NCAA Men’s Basketball AP Top 25 Rankings – Week 17


The Kansas Jayhawks take over the No. 1 spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings after Gonzaga’s stunning loss over the weekend prevented the Bulldogs from completing an undefeated regular season.


Gonzaga’s quest for a perfect 30-0 regular-season ended late Saturday night when the Bulldogs suffered a shocking 79-71 home loss to BYU, which won at The Kennel for a third straight season. The Zags’ critics surely enjoyed that defeat, as some still don’t believe they’re worthy of being labeled on of the best teams in the country.

That turn of events led to Kansas claiming the No. 1 spot in the latest edition of the AP Top 25 rankings, with Gonzaga falling to No. 4. The Jayhawks are 26-3 and 14-2 in the Big 12 after claiming at least a share of their 13th consecutive regular-season conference championship. They also jumped Villanova, which remained No. 2 after losing to Butler on Wednesday at home and beating Creighton on Saturday.

UCLA’s win at Arizona on Saturday night helped it move up two spots to No. 3, and North Carolina rounded out the Top 5 with a three-spot leap.

Butler’s win over Villanova gave it the biggest jump in the poll, as it went from No. 22 to No. 13. Duke had a significant drop falling seven spots to No. 17, and Wisconsin, which has lost four of its last five games, fell from No. 16 to No. 22.

Iowa State and Miami are the only newcomers to the poll, checking in at No. 24 and No. 25, respectively. Here’s a look at the rest of the AP Top 25.

Week 17 AP Top 25 Rankings

  1. Kansas Jayhawks (26-3, 3 previous rank)
  2. Villanova Wildcats (27-3, 2)
  3. UCLA Bruins (26-3, 5)
  4. Gonzaga Bulldogs (29-1, 1)
  5. North Carolina Tar Heels (25-5, 8)
  6. Oregon Ducks (26-4, 7)
  7. Arizona Wildcats (26-4, 4)
  8. Louisville Cardinals (23-6, 7)
  9. Kentucky Wildcats (24-5, 11)
  10. West Virginia Mountaineers (23-6, 12)
  11. Baylor Bears (23-6, 9)
  12. Florida Gators (23-6, 13)
  13. Butler Bulldogs (23-6, 22)
  14. SMU Mustangs (25-4, 17)
  15. Florida State Seminoles (23-6, 19)
  16. Purdue Boilermakers (24-6, 14)
  17. Duke Blue Devils (22-7, 10)
  18. Cincinnati Bearcats (25-4, 15)
  19. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (22-7, 21)
  20. Saint Mary’s Gaels (26-3, 20)
  21. Wichita State Shockers (27-4, 25)
  22. Wisconsin Badgers (22-7, 16)
  23. Virginia Cavaliers (19-9, 18)
  24. Iowa State Cyclones (19-9, NR)
  25. Miami Hurricanes (20-8, NR)

Next five receiving votes: Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Dayton, Michigan, Middle Tennessee

MORE: Baylor vs. West Virginia Prediction, Game Preview