After twice being jumped in the poll without losing, the Associated Press voters had a reason to drop the Kansas men’s basketball team this week.
And they did.
Fresh off of their first loss of the 2018-19 season — 80-76 at No. 18 Arizona State last Saturday night — the Jayhawks (10-1) fell to No. 5 in this week’s poll, released Monday morning.
Arizona State (9-2), meanwhile, jumped a spot to No. 17 after upsetting Kansas and falling to Vanderbilt last week.
Duke (11-1) jumped back into the top spot in this week’s AP poll, with Michigan (12-0), Tennessee (10-1) and Virginia (11-0) joining KU to round out the Top 5.
Despite falling out of the top spot in the poll, the Jayhawks did hold on to a few first-place votes, with four of the 64 AP voters keeping KU at No. 1 in their latest polls.
Duke received 35 first-place votes, Michigan 9, Tennessee 12 and Virginia 4.
Graham Couch, of the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal, who did not have KU anywhere on his ballot last week because the Jayhawks had yet to play a true road game this season, put the Jayhawks at No. 1 this week despite the loss.
Kevin McNamara, of the Providence (R.I.) Journal, Scott Richey, of the News Gazette in Illinois, and Seth Davis, of CBS/Sports Illustrated, were the other three voters who kept Kansas on top.
The Jayhawks also received multiple votes at Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and were not lower than No. 6 on any ballot.
Kansas will be off until Wednesday, when the team reports back to campus following winter break to begin preparations for Saturday’s home game with Eastern Michigan, which represents the final tuneup before Big 12 play begins on Jan. 2, when Oklahoma comes to Allen Fieldhouse.
The Sooners, new to the poll this week at No. 25, are one of three Big 12 teams ranked in this week’s Top 25, joining KU in 5th and Texas Tech at No. 11. Kansas State also is currently receiving votes.
Here’s a look at the complete poll:
1 – Duke, 11-1 (35)
2 – Michigan, 12-0 (9)
3 – Tennessee, 10-1 (12)
4 – Virginia, 11-0 (4)
5 – Kansas, 10-1 (4)
6 – Nevada, 12-0
7 – Gonzaga, 11-2
8 – Michigan State, 10-2
9 – Florida State, 11-1
10 – Virginia Tech, 10-1
11 – Texas Tech, 10-1
12 – Auburn, 10-2
13 – Ohio State, 11-1
14 – North Carolina, 8-3
15 – Wisconsin, 10-2
16 – Kentucky, 9-2
17 – Arizona State, 9-2
18 – Marquette, 10-2
19 – Mississippi State, 11-1
20 – North Carolina State, 11-1
21 – Buffalo, 11-1
22 – Houston, 12-0
23 – Indiana, 11-2
24 – Iowa, 10-2
25 – Oklahoma, 11-1
**Others receiving votes:** Nebraska 160, Kansas St 69, St. John’s 67, Villanova 44, Cincinnati 11, Iowa St. 11, TCU 6, Seton Hall 5, Louisville 4, Purdue 3, Furman 2, Belmont 2, NJIT 1, Penn 1, San Francisco 1.
