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Top 25: Week of 12/26

It’s time for the last rankings check in of 2022.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: DEC 17 CBS Sports Classic - UNC vs Ohio State Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

We’re into the final week of 2022. It’s been a memorable year in UNC athletics, which includes both glorious, frustrating, and heartbreaking moments and games. Before 2023 gets underway and the basketball season gets fully into conference play on the march to March, let’s check in on where the Top 25 rankings stand this week.

Men’s Basketball

AP Top 25

  1. Purdue (40 first place votes)
  2. UConn (20)
  3. Houston
  4. Kansas
  5. Arizona
  6. Texas
  7. Tennessee
  8. Alabama
  9. Arkansas
  10. Gonzaga
  11. UCLA
  12. Baylor
  13. Virginia
  14. Miami
  15. Wisconsin
  16. Indiana
  17. Duke
  18. TCU
  19. Kentucky
  20. Auburn
  21. Mississippi State
  22. Xavier (tied for #22)
  23. New Mexico (tied for #22)
  24. West Virginia
  25. North Carolina

Where is UNC?

Well, well, well. After the four-game losing streak took the Tar Heels from #1 all the way to out of the poll, Carolina is back. UNC are now at #25 after the recent winning streak, including the Ohio State and Michigan wins.

Biggest Winners

While the Heels getting back in is good, it was a different ACC team that had the biggest jump of the week. Miami moved up eight spots after they increased their win streak to eight games. The eighth win happened to come against then #6 Virginia.

Biggest Losers

Virginia fell seven spots as a result of that loss, but they were topped by Illinois. The Illini went from #16 to unranked and the unofficial #29 after their recent play, which includes a blowout loss to Missouri.

Conference Breakdown

Marquee Matchups This Week

  • #19 Kentucky (8-3) at Missouri (11-1) - Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET on SEC Network
  • #8 Alabama (10-2) at #21 Mississippi State (11-1) - Wednesday at 9 PM ET on SEC Network
  • #2 UConn (13-0, 2-0 Big East) at #22 Xavier (10-3, 2-0 Big East) - Saturday at 12:00 PM ET on FOX

Women’s Basketball

AP Top 25

  1. South Carolina (28 first place votes)
  2. Stanford
  3. Ohio State
  4. Indiana
  5. Notre Dame
  6. NC State
  7. Virginia Tech
  8. UConn
  9. LSU
  10. UCLA
  11. Utah
  12. Iowa
  13. North Carolina
  14. Michigan
  15. Iowa State
  16. Maryland
  17. Oregon
  18. Arizona
  19. Gonzaga
  20. Oklahoma
  21. Creighton
  22. Kansas
  23. Baylor
  24. Arkansas
  25. St. John’s

Where is UNC?

The Tar Heels unfortunately went the wrong way this week. Carolina dropped out of the top ten and fell to #13 after taking a loss to Michigan at the women’s edition of the Jumpman Invitational.

Biggest Winners

The Wolverines actually used their victory over Carolina as a springboard for the biggest jump of the week. Michigan moved up five spots to #14 in an otherwise quiet week, which featured no new additions or subtractions from last week.

Biggest Losers

As you might be able to guess from the “quiet week” part, UNC’s seven spot fall was the biggest of the week. However, one other team tied them. Arkansas also dropped seven places, falling to #24 after taking losses to Oregon and South Florida.

Conference Breakdown

  • Big Ten: 5
  • Pac-12: 5
  • ACC: 4
  • Big 12: 4
  • Big East: 3
  • SEC: 3
  • WCC: 1

Marquee Matchups This Week

  • #9 LSU (12-0) at #24 Arkansas (13-2) - Thursday at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN2
  • #10 UCLA (12-1, 1-0 Pac-12) at #17 Oregon (10-2. 1-0 Pac-12) - Friday at 9:00 PM ET on Pac-12 Network
  • #14 Michigan (11-1, 1-0 Big Ten) at #3 Ohio State (13-0, 2-0 Big Ten) - Saturday at 1:00 PM ET on Big Ten Network