AP Poll Released: Butler Unseats Hoosiers from Top Spot
Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE
The AP Top 25 Poll had its first shakeup of the season this past week as the former No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers dropped a 88-86 overtime nail-biter to Butler.
The Hoosiers, who have spent the entire season at the top of the AP Polls, got a dose of reality by their in-state foes, which snapped a lengthy nine-game winning streak to start the season. The loss drops Indiana (9-1) to No. 6 overall, the biggest drop in the polls this week.
The win lifts Butler into the national spotlight and a No. 19 spot in this week’s polls. The mid-major squad has been one of the most consistent teams in the college basketball ranks and has tallied an impressive 8-2 record to start the year. That also comes with victories over North Carolina and now Indiana.
Still, Indiana is far from out of it. Most expects project the Hoosiers as a lock for a No. 1 seed in the March Madness tournament behind their star forward Cody Zeller.
Meanwhile, the Duke Blue Devils (9-0) have secured the top spot in the national bid with 62 first-place votes from the 65-member committee. The bid marks the 123rd week Duke has held the top spot in the national poll, which ranks second of all-time (11 weeks behind UCLA’s 134 week record).
Waiting in the wings are No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Syracuse, both remained undefeated this past week. Rounding out the top 10 are Arizona, Louisville, Ohio State, Florida, Kansas and Illinois.
One of the bigger upsets this past week was Arizona, whom defeated No. 5 ranked Florida (who dropped to No. 8) on Saturday night. The Wildcats (8-0) are still among the few undefeated teams this season and could unseat just about any of the top-3 teams in the next few weeks as the regular season takes shape.
Unfortunately, Arizona is one of the only consistent Pac-12 teams to make an impact at the national level. The UCLA Bruins, who were expected to be a legitimate title contender, have dropped out of the top-25 the past few weeks and can’t seem to gain an edge on the court with the highly sought after guard Shabazz Muhammad powering the team.
