Virginia Basketball in Line for No. 1 AP Ranking After Houston and Texas Losses

Losses by No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Texas this week may end in Virginia reaching the No. 1 spot within the AP ballot for the primary time for the reason that finish of the 2017-2018 season.

No. 2 Texas suffered its first lack of the season in a 85-78 time beyond regulation defeat to No. 17 Illinois within the Jimmy V Traditional in Madison Sq. Backyard on Tuesday night time. A blowout win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday will not be sufficient for the Longhorns to keep away from falling at the least a couple of spots. 

It seems that the Virginia-Houston matchup subsequent Saturday in Charlottesville is not going to be the No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle that many had been hoping for, nevertheless it ought to nonetheless be a must-watch showdown between two of one of the best groups within the nation. Houston will lose its No. 1 rating after struggling a 71-65 loss at dwelling to No. 8 Alabama on Saturday. 

Virginia (8-0) retained its spot at No. 3 in final week’s AP ballot and acquired three first-place votes, whereas No. 4 Purdue (10-0) acquired eight first-place votes. Each the Cavaliers and the Boilermakers notched close-call victories this week, with UVA defeating JMU 55-50 and Purdue escaping Lincoln with a 65-62 win at Nebraska. No. 5 UConn (11-0) may make an outdoor argument for No. 1 after blowing out two opponents this week, together with a 75-54 win at Florida. The Huskies additionally personal an 82-67 victory over Alabama. 

UVA’s final stint at No. 1 was over a five-week interval to finish the 2017-2018 season. Virginia has been ranked No. 1 in 4 totally different seasons in program historical past: 1980-1981, 1981-1982, 1982-1983, and 2017-2018. 

The week 6 AP Prime 25 males’s basketball ballot will likely be revealed on Monday at midday. Virginia is ready to tackle Houston on Saturday, December seventeenth at 2pm at John Paul Jones Area. 

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See extra Virginia males’s basketball information and content material: Virginia Males’s Basketball on Sports activities Illustrated

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