Syracuse is No. 1 in The Associated Press’ Top 25, taking advantage of a weekend when the poll’s top three teams lost.
The Orange were the runaway top pick Monday, receiving 59 first-place votes from the national media panel and 23 from coaches in the ESPN/USA Today poll to make the jump from fourth. This is their first time on top since a six-week run during the 1989-90 season.
Kansas, which had the other six first-place AP votes, dropped to second in both polls following its loss at Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks picked up seven first-place votes from the coaches, while Duke got the remaining vote. Kentucky, which has the same 27-2 record as the two teams above it, dropped one place after losing at Tennessee.
Duke was fourth followed by Kansas State, Ohio State and Purdue, which fell from third to seventh in the AP poll after losing to Michigan State.
Texas, which was No. 1 for two weeks in January, fell out of the Top 25 in the AP poll after losing for the seventh time in 12 games. The coaches ranked the Longhorns at number 25.
Associated Press poll
Others receiving votes:Texas 94, Richmond 44, Northern Iowa 32, Oklahoma State 24, Marquette 21, Missouri 13, Illinois 10, Utah State 9, Virginia Tech 8, Mississippi State 7, U-A-B 6, Cornell 5, Louisville 4, Notre Dame 1, Old Dominion 1.
ESPN/USA Today coaches poll
Dropped out: No. 22 Northern Iowa, No. 24 Richmond.
Others receiving votes: Northern Iowa (25-4) 40; Xavier (21-7) 28; Utah State (23-6) 24; Cornell (25-4) 15; Clemson (20-8) 10; Virginia Tech (21-7) 9; Richmond (22-7) 8; Oklahoma State (20-8) 6; Saint Mary’s (24-5) 6; UNLV (22-7) 6; California (20-9) 2; Marquette (19-9) 2; Murray State (27-4) 1.
