Win streak has Cavs back in the rankings
For the first time since mid-December, the Virginia Cavaliers are back in the Associated Press Top 25 for men’s basketball.
After five double-digit losses, the Cavaliers have gone on an eight-game winning streak that influenced voters to put them at No. 21 this week. Four of those triumphs — against Georgia Tech, Louisville, Clemson and Florida State — were on the road. They’ll be back at home tonight against Pittsburgh on ACC Network.
Also re-entering the Top 25 were No. 18 Saint Mary’s, for the first time since the preseason poll, and No. 25 Oklahoma, which had dropped out last week.
The other new entrant is No. 23 Indiana State, which has a ninegame winning streak and hadn’t been in the Top 25 since Larry Bird played in Terre Haute. The Sycamores got to No. 1 that season but fell to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the 1979 NCAA championship game, which garnered record TV ratings.
“It’s a group that the community can really wrap their arms around, and I think they have. That’s just great to see,” Indiana State coach Josh Schertz told reporters recently. “I know Terre Haute. They love basketball. I know there’s a great history and tradition.”
Connecticut and Purdue kept the top two spots. The defending national champion Huskies received 45 first-place votes from a 61-person media panel and the Boilermakers had 16.
Schertz took over the Indiana State program during the pandemic, inheriting a depleted roster with no chance to get players to visit campus. Schertz cobbled together a team that won 11 games in his first season, and the Sycamores improved to 23-13 last season.
Indiana State (22-3) has been on a roll in Schertz’s third season, winning all 11 home games while taking a two-game lead over Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference at 11-1.
The Sycamores have five players scoring in double figures, led by dynamic 5-foot-10 guard Isaiah Swope’s 17.7 points per game. Big man Robbie Avila has become a fan favorite with his goggles, averaging 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Losses by current No. 6 Kansas and No. 7 North Carolina led to a shakeup in the top 10 behind UConn and Purdue.
Houston moved up two spots to No. 5, Marquette rose three places to No. 4, and No. 8 Arizona climbed three. Tennessee, Duke and Iowa State rounded out the top 10.
In the coaches’ poll, UVA entered at No. 23, while North Carolina only fell to No. 5. Duke was eighth.
Hokies’ women rise to No. 12: Virginia Tech rose four positions to No. 12 in the AP women’s poll released Monday.
The Hokies earned their second victory this season over North Carolina State, which dropped from No. 3 to No. 6.
Ohio State moved up to No. 2 this week. The Buckeyes, who were fifth last week, have won 11 straight games and equaled the best ranking in school history. Ohio State’s only losses this season have come to Southern California, UCLA and Michigan. South Carolina remains a unanimous No. 1 after routing Missouri and then-No. 11 UConn. Stanford moved up three places to No. 3. Iowa dropped to fourth and Texas climbed to fifth.
The six different teams in the No. 2 spot is unusual, though there was a stretch in 2021 when a different team held the spot for seven straight weeks. This season, UCLA and Iowa both held the spot twice before losing. Kansas State had the slot for a week before a loss. It’s Ohio State’s turn. The Buckeyes had a two-week run at No. 2 last year in January before losing. Ohio State hosts Nebraska this week.
The Pac-12, which has been the most dominant conference so far this season, has five teams in the first 11 and six ranked in the Top 25 overall. The ACC and Big 12 are next with five teams each.