've got Jayson Tatum back. And most importantly for Duke, Grayson Allen looks to be back to full health.
2. South Carolina being rewarded for its success
South Carolina has a spotless 9-0 record, with wins over Michigan and Syracuse. The Gamecocks are even winning without their top player, Sindarius Thornwell, who has been indefinitely suspended. It's been a week since his suspension, and it seems unlikely that he will return by Monday evening. They'll be tested by Seton Hall on the road. So far, they've passed every test with flying colors. And they've been rewarded. The team's No. 16 ranking is the highest for the program since 1998.
3. Villanova's tests are just beginning
The No. 1 ranked Wildcats knocked off a pesky Notre Dame team this weekend. It's the first of several tests to come before the end of the year for Jay Wright's team. Villanova faces Temple on Tuesday, then wraps up the 2016 calendar year with a trip to Creighton on Dec. 31. Then the Wildcats have Marquette, Xavier and Seton Hall. All within the next month.
