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This week's USA TODAY Coaches Poll is a bit different from recent weeks as only three BIG EAST teams are featured in the Top 25. And on the flip side, those three BIG EAST teams are in the Top 10 of the poll.
The Villanova Wildcats, Xavier Musketeers and Providence Friars are the three representatives of the conference to be featured in the Top 10 of the Coaches Poll. The Butler Bulldogs, after an 0-2 week with a loss to Creighton and the aforementioned Friars, dropped out of the Top 25 and are currently ranked 30th with 15 votes received.
Villanova dropped down two spots to No. 6 after suffering their first conference loss of the season to the Providence Friars on Sunday. 'Nova still finds themselves in prime position in the conference and the race for a No. 1 seed but no doubt took a hit with their first conference loss in 23 games.
The Xavier Musketeers also took a slight tumble down two spots to the No. 8 position in the polls. The Musketeers went 1-1 at home vs. the Seton Hall Pirates and Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas shocked most of the college basketball world with a huge upset victory over X but the Musketeers bounced back, to their credit, with a big win over the Pirates.
The biggest mover in the conference, and the country, was the Friars. Providence jumped up seven spots to the No. 10 position, leaping over the likes of Louisville, Miami, Virginia, and Michigan State. PC got there with wins over Butler and the vaunted Villanova Wildcats in Philadelphia.
Full poll below:
USA Today Coaches Poll
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina (23) | 18-2 | 791 |
| 2 | Oklahoma (9) | 16-2 | 766 |
| 3 | Kansas | 16-3 | 680 |
| 4 | Iowa | 16-3 | 677 |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 17-2 | 650 |
| 6 | Villanova | 17-3 | 591 |
| 7 | Maryland | 17-3 | 581 |
| 8 | Xavier | 17-2 | 580 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 16-3 | 503 |
| 10 | Providence | 17-3 | 452 |
| 11 | Michigan St | 17-4 | 445 |
| 12 | Virginia | 15-4 | 430 |
| 13 | Miami-Florida | 15-3 | 412 |
| 14 | Louisville | 16-3 | 384 |
| 15 | Arizona | 16-4 | 341 |
| 16 | Iowa St. | 15-4 | 312 |
| 17 | Indiana | 17-3 | 290 |
| 18 | Baylor | 15-4 | 281 |
| 19 | Kentucky | 15-4 | 242 |
| 20 | Duke | 15-5 | 183 |
| 21 | Purdue | 17-4 | 150 |
| 22 | South Carolina | 17-2 | 137 |
| 23 | Pittsburgh | 16-3 | 118 |
| 24 | Oregon | 16-4 | 90 |
| 25 | Wichita St. | 14-5 | 60 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Dayton 49; Saint Mary's 31; Clemson 30; Notre Dame 20; Gonzaga 17; Butler 15; Southern California 14; Connecticut 11; California 10; Michigan 10; Washington 7; Valparaiso 6; Virginia Commonwealth 6; LSU 6; Arkansas-Little Rock 5; Alabama at Birmingham 4; Utah 4; Monmouth 3; Texas 3; St. Joseph?s 2; Oregon State 1. | |||