AP Top 25 - Week 14

After their loss to Miami, the North Carolina Tar Heels bounced back last week to win two straight against ACC opponents. A day after defeating a ranked but slumping Notre Dame squad, the Heels are back in the top ten of the AP Poll.

Here is the full AP Top 25 from Week 14:

1. Gonzaga (59) 24-0
2. Villanova (6) 22-2
3. Kansas 20-3
4. Louisville 19-4
5. Oregon 21-3
6. Baylor 20-3
7. Wisconsin 20-3
8. North Carolina 21-4
9. Arizona 21-3
10. UCLA 21-3
11. Cincinnati 21-2
12. Virginia 17-5
13. West Virginia
14. Florida State 20-4
15. Kentucky 18-5
16. Purdue 19-5
17. Florida 18-5
18. Duke 18-5
19. South Carolina 19-4
20. Saint Mary's 21-2
21. Maryland 20-3
22. Butler 18-5
23. Creighton 20-4
24. Xavier 17-6
25. SMU 20-4

Where is UNC?

The Tar Heels moved up four spots to #8 in this week’s poll. UNC is ranked #7 in the Coaches Poll.

Biggest Losers

• Notre Dame and Northwestern both dropped from the rankings this week. The Irish are spiraling with four straight losses. After sneaking into the Top 25 last week, Northwestern got thumped by 21 points against Purdue.
• Kentucky dropped seven spots in the poll after surviving in overtime against Georgia at home and then got pounded by the Gators down in Gainesville. The Wildcats have lost three of their last four.
• Butler and West Virginia both dropped six spots this week. Butler has dropped two straight in the Big East after their home loss to Creighton last week. West Virginia lost at home to an unranked Oklahoma State team. The Mountaineers blew a four-point halftime lead and were held off by the Cowboys in the last five minutes.

Biggest Winners

• New to the Top 25 this week are Xavier and SMU. The Musketeers were ranked as high as seventh in the AP Poll this season, but had a losing streak during a tough stretch in their schedule. Their win over Creighton last week pushed them back into the Top 25. The Mustangs have only one loss since November, a two-point defeat on the road to ranked Cincinnati on January 12.
• Oregon moved up eight spots after demolishing then-ranked #5 Arizona by 27 points last week. With that victory, the Ducks have the tie-break advantage over the Wildcats atop the Pac-12.
• Both Florida and Purdue moved up seven spots in the AP Poll. The Gators easily handled both Missouri and Kentucky last week in home games. Purdue was undefeated last week against ranked teams, beating Northwestern at home and winning a thriller in College Park against Maryland.

On the Outside Looking In

• Wichita State is the first team outside the Top 25. The Shockers have two Power Five wins on their resume, but against not very good teams. Wichita State is tied with Illinois State for the lead in the MVC and had a decisive win against them last week.
• USC has been a fringe AP Top 25 all season, reaching #22 in late December. Southern Cal is riding a four game win streak that includes a win over rival UCLA.

Top 25 Conference Breakdown

• ACC: 5 teams
• American: 2 teams
• Big East: 4 teams
• Big Ten: 3 teams
• Big 12: 3 teams
• Pac-12: 3 teams
• SEC: 3 teams
• West Coast: 2 teams

Best Top 25 Games this Week

• Thursday night. Carolina versus Duke Dook. Cameron Hansbrough Indoor Stadium. 8:00 PM. Mute the TV and listen to Jones and Eric. Go where you go, and do what you do.

Upset Alert

• Watch out for Oklahoma State against Baylor. The Cowboys are streaking and the Bears are slumping. Tip is 7:00 PM ET on ESPNU.
• K-State could jump on West Virginia on Saturday at noon. This could be a trap game for the Mountaineers as they play could be looking ahead to playing Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on ESPN’s Big Monday game. Kansas State is playing in their toughest stretch of their conference schedule and kicked it off with a win at then-ranked #2 Baylor last Saturday.
• If Notre Dame can get a win at home against Wake Forest tonight, they might be settled enough to keep it close against Florida State on Saturday in South Bend, especially if they get their outside shots start to fall.