Virginia unanimous No. 1 in final Top 25

RALEIGH, N.C. » Virginia went from being an unranked team that few expected to contend in the Atlantic Coast Conference to the unanimous No. 1 in the final AP Top 25 of the season.

The Cavaliers (31-2) earned all 65 first-place votes in Monday’s poll to remain on top for the fifth straight week, the past two by unanimous counts. That came after Virginia completed a 20-1 run against Atlantic Coast Conference teams by winning the league tournament , which helped the Cavs secure the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“Each year presents different opportunities and challenges,” coach Tony Bennett said after the field was unveiled Sunday. “You’ve heard me say it and it’s what I keep saying is you can’t overcomplicate it.

“You prepare well, you try to improve and then you play to win and I think that’s that best way to go about it from past experiences and all that.”

Virginia was picked in the preseason to finish sixth in the ACC, but climbed to No. 1 exactly one month ago for the first time since the Ralph Sampson era.

Now the Cavaliers, who headline the NCAA South bracket , will try to make the Final Four for only the third time and first since 1984.

ALIGNED AT THE TOP

The top four teams in the AP poll matched the selection committee’s No. 1 seeds. Villanova (30-4) won the Big East Tournament and stayed at No. 2, while Xavier (28-5) was third and Kansas (27-7) jumped five spots to fourth after winning the Big 12 Tournament.

Villanova is the No. 1 seed in the East , Xavier in the West and Kansas in the Midwest .

TOP-10 MOVES

Michigan State slid a spot to fifth, though the Spartans had last week off after the earlier-than-usual Big Ten Tournament.

Cincinnati climbed to No. 6 after winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament, while Big Ten tourney champ Michigan stayed at No. 7.