UCLA is surging, each towards the postseason and in The Related Press males’s school basketball ballot.
Whereas Houston was No. 1 for a 3rd straight week in Monday’s ballot, the Bruins rose two spots to No. 2 for his or her highest rating of the season. UCLA (27-4) has gained its final 10 video games, together with a showdown with extremely ranked Arizona within the regular-season finale behind star Jaime Jaquez Jr. to finish an ideal dwelling file.
“I’ll say this, the recipe for achievement in March normally — I imply, except for expertise — is a superb level guard and a few senior management, like a man like Jaime Jaquez,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin mentioned afterward. “I imply, we’ve received an opportunity. However as you recognize, that event’s loopy. It isn’t ‘March Regular.’”
Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars remained firmly entrenched on the high of their third stint at No. 1 this season, incomes 58 first-place votes with the opposite three going to UCLA.
Houston hadn’t reached No. 1 earlier than this season since 1983 in the course of the “Phi Slama Jama” period, however the Cougars have now spent a complete of seven weeks on the high to tie Purdue for essentially the most of any workforce this season.
Houston (29-2) closed out its regular-season schedule by successful at Memphis on a last-second basket Sunday, marking its eleventh straight win.
THE TOP TIER
The one change within the high 5 got here with UCLA buying and selling locations with No. 4 Alabama, with Kansas remaining at No. 3 regardless of a loss at Texas in Saturday’s regular-season finale and the Boilermakers staying at fifth.
Marquette stayed at No. 6, adopted by the Longhorns climbing two spots to No. 7. Arizona, Gonzaga and Baylor rounded out the highest 10.
RISING
Texas A&M is the week’s largest climber, leaping six spots to No. 18 after beating Alabama in its regular-season finale. That is a part of a powerful end beneath fourth-year coach Buzz Williams, with the Aggies going 17-3 since mid-December and shedding simply as soon as because the begin of February. Earlier than this season, Texas A&M hadn’t been ranked since February 2018.
In all, eight groups climbed from final week’s positions.
SLIDING
Tennessee took the week’s largest tumble, falling 5 spots to No. 17 after shedding at Auburn in its regular-season finale and its first full recreation since shedding Zakai Zeigler to a season-ending knee damage. Indiana was subsequent, falling 4 spots to No. 19 after shedding at dwelling to Iowa by 22 factors.
In all, six groups slid from their rating final week.
STATUS QUO
Practically a 3rd of final week’s ranked groups (eight) stayed of their similar place, together with No. 13 Virginia, No. 22 TCU and No. 23 Kentucky.
WELCOME BACK
The week’s three new additions are all returnees to the ballot, headlined by No. 21 Duke.
The Blue Devils (23-8) returned to the ballot for the primary time since falling out in mid-January after opening the 12 months at No. 7. First-year coach Jon Scheyer has led Duke to 6 straight wins to shut out the common season, together with Saturday’s win at North Carolina for a rivalry sweep that wounded UNC’s iffy NCAA Event hopes.
Creighton checked in at No. 24, returning after a one-week absence for a 3rd stint within the ballot this season. Subsequent got here Twenty fifth-ranked Missouri, which gained its final 4 regular-season video games to return to the ballot after spending two weeks there within the first half of January.
FAREWELL (FOR NOW)
Providence (No. 20), Maryland (No. 21) and Pittsburgh (No. 25) dropped out this week. All three shall be taking part in of their convention tournaments this week.
CONFERENCE WATCH
The Big 12 and Southeastern conferences shared the lead this week with 5 ranked groups every, although three of the Huge 12’s group had been inside the highest 10.
The Huge East was subsequent with 4 ranked groups, together with No. 11 Connecticut. The Atlantic Coast Convention had three, adopted by the Big Ten, Pac-12 and West Coast conferences with two every.
The American Athletic and Mountain West conferences every had one ranked workforce.
ONE MORE
Subsequent week’s ballot marks the ultimate version for the 2022-23 season.
THE TOP 25
- Houston
- UCLA
- Kansas
- Alabama
- Purdue
- Marquette
- Texas
- Arizona
- Gonzaga
- Baylor
- Uconn
- Ok-State
- Virginia
- Miami
- Xavier
- Saint Mary’s
- Tennessee
- Texas A&M
- Indiana
- San Diego State
- Duke
- TCU
- Kentucky
- Creighton
- Missouri
Reporting by The Related Press.
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