Last week’s three big-time matchups caused plenty of movement in the Associated Press college basketball poll Monday, except at the top.
For the fourth straight week, North Carolina, Memphis and Kansas were the top three teams in the rankings. Then came the changes courtesy of the high-profile games that handed three teams their first loss of the season.
Pittsburgh’s 65-64 victory over Duke in overtime last Thursday was the first of the marquee matchups with Memphis’ 85-71 win over Georgetown and Michigan State’s 78-72 victory over Texas, both on Saturday, capping the early-season treats in a month usually reserved for mismatches.
Washington State moved up three spots to No. 4, the highest ranking in school history, while Mississippi and Rhode Island both cracked the Top 25 for the first time this season.
North Carolina, which beat Nicholls State and UC Santa Barbara last week, held the No. 1 spot as it has since the preseason poll. The Tar Heels (11-0) received 47 first-place votes and 1,774 points from the 72-member national media panel, easily ahead of Memphis (10-0), which was No. 1 on 24 ballots and had 1,740 points.
Kansas (12-0), which beat Georgia Tech and Miami of Ohio last week, had the only other first-place vote.
The Tigers’ big home win over Georgetown got them five more first-place votes from last week. They took one each from North Carolina and Kansas and picked up two from Texas and one from Georgetown.
Washington State (11-0) was fourth followed by UCLA, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Georgetown, Texas and Duke. Washington State’s previous highest ranking was sixth earlier this season.