Kansas in latest hoops poll: No. 8 and holding
If you want an idea of the top eight seeds in the NCAA Tournament if the season ended today, check out The Associated Press basketball poll.
The top eight teams remain the same, and for bracket projectors, this is an easy call. If the season ended today, the first and second seeds likely would be Kentucky, Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke, Wisconsin, Villanova, Arizona and Kansas. It marks the third straight week the Jayhawks have been ranked No. 8.
Those teams filled the first two lines of the NCAA’s mock bracket exercise with media members in Indianapolis last week.
The Wildcats, who received all 65 first-place votes, and Cavaliers, are locks for the top two seeds. A case can be made for almost all of the other six to hold the final two top seeds.
In the Big 12, Iowa State is ranked No. 14, Oklahoma is 17th, Baylor 20th, Oklahoma State, 22nd and West Virginia 23rd.
Arkansas climbed six spots to No. 18 and is the only other ranked SEC team.
From the Missouri Valley, Northern Iowa is No. 11 and Wichita State 13th.
In the USA Today coaches poll, Kansas moved up one spot to No. 8.
The Associated Press top 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Feb. 15, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:
Record | Pts | Prv | |
1. Kentucky (65) | 25-0 | 1,625 | 1 |
2. Virginia | 23-1 | 1,524 | 2 |
3. Gonzaga | 26-1 | 1,475 | 3 |
4. Duke | 22-3 | 1,449 | 4 |
5. Wisconsin | 23-2 | 1,387 | 5 |
6. Villanova | 23-2 | 1,302 | 6 |
7. Arizona | 22-3 | 1,213 | 7 |
8. Kansas | 21-4 | 1,195 | 8 |
9. Utah | 20-4 | 1,051 | 11 |
10. Notre Dame | 22-4 | 1,038 | 10 |
11. N. Iowa | 24-2 | 955 | 13 |
12. Louisville | 20-5 | 882 | 9 |
13. Wichita St. | 23-3 | 862 | 15 |
14. Iowa St. | 18-6 | 761 | 14 |
15. North Carolina | 18-7 | 658 | 12 |
16. Maryland | 21-5 | 640 | 19 |
17. Oklahoma | 17-8 | 554 | 17 |
18. Arkansas | 20-5 | 476 | 24 |
19. Butler | 18-7 | 456 | 18 |
20. Baylor | 18-7 | 364 | 16 |
21. SMU | 21-5 | 299 | 25 |
22. Oklahoma St. | 17-8 | 240 | 21 |
23. West Virginia | 19-6 | 154 | 21 |
24. Ohio St. | 19-7 | 139 | 23 |
25. VCU | 19-6 | 109 | 20 |
Others receiving votes: Texas 70, San Diego St. 64, Providence 44, Murray St. 38, Temple 28, Georgetown 23, Michigan St. 17, Dayton 10, Texas A&M 8, Valparaiso 8, Indiana 7.
USA Today coaches poll
The top 25 teams in the USA Today men’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Feb. 15, points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
Record | Pts | Pvs | |
1. Kentucky (31) | 25-0 | 799 | 1 |
2. Gonzaga (1) | 26-1 | 745 | 2 |
3. Virginia | 23-1 | 729 | 3 |
4. Wisconsin | 23-2 | 708 | 4 |
5. Duke | 22-3 | 690 | 5 |
6. Villanova | 23-2 | 647 | 6 |
7. Arizona | 22-3 | 589 | 7 |
8. Kansas | 21-4 | 566 | 9 |
9. Utah | 20-4 | 520 | 10 |
10. Notre Dame | 22-4 | 505 | 11 |
11. Northern Iowa | 24-2 | 469 | 12 |
12. Louisville | 20-5 | 444 | 8 |
13. Wichita State | 23-3 | 436 | 13 |
14. Iowa State | 18-6 | 370 | 14 |
15. Maryland | 21-5 | 314 | 19 |
16. North Carolina | 18-7 | 277 | 15 |
17. Arkansas | 20-5 | 257 | 23 |
17. Oklahoma | 17-8 | 257 | 17 |
19. Butler | 18-7 | 226 | 18 |
20. Baylor | 18-7 | 155 | 16 |
21. SMU | 21-5 | 131 | 25 |
22. West Virginia | 19-6 | 119 | 20 |
23. Ohio State | 19-7 | 99 | 21 |
24. Oklahoma State | 17-8 | 69 | 24 |
25. San Diego State | 20-6 | 61 | — |
Others receiving votes: VCU 51, Texas 32, Providence 22, Indiana 20, Michigan State 20, Dayton 17, Georgetown 16, Stephen F. Austin 12, Murray State 10, Valparaiso 8, Texas A&M 3, Iowa 2, LSU 2, Boise State 1, Colorado State 1, Rhode Island 1.
To reach Blair Kerkhoff, call 816-234-4730 or send email to bkerkhoff@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @BlairKerkhoff.
This story was originally published February 16, 2015 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Kansas in latest hoops poll: No. 8 and holding."