Villanova latest No. 1 in AP poll; 6th top team this season

After holding the top spot in the polls for all of two weeks, OU men’s basketball has fallen to No. 3 in both the AP and Coaches polls that were released on Monday afternoon. The Wildcats had 1,566 points in the poll and 32 first-place votes, beating out No. 2 Maryland, which checked in with 1,499 points and 13 first-place votes. Villanova is the sixth different No. 1 team in just 14 weeks this season, joined by North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan State, Kansas and Oklahoma. Maryland (21-3, 13 first-place votes) is No. 2, followed by Oklahoma (19-3, 7), Iowa (19-3, 11) and Xavier (21-2). 2 North Carolina’s losses to Louisville and Notre Dame.

The ranking didn’t come easily, but they have definitely earned it with their 20-3 record, including two impressive wins over the Creighton Blue Jays and No. 11 Providence Friars last week. The Trojans return on a three-game winning streak and they have won six of eight, the losses on the same weekend to Oregon and Oregon State.

Kansas and Virginia both received one first-place vote.

Villanova guard Josh Hart, right, and Providence guard Ryan Fazekas, left, reach for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, in Providence, R.I.

ESPN college basketball prognosticator extraordinaire Joe Lunardi still believes in Oklahoma, despite the poor showing at K-State over the weekend, and continues to have OU on the one line in his latest “Bracketology” report (for the week of February 8).

No. 23 Southern Cal and No. 24 Texas are the week’s two newcomers, replacing IN and SC. 8 Texas A&M. It wasn’t enough to keep the Gamecocks, who are tied for second in the Southeastern Conference, from falling out after a one-week run.

The Wildcats also occupy the top spot in the USA Today Coaches poll.

The University of Dayton ranks No. 19.

The Big 12 has six teams ranked. Oklahoma, Xavier and Iowa round out the top five.

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