The Blue Devils returned from finals week and snagged two more wins to remain undefeated and No. 2 in the AP Poll behind Kentucky. The top 10 featured a slight change with Virginia jumping Wisconsin to No. 5, and there were some major moves in the middle of the pack with just two weeks remaining before conference play begins.
Duke keeps hold on No. 2 spot
After their statement win on the road against Wisconsin, the Blue Devils had a week off to focus on their studies and subsequently returned to the court with a little rust. Despite that, Duke won both its match ups this week, the first a 75-62 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Elon and the second a 66-56 victory against defending national champion Connecticut at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The 66 points they scored against the Huskies were the lowest total for the Blue Devils so far this season, but they do have another week off to correct the mistakes before returning to the court Dec. 29 against Toledo.
Kentucky embarrasses UCLA, retains unanimous No. 1 ranking
The Wildcats only played one game this week, but it was a spectacular display of dominance. Kentucky opened their contest against the Bruins with a 24-0 run and took a 41-7 lead into the half before finishing with an 83-44 win at the United Center in Chicago. Reserve guard Devin Booker led the way with 19 points, but it was a very balanced day for the Kentucky offense, which had six different players put up at least seven points.
It’s the Wildcat defense, though, that is the most terrifying this season. Kentucky ranks second in the nation in points allowed per game and ranks first in blocks with 8.7 per contest. Scoring does not seem to be an issue anyway for the platoon squad, but as long as this defense remains as untouchable as it has been, the Wildcats will continue to remain the unanimous No. 1 team in the country.
Tar Heels drop Buckeyes, move up four spots in the poll
North Carolina’s season has been defined by its inconsistency. The Tar Heels have lost games to Butler, Iowa and Kentucky, but they have also beaten UCLA, Florida and now Ohio State. Led by 18 points from forward Brice Johnson, North Carolina beat the Buckeyes 82-74 at the United Center Saturday afternoon and subsequently jumped up to No. 20 in the AP poll.
Although the offense has been relatively consistent for the Tar Heels all season, the defense has yet to show signs that it can stop elite offenses. Even in the victory against Ohio State, North Carolina allowed 74 points and was fortunate to be able to outscore the potent Buckeye offense. Head coach Roy Williams and company will host UAB Saturday and will look to fix that struggling defense as soon as possible before heading into conference play.
This is the second loss of the season for Ohio State as they fall to No. 21 in the poll. The other loss for the Buckeyes came on the road against a very strong Louisville team. Ohio State turns around quickly as they host Miami (OH) Monday night looking to rebound from this loss.
Washington delivers Oklahoma its third loss, remains undefeated
The Huskies continued to add to their resume with a 69-67 win against the then-No. 15 Sooners. The win moved Washington up to No. 13 in the poll and dropped Oklahoma back to No. 19. The Huskies now have two quality wins with the first coming against San Diego State and are one of nine remaining unbeaten teams in the country. Washington has leaned on its defense to win games and allows just 58.5 points per contest. The offense averages 72.7 points per game and sits at 93rd in the nation but will need to improve as the season continues if the Huskies want to challenge Arizona for the Pac-12 crown.
The Sooners will look to recover quickly from their third loss of the season as they host Weber State Monday night. Oklahoma has yet to claim a statement win with its best victories coming against now-unranked UCLA and Butler. The Sooners will receive their first conference test on Jan. 3 when they host Baylor.
Miami, San Diego State, Butler and Michigan State fall out of poll after losses
After getting slaughtered by Eastern Kentucky 72-44, Miami has fallen out of the AP poll along with San Diego State, Butler and Michigan State who all also suffered disparaging losses this week. The Aztecs lost in overtime to Cincinnati, the Bulldogs dropped their second consecutive game, this one to Indiana, and the Spartans lost to Texas Southern for their fourth loss of the year.
No. 22 Baylor, No. 23 Northern Iowa, No. 24 Colorado State and No. 25 TCU entered the poll this week in place of the four teams that dropped out.
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