Men’s AP Top 25: UConn back at No. 1 ahead of March Madness; Houston next

Reigning nationwide champion UConn is again at Negative. 1 in The Related Press Manage 25 men’s college basketball ballot a pace upcoming being named the manage total seed for the NCAA Event.

The Huskies moved up from Negative. 2 in Monday’s ballot, buying and selling spots with Houston upcoming the Cougars’ lopsided loss within the Big 12 Event identify sport to Iowa State. UConn gained 61 of 62 first-place votes to go back to Negative. 1 for the primary generation since a six-week stint in January and February.

UConn (31-3) has misplaced simply as soon as since Dec. 20 and received its first Big East Event identify since 2011 on Saturday. After got here a Negative. 1 regional seed within the NCAAs for the primary generation since a Ultimate 4 run in 2009 and 6th generation total.

The Huskies, who manage the East Patch bracket, are looking to turn into faculty basketball’s first repeat champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007.

“We’ve got a bunch of NBA players — we’ve got NBA-level talent that’s willing to screen and share and play for each other on offense,” trainer Dan Hurley mentioned upcoming a win in opposition to St. John’s within the Bulky East semifinals. “And it’s a unique group of players that have NBA ability but are humble and about [the] team.”

Bulky 12 regular-season champ Houston nonetheless gained a first-place vote regardless of its competition stumble, month Purdue remained at Negative. 3 upcoming falling to Wisconsin within the Big Ten Event semifinals.

Iowa Order jumped 3 spots to Negative. 4 for this system’s very best score since spending a while at Negative. 4 in December 2015. The Cyclones have been unranked this season till Jan. 15.

North Carolina is Negative. 5. The Tar Heels received the ACC regular-season identify however fell within the ACC Event ultimate to cap rival North Carolina State‘s stunning identify run.

Of that crew, the Cougars (South), Boilermakers (Midwest) and Tar Heels (West) earned manage NCAA regional seeds.

Tennessee, Auburn, Marquette, Arizona and Illinois rounded out the manage 10, with the Tigers successful the SEC Convention Event and the Illini claiming the Bulky Ten identify at the back of a scoring binge from Terrence Shannon Jr.

Saint Mary’s had the largest leap of the while, hiking six spots to Negative. 15 upcoming beating Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference Event identify. Auburn used to be upcoming by means of shifting up 5 spots to Negative. 7, developing an important disparity with the NCAA variety committee that gave the Tigers a Negative. 4 regional seed in UConn’s East bracket.

Greater than part of the ballot groups (13) slid upcoming the chaos from league tournaments. Arizona, Negative. 11 Creighton, Negative. 12 Kentucky and Negative. 25 Washington State all connect for the largest tumbles by means of falling 3 spots.

Negative. 23 Wisconsin and Negative. 24 San Diego State have been the brandnew additions to the ballot, even though each had been ranked in a couple of weeks this season. Nevada (Negative. 23) and Dayton (Negative. 24) fell out to form room for the Badgers and Aztecs.

The Bulky 12 had a national-best six ranked groups, together with Negative. 17 Kansas, Negative. 21 BYU and Negative. 22 Texas Tech. The SEC used to be upcoming with 5, together with Negative. 16 South Carolina.

The Bulky East and Bulky Ten every had 3 ranked groups, month the ACC, Pac-12, Mountain West and West Coast meetings every had two.

For the primary generation, The Related Press will leave a post-tournament Manage 25 upcoming the nationwide championship sport. It’s going to be spared April 9, the pace upcoming the identify sport in Glendale, Arizona.

Right here’s the whole manage 25: 

1. UConn
2. Houston
3. Purdue
4. Iowa State
5. North Carolina
6. Tennessee 
7. Auburn
8. Marquette
9. Arizona
10. Illinois
11. Creighton 
12. Kentucky
13. Duke
14. Baylor
15. Saint Mary’s
16. South Carolina
17. Kansas
18. Gonzaga
19. Alabama
20. Utah State
21. BYU
22. Texas Tech
23. Wisconsin
24. San Diego State
25. Washington State

Reporting by means of The Related Press.

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