Clemson up to #19 in AP Poll; ‘Nova back at #1

Villanova’s slide out of No. 1 in the AP Top 25 lasted just a week.

The Wildcats returned to the top spotin Monday’s poll after an upset-filled week that included losses by No. 1 Michigan State and No. 2 Duke. Villanova got 52 of 65 first-place votes to move up from third to No. 1, where it spent three weeks in December.

West Virginia climbed four spots to No. 2. This is the Mountaineers’ highest ranking since December 1959, in Jerry West’s senior season.

West Virginia (14-1) hasn’t lost since falling to Texas A&M on opening night. That run includes a December home win against Virginia and Saturday’s win against the Sooners and star freshman Trae Young.

Virginia climbed five spots to No. 3, followed by Michigan State. Purdue and Wichita State tied for No. 5.

Duke fell five spots to No. 7, followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Xavier to round out the top 10.

No. 8 Texas Tech was the week’s biggest climber. It moved up 10 spots after earning its first win at Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse in 18 tries along with a win against Kansas State for the program’s best ranking since being seventh in March 1996.

Fifth-ranked Purdue moved up eight spots for its highest ranking since February 2010 and carries an 11-game winning streak into Tuesday’s trip to Michigan. No. 13 Seton Hall also moved up eight spots, matching the biggest one-week AP Top 25 jump in its history.

Reigning national champion North Carolina took the biggest fall of any team that remained in the poll, sliding eight spots from No. 12 to No. 20 after road losses to now-No. 23 Florida State and Virginia. Arizona State fell seven spots to No. 11 after its overtime loss to Colorado.

No. 22 Auburn and No. 25 Creighton were new to the poll this week, though the Bluejays have been ranked in four previous polls this season. It’s a different deal for the Tigers, who are ranked for the first time since January 2003 after wins against ranked Southeastern Conference opponents Arkansas and Tennessee last week.

Arkansas fell out from No. 22 after losses to Mississippi State and Auburn, while Texas A&M went from 11th to unranked after losses to Florida and LSU.