How I voted in the college basketball AP poll: UCLA shorted

UCLA basketball remained at No. 4 in the AP poll this week despite Villanova's loss.

UCLA basketball remained at No. 4 in the AP poll this week despite Villanova’s loss.

Villanova’s first loss of the season should have positively affected UCLA’s ranking, in my opinion. But the Bruins were not part of the shift at the top of the AP poll today that dropped former No. 1 Villanova to No. 3, bumped Baylor to No. 1, Kansas to No. 2 and left UCLA at No. 4 for a second straight week.

To its credit, Villanova has the top RPI in the country, but neither of its big wins – at Purdue and at Creighton – are as impressive as UCLA’s biggest win, at Kentucky. It can be argued that Villanova’s schedule is deeper than UCLA’s, but the Bruins are gaining ground in that respect now that they’re into Pac-12 play.

I dropped USC out of my poll after Sunday’s loss to Cal. I still believe the Trojans are a NCAA tournament team that will finish in the top tier of the Pac-12, but the shine is starting to come off USC after its undefeated run through a weak non-conference schedule.

How I voted in the Week 10 men’s college basketball AP poll:
1.Baylor
2. UCLA

The Bruins are still maturing, which is scary considering how good they already are, but have been dominant when focused. Thursday’s first half against Cal is a prime example when UCLA built a 20-point first-half lead on a team that will easily make the NCAA tournament and finish in the top tier of a good conference.
3. Kansas
4. Kentucky
5. Villanova
6. Gonzaga
7. Creighton
8. Oregon

The Ducks’ Dec. 28 win over UCLA convinced me that this team has returned to the form that made it the preseason No. 5 team in the country. With Oregon, it seems very simple to me. Their best player, Dillon Brooks, wasn’t healthy in either of their losses, one of which was to the No. 1 team in the country.
9. Louisville
10. Virginia
11. Duke
12. Florida State

I can’t imagine a much more difficult three-week stretch than the one the Seminoles are facing. They’ll play six ranked teams in a row – such is life in the ACC – and so far they are unscathed through the first week, collecting wins over Virginia and Virginia Tech, two teams I’m high on.
13. Butler
14. Purdue
15. Notre Dame
16. Wisconsin
17. West Virginia
18. North Carolina
19. Arizona

Arizona seems to be hitting its stride at the right time. And its two losses are only looking better as Gonzaga remains undefeated and Butler continues to climb in the rankings. The Wildcats may be Pac-12 title contenders without Allonzo Trier, who coach Sean Miller said on Saturday “will play sometime this season.”
20. St. Mary’s (Cal.)
21. Xavier
22. Florida
23. Minnesota
24. Cincinnati
25. Maryland

The actual Week 10 AP poll:
1. Baylor (55)
2. Kansas (8)
3. Villanova (1)
4. UCLA (1)
5. Gonzaga
6. Kentucky
7. Duke
8. Creighton
9. Florida State
10. West Virginia
11. North Carolina
12. Butler
13. Oregon
14. Louisville
15. Xavier
16. Arizona
17. Purdue
18. Wisconsin
19. Virginia
20. Notre Dame
21. Saint Mary’s
22. Cincinnati
23. Florida
24. Minnesota
T25. USC
T25. Kansas State
Others receiving votes: Seton Hall 11, South Carolina 7, Iowa State 7, Indiana 6, Virginia Tech 6, Maryland 5, SMU 5, Clemson 4, UNC-Wilmington 3, VCU 3, Nevada 2, Dayton 2, Wichita State 2.