Duke Rises to No. 1 in AP Men's College Basketball Poll for Record 148th Time
Duke's victory over Michigan has propelled the Blue Devils to the top spot in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, marking their 148th appearance at No. 1, a record for any program in the history of the rankings.
Blue Devils Dominate with Key Win
The Blue Devils, now 25-2, climbed two positions to claim the No. 1 ranking in Monday's poll, securing 56 out of 61 first-place votes. This move came after a hard-fought 68-63 win against Michigan in Washington on Saturday, a matchup that featured the top two teams in the NCAA selection committee's preliminary top 16 seeds for March Madness.
Under fourth-year coach Jon Scheyer, Duke has returned to the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive season. The team boasts a national-best 12 Quadrant 1 wins and nine victories against AP Top 25 opponents, solidifying their status as a powerhouse in college basketball.
Shifts in the Top Tier
Arizona advanced two spots to No. 2, earning the remaining five first-place votes after impressive performances against BYU and Houston. Michigan dropped to No. 3 following their brief one-week stint at the top, their first since January 2013.
The top 10 saw significant movement, with Iowa State and Houston holding strong, while UConn fell to No. 6 after a home loss to Creighton. Reigning national champion Florida made a notable leap, jumping five spots to No. 7 to re-enter the top 10 for the first time since late November.
Notable Climbers and Sliders
Alabama experienced the week's largest surge, rising eight spots to No. 17 after a thrilling double-overtime win against Arkansas and a victory at LSU, extending their win streak to six games. Florida's gain was the second-biggest, while BYU moved up four spots.
On the decline, Kansas and Vanderbilt both slid six spots, with Kansas suffering a 16-point home loss to Cincinnati. Saint Louis fell five positions to No. 23 after their 18-game winning streak was snapped by Rhode Island.
Conference Representation and Poll Dynamics
The Big 12 leads all conferences with six ranked teams, followed by the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference with five each. The Atlantic Coast Conference has four teams, while the Big East contributes two, and other conferences like the West Coast Conference have single representatives.
The AP Top 25 largely aligns with the NCAA selection committee's preliminary seedings, with 15 teams overlapping in the top 16. St. John's at No. 15 in the AP poll replaces Vanderbilt, who was seeded 15th by the committee but fell to No. 25 in the latest rankings.
