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Villanova jumps up to No. 1 in AP men's basketball Top 25

The Wildcats (10-0) earned 41 of 65 first-place votes to hop over Michigan State, which some observers had expected to take the top spot.

Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright hasn’t got too much to complain about at the moment, as his team is 10-0 and is now ranked No. 1 in the nation in the AP Top 25 poll.
Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright hasn’t got too much to complain about at the moment, as his team is 10-0 and is now ranked No. 1 in the nation in the AP Top 25 poll.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT/Staff Photographer
    by Aaron Beard, The Associated Press | Columnist
    Published 

Villanova is the new No. 1 in the AP Top 25, while Arizona State made a big leap after a tumultuous week in which half of the top 10 lost.

The Wildcats (10-0) were fourth but earned 41 of 65 first-place votes to hop over Michigan State, which earned 19 first-place votes to climb from third to second. They were the favorites to take over at the top following unanimous No. 1 Duke's weekend loss at Boston College.

Wichita State climbed three spots to No. 3, followed by Duke and Arizona State. The Sun Devils (9-0) jumped 11 spots and earned the other five first-place votes after winning at then-No. 2 Kansas to extend their best start since the 1974-75 season.

The Jayhawks fell to No. 13 after two losses.

The full top 25:

1. Villanova (41 first place votes)

2. Michigan St. (19)

3. Wichita State

4. Duke

5. Arizona State (5)

6. Miami

7. North Carolina

8. Kentucky

9. Texas A&M

10. Xavier

11. West Virginia

12. Gonzaga

13. Kansas

14. TCU

15. Seton Hall

16. Virginia

17. Purdue

18. Notre Dame

19. Florida State

20. Tennessee

21. Baylor

22. Florida

23. Arizona

24. Texas Tech

25. Cincinnati