Losses to L.A. schools have Wildcats falling in latest polls
Jan 11, 2016, 12:52 PM | Updated: 2:14 pm
Arizona forward Mark Tollefsen, left, and Southern California forward Darion Clark (0) fight for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
(AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
After getting swept by the Los Angeles schools over the weekend, the Arizona Wildcats’ rankings took a hit in the latest college basketball polls released Monday.
The Wildcats (13-3, 1-2 in the Pac-12 Conference) fell 11 spots to No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and fell 10 spots in the USA Today coaches poll to No. 16.
Entering their games against UCLA and USC, the Wildcats were ranked No. 7 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the coaches poll. But a 87-84 loss to unranked UCLA on Thursday followed by a quadruple-overtime, 103-101 loss to unranked USC, sent Arizona sinking.
The Wildcats are the only team from the Pac-12 ranked in either poll, although USC, UCLA and Oregon received votes in both polls and California and Washington picked some votes in the coaches’ poll.
Arizona returns home this week to face Washington on Thursday and Washington State on Saturday. The Wildcats currently own the nation’s longest active home winning streak with 47 consecutive victories.
