Arizona (13-0) retained its ranking atop the latest AP men's college basketball polls. It's their spot to lose; I don't think a #1 team has ever ceded its place this deep into the season without actually losing a game. Even in college football, the occurrence is super rare (can't think of the last or the latest time it's ever happened in NCAAF either). Another interesting piece of trivia fuel would be to find the last time a #1 team has kept its spot after a loss.
Syracuse (12-0), off one of the stranger wins of the college basketball season against now #11 Villanova (11-1), is less than a hundred points away (1550 to 1620) from Arizona in the AP's scoring system. Whatever those numbers mean (something to do with points awarded to particular votes), their distance is closer than that of Syracuse and the #3 team, Ohio State (13-0). The last unbeaten team in the top five is #4 Wisconsin (13-0). Michigan State (11-1) leads the one-loss teams at #5.
Four more teams remain undefeated after Villanova left the group: #8 Wichita State, #10 Oregon, #13 Iowa State, and unranked Toledo. They play at Kansas tonight, 8:00 p.m. EST (not on television).
Most teams will begin conference play once the new year begins. Arizona opens up league play against Washington State (7-5) Jan. 2. An interesting matchup for the Wildcats down the road could be #20 Colorado (11-2) on Jan. 23, who beat Kansas earlier in the year (but who hasn't?) and enters its second year in the Pac-12. Other than that, the Pac-12 could be weak enough to give Arizona a chance at an undefeated season, depending on how good Oregon and Colorado actually are, and if any other schools emerge.
#15 Kentucky (10-3) faced the greatest potential drop in the latest polls had it lost to Louisville on Saturday. Likely, the Wildcats would have fell outside the top 25 for accruing their fourth loss. Instead, they jumped a few spots, just behind Louisville, who fell nearly ten spots to #14.
Back, briefly, to the Villanova game. In case you missed it, Jay Wright's Wildcats started the game on fire, including four three pointers from senior James Bell (16 ppg) and a 23-7 first half lead. When 'Nova's quick three pointers began to fail, Syracuse ran off 20 straight points for an eventual four point halftime lead. Villanova failed to truly adjust to the Orange's zone in the second half and they ended up losing by 16. It remains to be seen, however, just how telling that game really was, for most teams don't play zone and most teams aren't quite as big as Syracuse. Still, 'Nova's lack of size could become an issue, which forces them to rely on the three-pointer too much. That could have also been a product of the zone, too. For now, Jay Wright's team of feisty competitors retains its high potential.
Also from the Syracuse game: As good as leading scorer C.J. Fair looked, the jump shot of Trevor Cooney (14 ppg) and the potential of Jeremi Grant (12 ppg) might have looked even better.
