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PHILADELPHIA, PA- For the first time since January 17, 2011, Villanova, who've been undefeated since the college basketball season has begun, has moved to eighth in the Associated Press' weekly Top-25 poll.
The Wildcats were recently ranked tenth in the poll after two wins over Big 5 opponents, Penn and St. Joseph's, and have climbed two spots after an assertive victory over La Salle on Sunday at the Pavilion. Villanova has also moved up two positions on the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll to 12th.
AP Top 25
| Rank | Team | Points | Previous |
| 1 | Arizona Wildcats (63) | 1,673 | 1 |
| 2 | Syracuse Orange (2) | 1,528 | 2 |
| 3 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | 1,464 | 3 |
| 4 | Wisconsin Badgers | 1,381 | 4 |
| 5 | Michigan St. Spartans | 1,297 | 5 |
| 6 | Louisville Cardinals | 1,264 | 6 |
| 7 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | 1,165 | 7 |
| 8 | Villanova Wildcats | 1,053 | 10 |
| 8 | Duke Blue Devils | 1,053 | 8 |
| 10 | Connecticut Huskies | 1,035 | 9 |
| 11 | Wichita St. Shockers | 923 | 12 |
| 12 | Baylor Bears | 898 | 14 |
| 13 | Oregon Ducks | 834 | 15 |
| 14 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 792 | 18 |
| 15 | Memphis Tigers | 755 | 16 |
| 16 | Florida Gators | 699 | 19 |
| 17 | Iowa St. Cyclones | 698 | 17 |
| 18 | Kansas Jayhawks | 482 | 13 |
| 19 | Kentucky Wildcats | 414 | 11 |
| 20 | Colorado Buffaloes | 405 | 21 |
| 21 | Gonzaga Bulldogs | 376 | 20 |
| 22 | UMass Minutemen | 351 | 22 |
| 23 | Missouri Tigers | 222 | 24 |
| 24 | San Diego St. Aztecs | 179 | 25 |
|
25 |
Iowa Hawkeyes | 72 | 23 |
Hilliard Grabs Some Accolades
Villanova guard, Darrun Hilliard, was named the Big 5 Player of the week, the organization announced on Monday afternoon.
The 6-foot-6 junior scored 21 points and dished four assists to help Villanova defeat Big 5 rival, La Salle on Sunday afternoon at the Pavilion. When asked what winning the city-title would mean for the program on Sunday, Hilliard answered rather nonchalantly.
"Me personally, I didn't take to much notice to the Big 5 until I came here as a freshman," said Hilliard, a native of Bethlehem, PA, just 70 miles from the city's limits.
"But it would be a good accomplishment to the team and also our fans and the whole city that supports us. That would be great for the fans and the city of Philadelphia."
Head Coach Jay Wright has frequently referred to Hilliard as his team's most consistent player, especially on the ten-game undefeated streak that's spanned since early November. Hilliard is third on the team in minutes played (28.5), points per game (14.5), assists (3.1) and three point shooting percentage (39.6%). But what has flown under the radar is he may be the team's best defender, ranking first on the squad in steals (1.7) per game.
The Big East Conference also announced on Monday that Hilliard was named to their weekly honor roll for his impressive game against the Explorers, the first time he's received either accolade this season.
"I'm just trying to play hard," Hilliard responded after being asked what kept him in rhythm on Sunday. "I'm playing defense and trying to execute for my brothers out here. I'm not trying to do anything spectacular. I'm just trying to be solid."
