ASU moves to No. 17 in AP poll after win over 1st-ranked Kansas
Dec 24, 2018, 10:30 AM | Updated: 10:31 am
Kansas forward David McCormack (33) and Arizona State guard Luguentz Dort scramble for the ball during the first half during an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Arizona State Sun Devils moved up one spot, from 18th to 17th, in the Associated Press college basketball top-25 poll after defeating No. 1-ranked Kansas on Saturday.
Now 9-2 on the year, the impact in the rankings of a 80-76 win at Wells Fargo Arena was limited after ASU fell on the road to Vanderbilt, 81-65, earlier in the week.
The Sun Devils’ win dropped the Jayhawks from first to fifth in the latest AP poll. A week after Kansas earned 56 of 65 first-place votes, it earned only four after suffering its first defeat of the year and falling to 10-1.
That allowed the Duke Blue Devils to rise from second to first, capturing 35 first-place votes. Second-place Michigan (9), third-place Tennessee (12) and fourth-place Virginia (4) also earned first-place votes this week.
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Arizona State is the only Pac-12 school to receive any votes in the AP rankings for the second week in a row.
With conference play starting in just more than a week, the Pac-12 has taken more than a fair share of hits over the past week.
Since last Monday, the conference has suffered a bevvy of defeats:
— Washington State lost to New Mexico State (75-72) and San Diego (82-75).
— Colorado fell against Hawaii (70-62) and Indiana State (72-67).
— Stanford dropped a game against San Francisco, 74-65.
— UCLA was blown out against Ohio State (80-66) and Cincinnati (93-64).
— Oregon State lost to Kent State, 66-63.
— Oregon fell to Baylor, 57-47.
— Cal lost to Fresno State, 95-73.
— USC fell to Santa Clara, 102-92.
