Merry Day After Christmas! I belief that the vacation handled everybody effectively, despite the fact that there have been treasured few faculty basketball video games to garner our consideration. In consequence, there wasn’t an entire lot of motion on the high of my poll. The excellent news is there are many nice matchups on faucet for this week, cresting with a jam-packed New Yr’s Eve slate on Saturday. Within the meantime, permit me to unfold my ordinary vacation cheer by presenting the right order of the highest 25 groups in faculty basketball, as submitted to the Related Press final weekend. Bear in mind, no man is a failure who has polls.

Dropped out: Illinois (13), Iowa (21), Virginia Tech (23), Mississippi State (24)

Virtually Well-known: Auburn, Boise State, Creighton, Maryland, Penn State, Windfall, Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, UAB, Utah State, West Virginia

Notes on the votes

• Because of the mild slate, my high eight groups remained in the identical order from final week. I’m certain that would be the final time this season I’ll be capable of say that. The one group that fell out of my high 10 was Virginia, which misplaced at Miami. There’s no disgrace in dropping to a ranked group by a bucket, and Reece Beekman remains to be hobbled by a sore hamstring. And despite the fact that that was the Cavaliers’ second straight loss, the one earlier than got here at house towards top-five Houston. So the Cavs solely dropped three spots. They’ve 4 very winnable video games developing, after which they play North Carolina at house Jan. 10.

• I didn’t have Miami on my poll final week despite the fact that the Hurricanes have been 11-1, as a result of their two Quad 1 wins have been over UCF (street) and Rutgers (house), though by my eyes the extra spectacular win was over Windfall, 74-64, on a impartial court docket. However Miami validated the boldness of my fellow AP voters with that win over Virginia. The metrics don’t like this group (No. 48 NET, No. 38 KenPom, No. 52 BartTorvik), however the Canes cross the attention check. They could possibly be 18-1 once they play at Duke on Jan. 21.

• As I’ve talked about numerous instances on this house, nothing makes a voter’s choices extra sophisticated than accidents, sicknesses and different personnel points. I identified final week in Hoop Ideas that Creighton was a really totally different group with out Ryan Kalkbrenner, who missed three video games (all losses) with a non-COVID-19 sickness. Kalkbrenner returned for the Bluejays’ house recreation towards Butler, they usually gained, 78-56. They adopted that up with an 80-65 win over DePaul on Christmas Day. Hopefully Kalkbrenner stays wholesome and efficient, as a result of Creighton has a giant week developing with video games towards Seton Corridor (house) and UConn (away).

• Indiana moved up two spots as a result of two groups that have been ranked forward of the Hoosiers final week dropped. However this group has a significant harm concern with 6-3 senior level guard Xavier Johnson, who had surgical procedure on the foot he injured early within the loss at Kansas. It is unnecessary to punish a group for an harm when it hasn’t misplaced any video games, however by the identical token we are able to’t give the Hoosiers any aid on this entrance as a result of it seems like Johnson will probably be out for many of the season, at the very least. And who is aware of? Perhaps Indiana is simply pretty much as good if not higher with Johnson out. I’ll have an interest to see if sophomore guard Tamar Bates will get extra taking part in time, and in that case, what he does with it.

• Iowa was an actual pickle. The Hawkeyes suffered a surprising loss at house on Wednesday to Japanese Illinois. Sure, they didn’t have Kris Murray, who has now missed 4 straight video games with a left foot harm, and Connor McCaffery, who was sidelined by an injured hand. However we’re nonetheless speaking about an opponent that got here in 3-9 and is ranked No. 347 on KenPom even after that win. The Hawkeyes needed to drop a couple of spots, and since they have been No. 21 final week, they ran out of actual property. They play at Nebraska and Penn State this week, so even when they win each video games they are going to in all probability keep unranked on my poll for at the very least one other week.

• I used to be truly just a little stunned North Carolina wasn’t ranked within the AP ballot final week. I used to be much more stunned that the Tar Heels have been behind Charleston within the “Others receiving votes” part in each polls despite the fact that the Tar Heels beat the Cougars by 16 factors on Nov. 11 and are 75 spots forward of them on KenPom. The Tar Heels validated my vote by beating Michigan in Charlotte final week. I notice the Wolverines are unranked, however as I’ve detailed earlier than, none of North Carolina’s 4 losses have been dangerous ones, and its present four-game win streak contains an time beyond regulation victory over Ohio State in Madison Sq. Backyard.

• What to make of Duke? The Blue Devils suffered a nasty loss at Wake Forest, however they have been taking part in with out two key freshmen, Dereck Full of life II and Dariq Whitehead. I leaned on the metrics for this one. Duke is No. 17 within the NET, No. 14 on KenPom, No. 14 in BartTorvik and No. 20 in KPI. That’s fairly constant throughout the board, so I slotted them at 18. The Blue Devils’ subsequent 5 video games are towards bottom-tier ACC groups, so one other loss in that span will in all probability knock them out.

• Illinois, alternatively, is on the verge of turning into a catastrophe. Sure, Missouri is perhaps higher than we thought, but it surely was nonetheless placing to see the Illini get run off the ground like that within the Braggin’ Rights recreation. We by no means know what’s actually happening inside a group’s locker room, however there are some troubling indicators that inside divisions have gotten a difficulty at Illinois. After the Illini misplaced at house to Penn State on Dec. 10, Brad Underwood responded to a query about Terrence Shannon Jr.’s management by blowing a giant ole raspberry. After the group beat Alabama A&M, senior ahead Matthew Mayer cryptically stated that the gamers and coaches weren’t on the identical web page. Illinois was lucky to have the ability to come again and beat Texas in time beyond regulation on Dec. 6. In any other case, the Illini would have now misplaced 4 of their final 5 video games. At any price, this group is No. 43 within the NET, No. 31 on KenPom, No. 37 in BartTorvik and No. 56 on KPI. That’s not the profile of a ranked group.

• Virginia Tech and Mississippi State additionally dropped off my poll by advantage of their losses to Boston School and Drake, respectively. In order that opened up some slots on the backside of my poll. The metrics love West Virginia, but it surely’s exhausting to vote for a group whose lone Quad 1 win was at Pittsburgh. So I went with Xavier, which is among the two groups that beat West Virginia (Purdue was the opposite). The Musketeers have been spectacular and constant. Their three losses have been all in Quad 1 — Indiana (by two at house), Duke (by seven in Portland) and Gonzaga (by 4 in Portland). In addition they gained by three at Cincinnati, and final week they beat Seton Corridor, 73-70, at house.

• I’ve additionally been excessive on TCU all season. The metrics say in any other case, however the Horned Frogs have had a plethora of harm points all season, but they’re 10-1 with wins over Iowa (impartial), Windfall (house) and Utah (house). They open Huge 12 play on Saturday at house towards Texas Tech, and issues get harder from there.

• The 2 highest-ranked groups on KenPom that I left off my poll are Auburn (No. 17) and Saint Mary’s (18). As I’ve stated earlier than, I feel Auburn has some expertise and can little question get higher because the season progresses, however I don’t perceive how the Tigers remained ranked after their loss at USC on Dec. 18. Their finest win was over Northwestern on a impartial court docket, they usually additionally misplaced to Memphis in Atlanta. But, Auburn was No. 23 within the AP ballot final week whereas Memphis remained unranked. Is senseless. The Gaels’ metrics are even stronger than Auburn’s (No. 16 NET, No. 18 KenPom, No. 31 KPI, No. 7 BartTorvik), however additionally they misplaced at house to an undefeated New Mexico squad. So on the very least, Saint Mary’s must be behind New Mexico. Additionally, the Gaels misplaced on Dec. 18 at house to Colorado State, which misplaced its subsequent recreation to USC in Phoenix.

• You discover, by the best way, that USC beat these two groups? Hold your eye on the Trojans. They’ve gained six straight and may win two extra at Washington and Washington State this week. That units up a pleasant showdown at UCLA on Jan. 5. Andy Enfield has had Mick Cronin’s quantity so far. I’m guessing that will probably be part of the pregame dialog.

Josiah Allick and New Mexico are considered one of three remaining unbeaten groups in Division I. (Thurman James / AP)

• As for New Mexico, the Lobos are considered one of three undefeated groups remaining. (The others are Purdue and UConn — simply as all of us predicted.) I slotted them at No. 25 largely as a result of I didn’t have any compelling candidates, however you’ve gotta tip your hat to what they’ve performed to this point, particularly contemplating that win at Saint Mary’s. Nonetheless, that continues to be the Lobos’ solely Quad 1 win. Their subsequent Quad 1 recreation will probably be Jan. 14 at San Diego State, however there will not be quite a lot of straightforward wins within the Mountain West, so we’ll discover out quickly sufficient simply how good Richard Pitino’s squad is.

(Picture of Virginia’s Armaan Franklin and Miami’s Isaiah Wong: Jasen Vinlove / USA At present)