An absolutely insane week of college basketball means a lot to discuss about this week's AP Poll, which differs strongly from the USA Today Coaches' Poll. Duke is No. 2 in the AP Poll, still trailing Indiana despite not losing last week, though the Blue Devils are No. 1 in the USA Today poll.
Madness Begins A Month Early
The No. 1 ranked team, Indiana, became the sixth straight team to lose after gaining the top overall spot the week before. However, the Hoosiers were able to retain the No. 1 position as a result of craziest week of the college basketball season to date. Four of the last week’s poll top-five teams lost, as well as seven of the top-11 teams. Duke got through the week unscathed and moved up to No. 2, while also achieving the top spot in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Miami received 17 first place votes and moved up to No. 3, the highest the Hurricanes have ever been ranked. It is hard to argue that any team in the country is playing better than Miami, especially after two more 20-point blowouts over Boston College and North Carolina, respectively. Michigan and Gonzaga rounded out the top-five, with Gonzaga receiving their first two first-place votes of the season.
Ridiculous Endings Shakes Up Rankings
Up three with fewer than three seconds left in regulation against Wisconsin, Michigan must have felt pretty confident about regaining their No. 1 ranking after a week-long hiatus. Badgers’ guard Ben Brust had other ideas, nailing a contested bomb from just inside halfcourt at the regulation buzzer. Brust added another clutch 3-pointer in overtime to lead Wisconsin to a stunning 65-62 victory. The loss left Michigan at No. 4 in this week’s poll, while vaulting Wisconsin from unranked to No. 20. Somehow that game was only the second best game of Saturday. Louisville and Notre Dame fought an epic five overtime battle that reminded many of Syracuse and Connecticut’s six overtime affair in the Big East tournament in 2009. Notre Dame prevailed 104-101, with Jerian Grant being their hero as he scored 12 points in the last 44 seconds of regulation to force the marathon. As a result, Louisville fell one spot to No. 12 and Notre Dame rose four positions to No. 21.
Other Winners and Losers In the Poll
Pittsburgh had the largest rise this week, going from No. 23 to No. 16 after two impressive victories over Seton Hall and Cincinnati. Marquette moved up six spots and Oklahoma State and Georgetown rose five. Because of the string of ranked teams’ losses this week, an undefeated week was heavily rewarded in the polls. Both Ohio State and Kansas lost both of their games this week, dropping them to No. 13 and No. 14 respectively. Florida fell all the way to No. 7 from No. 2 after a blowout loss to an unranked Arkansas team on Tuesday night.
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