The brand new 12 months is right here, which implies staff play is underway throughout the school basketball scene.
And whereas we can’t be beginning 2023 with a brand new senior staff, the final week of December noticed numerous pleasure throughout the game.
Here is all the things you missed from Week 8 of the season and the newest Related Press males’s basketball ballot.
UConn fell final, leaving two undefeated groups
There are solely two undefeated groups left in school basketball.
UConn, after a formidable 14-game profitable streak in its finest begin to a season since 1998, dropped its first recreation Saturday in Cincinnati. Xavier, regardless of an ailing Jack Nung, was knocked out by the Huskies, 83-73.
The Knights completed the match tied 12-2 within the ultimate, practically two and a half minutes, to attain their eighth consecutive victory. They jumped 4 locations on this week’s rankings to No. 18 in what’s by far their greatest win of the season. Their solely losses got here by the hands of Gonzaga, Indiana, and Duke, though they have been all in single digits.
Whereas UConn’s loss is not at all detrimental, it does forestall the Huskies from overtaking Purdue on this week’s rankings. They fell two locations to fourth.
“The set may be very low,” UConn coach Dan Hurley stated after the loss through the Related Press. “These guys needed to make an announcement on the street and have an opportunity to be No. 1 on Monday. Xavier is pretty much as good as anybody within the league. Not many groups within the nation may have come right here and win that recreation.”
Boilermakers held the lead once more this week. They pulled off a 13-0 file going into Monday evening’s recreation with Rutgers. The one different undefeated staff in school basketball is New Mexico, which narrowly escaped a one-point battle with Wyoming on Saturday. The Lobos jumped one place this week, to No. 21.
Texas is 5-0 since dropping Chris Chicken
There have been numerous shut calls, however the Longhorns are nonetheless undefeated for the reason that lack of head coach Chris Beard.
Texas held off a late push by Oklahoma on Saturday for a one-point win on Norman, its fifth since Beard has been suspended amid allegations of home abuse.
The Longhorns, now 12-1, stay in sixth place on this week’s ballot.
It is not clear when, or if, Beard will return to the Longhorns after him Felony assault final month. Affiliate head coach Rodney Terry took Chicken’s place because the staff’s performing head coach, apparently holding issues shifting as easily as attainable. Texas will host Kansas State on Tuesday earlier than touring to Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Miami continues to be rolling
Effectively, let’s speak about Miami.
The Hurricanes weren’t seeded to begin the season, and their loss to Maryland of their fifth recreation appeared to assist that call by ballot voters.
Since then, nevertheless, Jim Larranaga’s staff has been distraught. They moved up two locations this week to No. 12 within the newest ballot, only one level behind Virginia.
The Hurricanes have received 9 straight video games, the newest coming with a 76-65 victory over Notre Dame on Friday. The win adopted a large two-point win over Virginia the earlier week, which marked the Cavaliers’ second straight loss and put them down within the polls.
Although ACC convention play is simply starting, Miami has actually inserted itself into the dialog. The Hurricanes are to date undefeated in league competitors, and with a win over Virginia underneath their belt, they’ve confirmed they’ll run with nearly anybody. Isaiah Wong can also be taking part in nice, averaging 17.1 factors and 4.6 rebounds per recreation. Oh, and Duke and North Carolina are nonetheless struggling — opening up the ACC to Miami to step in immediately.
The Hurricanes have but to show their price, and two video games towards Duke and a street recreation with North Carolina loom giant within the coming months. However at the very least for now, they look like the most well liked staff within the ACC.
Prime 25 AP Full
The total Related Press Prime 25 ballot on Monday, January 2:
1. Purdue (13-0)
2 – Houston (14-1)
3 – Kansas (12-1)
4 – Ocon (14-1)
5- Arizona (13-1)
6. Texas (12-1)
7- Alabama (11-2)
8. Tennessee (11-2)
9 – Gonzaga (12 – 3)
10. UCLA (13-2)
11. Virginia (10-2)
12- Miami (13-1)
13 – Arkansas (11-2)
14. Wisconsin (10-2)
15. Indiana (10-3)
16. The Duke (11-3)
17. TCU (12-1)
18. Xavier (12-3)
19 – Baylor (10-3)
20- Missouri (12-2)
21 – New Mexico (14-0)
22 – Auburn (11-2)
23 – Charleston (14-1)
24- Ohio State (10-3)
25- Iowa (10-2).
The others had votes: LSU 83, San Diego State 72, Mississippi State 62, Kentucky 53, Kansas State 41, Illinois 21, Marquette 20, Windfall 14, Virginia Tech 7, Memphis 6, West Virginia 5, Michigan State 5, Florida Atlantic 3, Creighton 1