How I voted in the college basketball AP poll: UCLA No. 3

Saturday’s win at Arizona moved UCLA moved up two spots in the AP poll to No. 3, which is where I voted the Bruins on my Associated Press ballot. Snapping Arizona’s 21-game winning streak at McKale Center and getting their third win against a top-5 team this season was a large statement, to put it lightly.

How I voted in the AP poll:
1. Villanova
2. Kansas
3. UCLA

Winning its third game of the season against a top 5 team and snapping Arizona’s 21-game home winning streak on Saturday was a massive statement by UCLA, which seems to have legitimately improved its defense over the last month.
4. Arizona
Losing to a hot UCLA team isn’t an indictment on an Arizona team that is one of the most solidly built rosters in the country. A strong defensive team with a fresh Allonzo Trier makes the Wildcats a scary tournament team.
5. North Carolina
6. Gonzaga

Trying to compare Gonzaga to the rest of the major conference teams it’s surrounded by at the top of the polls is almost like apples and oranges. BYU isn’t exactly a titan and to drop a home game to an opponent of that caliber is a substantial hit to the Zags.
7. Oregon
The Ducks didn’t lose last week, but barely escaping Cal with a comeback win and nearly dropping one at lowly Stanford seems to be a sign this team is moving in the wrong direction at the wrong time of year.
8. Louisville
9. Kentucky
10. Florida
11. Baylor
12. West Virginia
13. Florida State
14. Cincinnati
15. Purdue
16. Butler
17. Duke
18. Wisconsin
19. SMU
20. Saint Mary’s
21. Notre Dame
22. Virginia
23. Wichita State
24. Dayton
25. Creighton

The actual AP top 25
1. Kansas (58)
2. Villanova (2)
3. UCLA (3)
4. Gonzaga (2)
5. North Carolina
6. Oregon
7. Arizona
8. Louisville
9. Kentucky
10. West Virginia
11. Baylor
12. Florida
13. Butler
14. SMU
15. Florida State
16. Purdue
17. Duke
18. Cincinnati
19. Notre Dame
20. Saint Mary’s
21. Wichita State
22. Wisconsin
23. Virginia
24. Iowa State
25. Miami
Others receiving votes: Minnesota 66, Oklahoma State 54, Dayton 32, Michigan 14, Middle Tennessee 13, Creighton 12, Southern Cal 7, Michigan State 3, Monmouth 3, Vermont 2, VCU 2, Virginia Tech 2, Arkansas 1, BYU 1, Maryland 1, Princeton 1.