AP Top 25: Duke Marks Record 150th No. 1 Ranking; Wisconsin, Louisville Return

Duke was chosen No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for a record 150th time on Monday. The Blue Devils received 56 of 61 first-place votes from a national media panel after wins over rivals NC State and North Carolina, leaving them in the top spot for the third consecutive week. Arizona stayed second and received four first-place votes, while Michigan received the other No. 1 ballot after its impressive win over No. 8 Michigan State. “We’ve put ourselves in a position to do something special and make a run,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. The Blue Devils reached No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time on Dec. 13, 1965, and they’ve spent more time there than any other men’s basketball program. UCLA is second with 134 weeks on top, while Kentucky is third (125). Now, Scheyer’s crew heads into the ACC Tournament as the No. 1 seed, but potentially without two of their starters. Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster both were wearing boots in the second half of Duke’s win over UNC on Saturday. “I’d be shocked if both of them are playing (in the conference tournament),” Scheyer said. “Our plan is how can we get as healthy as possible and ready as possible for two weeks from now, wherever we go (into the NCAA Tournament).” Defending national champion Florida climbed to fourth in this week’s AP poll, the highest the Gators have been since they were preseason No. 3. Houston moved up to fifth after finishing second to Arizona in the regular-season Big 12 race. UConn dropped from fourth to sixth after the Huskies were upset by Marquette in their regular-season Big East finale. St. John’s moved up five spots to No. 13 after beating Georgetown and Seton Hall last week. The Red Storm have won 16 of their last 17 games with the lone defeat coming to UConn, and Rick Pitino’s squad is seeded No. 1 in the Big East Tournament this week. Texas Tech, which lost All-American forward JT Toppin to a torn ACL, dropped six spots to No. 16 following losses to TCU and BYU. Wisconsin made its fifth appearance in the poll this season at No. 23 after routing Maryland and beating Purdue on the road last week. Louisville also returned to the poll at No. 24 after wins over Syracuse and then-No. 22 Miami (Fla.). The Hurricanes were the top team outside the AP Top 25, while Saint Louis dropped out following its loss to George Mason. Arizona, Houston, No. 14 Kansas and Texas Tech are the top four seeds in the Big 12 and earned double-byes into the quarterfinals on Thursday. Duke, No. 10 Virginia, Miami and No. 19 UNC are the top four in the ACC and likewise begin play Thursday, as will the top four seeds in the Big East: St. John’s, UConn, Villanova and Seton Hall. Michigan, No. 11 Nebraska, Michigan State and No. 9 Illinois are the top four seeds in the Big Ten and will play their quarterfinal games on Friday. So will Florida, No. 15 Alabama, No. 17 Arkansas and No. 22 Vanderbilt, the top four seeds in the SEC Tournament. No. 12 Gonzaga played Oregon State in the West Coast semifinals on Monday night, while No. 21 Saint Mary’s played Santa Clara in the other semifinal. The winners will meet for the conference championship Tuesday night. No. 20 Miami (Ohio) is the top seed in the Mid-American Tournament. The RedHawks play UMass in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Big Ten has six ranked teams while the Big 12 and SEC have five apiece, though the Big 12’s five include three of the top seven and all within the top 16. The ACC has four ranked teams, the Big East and West Coast two apiece and the MAC one. Mens’ AP Top 25 1. Duke2. Arizona3. Michigan 4. Florida 5. Houston 6. UConn 7. Iowa State 8. Michigan State 9. Illinois 10. Virginia 11. Nebraska 12. Gonzaga 13. St. John’s 14. Kansas 15. Alabama 16. Texas Tech 17. Arkansas 18. Purdue 19. North Carolina 20. Miami (Ohio) 21. Saint Mary’s 22. Vanderbilt 23. Wisconsin 24. Louisville 25. Tennessee Reporting by The Associated Press.