The Virginia men’s basketball team rose to the No. 1 spot in this week’s Associated Press poll despite losing a close game to rival Virginia Tech Saturday.
Michigan State rose to No. 2 after beating previously-third-ranked Purdue 68-65 on Saturday. Villanova, after losing in upset fashion to St. John’s, fell from first to third.
Xavier and Cincinnati clocked in at No. 4 and No. 5, and Purdue, thanks to losing two games on last-second shots in one week, fell from third to sixth.
Texas Tech, Ohio State, Gonzaga and Auburn rounded out the top 10. Texas A&M and Arizona State moved into the top 25, with Kentucky and Miami dropping out.
The top four teams received multiple first-place votes, but Virginia (30) narrowly outgained Michigan State (21) by nine first-place votes and just 30 total points.
It’s the Cavaliers’ first No. 1 poll ranking since 1982, during their Ralph Sampson days. They got close a few years ago when they spent most of the 2014-15 season alternating between No. 2 and No. 3.
Virginia (23-2, 12-1 ACC) also stands as the top overall seed in ESPN’s “Bracketology” tracker.
Charlottesville hosted ESPN’s “College GameDay” program on Saturday, but come game time, Virginia lost 61-60 to Virginia Tech in overtime. It snapped the team’s 15-game winning streak.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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