Virginia (28-2) sits atop the final Associated Press Top 25 poll ahead of Selection Sunday, marking the fourth consecutive week the Cavaliers have held on the No. 1 overall spot. They garnered 17 more first-place votes than last week -- 65 in total, making them a unanimous No. 1 -- after going 2-0 this week, despite both wins coming by a combined six points.
Landing at a distant second behind the Cavaliers is Villanova. The Wildcats moved up two spots this week and traded places with Michigan State, which fell from No. 2 to 4 after exiting stage left early in the Big Ten Conference tournament this weekend. Xavier and Duke, meanwhile, maintained their respective spots at No. 3 and 5 this week.
AP Top 25 poll
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 4, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week's ranking:
RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
1 | Virginia (65) | 28-2 | 1,625 | 1 |
2 | Villanova | 27-4 | 1,516 | 4 |
3 | Xavier | 27-4 | 1,510 | 3 |
4 | Michigan State | 29-4 | 1,346 | 2 |
5 | Duke | 25-6 | 1,340 | 5 |
6 | 28-4 | 1,254 | 7 | |
7 | 28-7 | 1,231 | 15 | |
8 | 27-4 | 1,213 | 10 | |
9 | 24-7 | 1,129 | 6 | |
10 | 28-6 | 1,096 | 8 | |
11 | 24-6 | 861 | 11 | |
12 | 22-9 | 852 | 9 | |
13 | 23-7 | 825 | 16 | |
14 | 23-8 | 784 | 12 | |
15 | 24-7 | 739 | 19 | |
16 | 25-6 | 692 | 14 | |
17 | 24-8 | 603 | 13 | |
18 | 22-9 | 486 | 20 | |
19 | 22-8 | 422 | 18 | |
20 | 28-4 | 385 | 22 | |
21 | 24-6 | 247 | 25 | |
22 | 26-6 | 218 | 21 | |
23 | 20-11 | 192 | -- | |
24 | Miami | 22-8 | 191 | -- |
25 | 23-6 | 86 | 17 |
Others receiving votes: St. Bonaventure 72, Kentucky 66, TCU 45, Loyola of Chicago 43, Virginia Tech 15, Seton Hall 10, Middle Tennessee 9, Creighton 8, Arkansas 4, Nebraska 2, Kansas St 2, NC State 2, Florida St. 1, Buffalo 1, New Mexico St. 1, Texas A&M 1.
