AP Poll: Virginia remains No. 1; Villanova, Xavier round out top 3
Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / Getty
After narrowly avoiding upset losses against Louisville and Notre Dame, Virginia retained the No. 1 spot in the latest AP Top 25.
Meanwhile, Villanova moved up to No. 2 and Xavier to No. 3 following Michigan State's loss to Michigan.
The Spartans dropped from No. 2 to No. 4 with the setback, while Duke remained at No. 5 after a big home win over rival North Carolina. Gonzaga moved up to the No. 6 position, while the Wolverines soared eight spots to No. 7 after winning the Big Ten tournament title.
Cincinnati, Kansas, and Purdue round out the top 10 as conference tournament play begins for the majority of leagues.
| Rank | Team | Record | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 28-2 | 1 |
| 2 | Villanova | 27-4 | 4 |
| 3 | Xavier | 27-4 | 3 |
| 4 | Michigan State | 29-4 | 2 |
| 5 | Duke | 25-6 | 5 |
| 6 | Gonzaga | 28-4 | 7 |
| 7 | Michigan | 28-7 | 15 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 27-4 | 10 |
| 9 | Kansas | 24-7 | 6 |
| 10 | Purdue | 28-6 | 8 |
| 11 | Wichita State | 24-6 | 11 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 22-9 | 9 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 23-7 | 16 |
| 14 | Texas Tech | 23-8 | 12 |
| 15 | Arizona | 24-7 | 19 |
| 16 | Auburn | 25-6 | 14 |
| 17 | Ohio State | 24-8 | 13 |
| 18 | West Virginia | 22-9 | 20 |
| 19 | Clemson | 22-8 | 18 |
| 20 | Saint Mary's | 28-4 | 22 |
| 21 | Houston | 24-6 | 25 |
| 22 | Nevada | 26-6 | 21 |
| 23 | Florida | 20-11 | NR |
| 24 | Miami | 22-8 | NR |
| 25 | Rhode Island | 23-6 | 17 |