Villanova back at No. 1 after Baylor falls
— -- Baylor's stint as the No. 1 team in the country lasted one week -- and in actuality, one day, as the Bears lost Monday in Morgantown. Now it's a close call among the top half-dozen teams in the country, and we'll give Villanova the slight nod after it pounded Xavier.
UCLA, Kansas, Gonzaga, Baylor and Kentucky are all in the mix. Duke had a rough week and tumbled 10 spots. Xavier also fell after losing twice. South Carolina returns to the Power Rankings, and Maryland cracks the top 25.
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1. Villanova Wildcats
Record: 17-1
Last week's ranking: 2
Josh Hart was held to a season-low 11 points and Kris Jenkins missed his first nine shots, but the Wildcats still wound up beating St. John's on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
2. UCLA Bruins
Record: 18-1
Last week's ranking: 3
In six Pac-12 games, Bryce Alford has made 29 of 48 shots from 3-point range. That's a ridiculous 60 percent.
3. Kansas Jayhawks
Record: 16-1
Last week's ranking: 4
Bill Self's team has reeled off 16 straight after a loss to Indiana in the season opener in Hawaii.
4. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Record: 17-0
Last week's ranking: 5
The Zags remain the lone unbeaten team in the country after Baylor lost to West Virginia. Gonzaga pulled away from Saint Mary's late in Spokane to avenge being swept by the Gaels in the regular season last year.
5. Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 15-2
Last week's ranking: 6
After making just one 3-pointer in the win over Vanderbilt, Kentucky was 8-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first half against Auburn.
6. Baylor Bears
Record: 16-1
Last week's ranking: 1
The Bears, after moving into the top spot for the first time in school history, committed 29 turnovers in a loss at West Virginia.
7. Creighton Bluejays
Record: 17-1
Last week's ranking: 9
The Bluejays had no problems with Butler in Omaha, and Greg McDermott's team has just one loss this year -- to Villanova.
8. Oregon Ducks
Record: 16-2
Last week's ranking: 10
The Ducks crushed a depleted Oregon State team 85-43, which marked the biggest win by Oregon in the 114-year history of the series.
9. Butler Bulldogs
Record: 15-3
Last week's ranking: 11
Chris Holtmann and the Bulldogs, after a win over Xavier, have beaten four ranked teams: Villanova, Arizona, Cincinnati and the Musketeers.
10. North Carolina Tar Heels
Record 16-3
Last week's ranking: 12
Roy Williams goes for his 800th win on Monday against Syracuse.
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Record: 16-2
Last week's ranking: 18
After wins at Miami and Virginia Tech, Mike Brey and the Fighting Irish are the only unbeaten team remaining in ACC play.
12. Florida State Seminoles
Record: 16-2
Last week's ranking: 8
Leonard Hamilton's team split against the Tobacco Road teams, beating Duke at home before losing in Chapel Hill to North Carolina. The Tar Heels crushed FSU on the glass 56-34.
13. West Virginia Mountaineers
Record: 15-2
Last week's ranking: 16
Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers had lost their previous three games against Texas in Austin before Saturday's win.
14. Virginia Cavaliers
Record: 13-3
Last week's ranking: 13
The Cavaliers have won six straight games against Clemson after a 77-73 road victory.
15. Louisville Cardinals
Record: 15-3
Last week's ranking: 14
Anas Mahmoud tied career highs in points (15) and rebounds (10) in the win over Duke.
16. Wisconsin Badgers
Record: 14-3
Last week's ranking: 17
The Badgers dominated Ohio State on the glass, especially on the offensive end, where Wisconsin grabbed a season-high 21 offensive boards.
17. Duke Blue Devils
Record: 14-4
Last week's ranking: 7
The Blue Devils were swept this week without Mike Krzyzewski and Amile Jefferson. Jeff Capel is 1-2 since taking over for Coach K.
18. Xavier Musketeers
Record: 13-4
Last week's ranking: 15
It wasn't exactly a memorable week for Chris Mack & Co. The Musketeers got Myles Davis back but were pounded at Villanova and lost at Butler.
19. Florida Gators
Record: 14-3
Last week's ranking: 20
The Gators have lost three games -- all to ranked teams and all away from home.
20. Arizona Wildcats
Record: 16-2
Last week's ranking: 21
Finnish freshman big man Lauri Markkanen scored 30 points in the win over Arizona State, which is the most points posted by an Arizona frosh since Jerryd Bayless in 2007-08.
21. Saint Mary's Gaels
Record: 15-2
Last week's ranking: 22
The backcourt of Emmett Naar and Joe Rahon combined to go 5-of-20 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc in the loss at Gonzaga.
22. Cincinnati Bearcats
Record: 14-2
Last week's ranking: 23
Mick Cronin's team has won 18 straight at home and has won all three games this season in which the margin was three points or fewer.
23. Purdue Boilermakers
Record: 14-4
Last week's ranking: 19
Matt Painter's team allowed Iowa to make 16 of 24 shots in the second half (67 percent) in a loss to Iowa in Iowa City.
24. South Carolina Gamecocks
Record: 14-3
Last week's ranking: NR
The Gamecocks' three losses have all come without Sindarius Thornwell.
25. Maryland Terrapins
Record: 16-2
Last week's ranking: NR
Melo Trimble leads the way, but the young group of freshmen have been better than expected thus far.
Dropped out: Minnesota, Virginia Tech
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