The brand new yr is right here, which suggests crew play is underway throughout the school basketball scene.
And whereas we can’t be beginning 2023 with a brand new senior crew, the final week of December noticed a variety of 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 faculty basketball.
UConn, after a formidable 14-game profitable streak in its greatest begin to a season since 1998, dropped its first sport Saturday in Cincinnati. Xavier, although unwell Jack Nung, I received knocked out by the Huskies, 83-73.
The Knights completed the match tied 12-2 within the last, practically two and a half minutes, to attain their eighth consecutive victory. They jumped 4 locations on this week’s rankings to 18th after their largest win of the season. Their solely losses got here in November by the hands of GonzagaAnd the Indiana And the dukeall in single digits.
Whereas innocent, UConn’s loss prevents the Huskies from overtaking Purdue on this week’s rankings. They fell two locations to fourth.
“The set could be very low,” UConn coach Dan Hurley stated after the loss, by way of the Related Press. “These guys wished to make an announcement on the street and have an opportunity to be No. 1 on Monday. Xavier is nearly as good as anybody within the league. Not many groups within the nation might have come right here and win that sport.”
Boilermakers held onto the highest spot once more this week. They’ve a 13-0 report heading into the Monday night time sport with Rutgers. The one different undefeated crew in faculty basketball is New Mexico, who had been by a slim margin He survived 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 Chook
There have been a variety of shut calls, however the Longhorns are nonetheless undefeated since their loss to move coach Chris Beard.
Texas blocked a late push from Oklahoma on Saturday to win by one level at Norman, their fifth since then Beard has been suspended amid allegations of home abuse.
The Longhorns (12-1) stay in sixth place on this week’s ballot.
It’s not clear when, or if, Beard will return to the Longhorns after him Felony assault final month. Affiliate head coach Rodney Terry took Chook’s place as appearing head coach, maintaining issues working as easily as attainable. Texas will host Kansas State on Tuesday earlier than touring to Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Miami continues to be rolling
Properly, let’s discuss Miami.
The Hurricanes weren’t seeded to start out the season, and their loss to Maryland of their fifth sport appeared to help that call by ballot voters.
Since then, nonetheless, Jim Larranaga’s crew 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 gained 9 straight video games, most not too long ago a 76-65 victory over Notre Dame on Friday. The win adopted a large two-point win over Virginia the earlier week, which was the Cavaliers’ second straight loss and despatched them down within the polls.
Despite the fact that ACC convention play is simply starting, Miami has definitely inserted itself into the dialog. The Hurricanes are thus far undefeated in league competitors, and with a win over Virginia beneath their belt, they’ve confirmed they’ll run with nearly anybody. Isaiah Wong can be enjoying nice, averaging 17.1 factors and 4.6 rebounds per sport. 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 sport with North Carolina loom massive within the coming months. However not less than for now, they look like the most popular crew within the ACC.
High 25 AP Full
The complete Related Press High 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 acquired 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