Duke basketball is ranked No. 3 in this week's AP Poll after suffering its first loss of the season this weekend. Louisville claimed the top spot and here is a breakdown of the latest rankings:
Major movement at the top
After this crazy week in college basketball, there are no longer any unbeaten teams standing. The top three teams from last week, Duke, Michigan, and Arizona, all went down to conference foes on the road. Duke fell to No. 3 overall, even though they probably own the nation's best resume, having beaten three top-five teams already.
Traditionally, AP voters have a difficult time leaving a team in the top slot after a loss, and this week proved no different. However, they still did receive 14 first place votes. Louisville, who lost to Duke on a neutral court in November, moved up to the top slot with 36 first place votes while Indiana comes in behind them after their win against previously-No. 8 Minnesota on Saturday. The Blue Devils also beat Minnesota earlier in the season. Kansas and Michigan round out the top 5, with each receiving one first place vote.
Preseason contenders make their way back up the poll
Both Ohio State and N.C. State, ranking No. 4 and No. 6 in the preseason polls respectively, were expected to be contenders for not only conference titles but also a national title. Both teams, however, had been anything but dominant before last week. Ohio State fell to No. 15 last week after a disappointing blowout loss to Illinois, while N.C. State was ranked in the No. 25 slot for numerous weeks this season after two losses in the early part of their season.
This week, these teams showed why there was so much hype surrounding them before the season. Ohio State held off the last unbeaten in Michigan in a defensive struggle by the score of 56-53, with Deshaun Thomas continuing his outstanding season with another 20-point game. N.C. State took down a shorthanded Duke team but looked impressive in doing it. With essentially just a six-man rotation, the Wolfpack were able to play at a fast pace and outrun the Blue Devils. Preseason ACC Player of the Year C.J. Leslie looked unstoppable at times and ended up with 25 points while Ryan Howell added a monster game with 16 points and 18 rebounds. As a result of these wins, Ohio State moved up four slots to No. 11 while the Wolfpack took the biggest jump of any team this week, vaulting six spots to No. 14.
Newcomers to the Poll
There were four teams that entered the polls this week. Oregon, after its win over previously unbeaten and No. 3 Arizona, is ranked 21st this week. VCU entered at No. 22 after wins over St. Bonaventure and Dayton this week. No. 24 UCLA, much like Ohio State and N.C. State, is starting to make a comeback in the polls after their slow start. They were victorious in two hard fought road games over Utah and Colorado this week. Marquette finishes off the top 25, having won five consecutive and with a 3-0 record are tied atop the Big East.
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