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Once again, four teams from the Big East Conference are featured in the latest edition of the AP Top 25.
Villanova is the top team in the country for the fourth consecutive week. The Wildcats defeated the American Eagles last week in their final tuneup before league play begins later this week. ‘Nova received 56 of the 65 possible first place votes, with the others being dispersed out to the UCLA Bruins and Baylor Bears.
Creighton dropped down from 9th to 10th despite remaining perfect as they head into Big East play. This was mostly due in large part to Louisville ascending up to No. 6 after defeating in-state rival Kentucky this past Wednesday, causing everyone to shuffle around the Bluejays. Creighton will have a chance to make a big move in next week’s poll as they’ll face No. 1 Villanova on New Year’s Eve.
Meanwhile, Butler and and Xavier stay at No. 13 and No. 17 after successful weeks in their own right, with wins over Vermont and Eastern Washington tacked on for the ‘Dawgs and Musketeers.
AP Top 25
| RK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| RK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS |
| 1 | Villanova (56) | 12-0 | 1,614 |
| 2 | UCLA (3) | 13-0 | 1,518 |
| 3 | Kansas | 11-1 | 1,461 |
| 4 | Baylor (6) | 12-0 | 1,458 |
| 5 | Duke | 12-1 | 1,375 |
| 6 | Louisville | 11-1 | 1,260 |
| 7 | Gonzaga | 12-0 | 1,222 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 10-2 | 1,171 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 11-2 | 1,113 |
| 10 | Creighton | 12-0 | 1,049 |
| 11 | West Virginia | 11-1 | 933 |
| 12 | Virginia | 10-1 | 892 |
| 13 | Butler | 11-1 | 837 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 11-2 | 772 |
| 15 | Purdue | 11-2 | 745 |
| 16 | Indiana | 10-2 | 709 |
| 17 | Xavier | 10-2 | 548 |
| 18 | Arizona | 11-2 | 512 |
| 19 | Saint Mary's | 10-1 | 407 |
| 20 | Florida State | 12-1 | 326 |
| 21 | Oregon | 11-2 | 321 |
| 22 | USC | 13-0 | 248 |
| 23 | Cincinnati | 10-2 | 207 |
| 24 | Notre Dame | 10-2 | 204 |
| 25 | Florida | 9-3 | 76 |