Arizona still No. 1; MU out of poll

Arizona was No. 1 in the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the fourth time in five weeks Monday, while three teams moved in at the bottom of the Top 25, two for the first time this season.

The Wildcats (20-2) beat UCLA and Southern California by an average of more than 30 points last week to hold the top spot for a second straight week and 10th time this season.

Arizona received 59 first-place votes and 1,786 points from the national media panel, while Kentucky (20-3), which has the nation’s longest current winning streak at 14 games, moved up one spot to second.

Kentucky, which beat Georgia and LSU last week, had the other 13 votes for No. 1 and 1,738 points. The Wildcats have their highest ranking since they were No. 2 in the final poll of the 1995-96 season; they went on to win the national championship.

Utah, Purdue and Dayton moved into the rankings this week at Nos. 23-25, the first appearance for Utah and Dayton since the 2000-01 season.

Missouri, Connecticut and Saint Joseph’s fell out of the poll, the first time this season Missouri and Connecticut have not been in the rankings. Both teams were ranked in the Preseason Top 25, meaning 12 of the schools in the season’s first poll are no longer ranked.

Texas moved up three spots to No. 3, while Louisville, which had its 17-game winning streak snapped last Wednesday at Saint Louis, dropped from second to fourth.

Oklahoma stayed at No. 5 and was followed by Kansas University, Florida, Duke, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest.