LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — This is the day when a record will be set in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
For the fifth time in the first seven weeks of the season there will be a different No. 1 team. A season has never started with five different No. 1 teams in seven weeks.
Louisville will exit the top spot, the Cardinals' penalty for their 13-point loss to Texas Tech in Madison Square Garden last Tuesday.
The new No. 1 team will likely be Kansas.
I went a different direction. My ballot:
1. Gonzaga (11-1) — Back-to-back road wins against Washington and Arizona sold me. Oregon gives the Zags a third Top 50 win.
2. Kansas (9-1) — I’m not really sold on the Jayhawks. Dayton is the only Top 40 Ken Pom team they have beaten — and Kansas needed overtime on a neutral court to do that.
3. Duke (9-1) — North Carolina could not beat Wofford. Can the Blue Devils (Thursday)?
4. Ohio State (9-1) — Show Me Game against Kentucky Saturday.
5. Louisville (10-1) — Top 5 frontcourt, Top 25 backcourt?
6. Maryland (10-1) — There are worse things than losing at Penn State this season.
7. Kentucky (8-1) — The schedule finally gains some teeth this week.
8. Virginia (8-1) — The Cavaliers rank No. 307 in Ken Pom’s effective field goal percentage. Won’t work.
9. Auburn (9-0) — Meet the last unbeaten Power Five team.
10. Oregon (8-2) — Big Ten teams can’t win on the road but the Ducks just won in a Big Ten arena.
11. Memphis (9-1) — Doing this without the best player in the country.
12. Dayton (8-1) — Pay attention to the Flyers.
13. Michigan (8-3) — No longer in the Top 20 in offensive or defensive efficiency.
14. Baylor (8-1) - Knocked Butler from the unbeaten list.
15. Butler (10-1) — Positioned to beat Purdue in Indianapolis Saturday.
16. Arizona (8-2) — Illinois is the Wildcats’ only quality win.
17. Michigan State (7-3) — Maybe the Spartans will win at Northwestern Wednesday to end this 13-0 start by Big Ten home teams in league play.
18. Florida State (8-2) — Should be 12-2 and in the Top 15 when the Seminoles get to Louisville Jan. 4.
19. San Diego State (10-0) — Who’s their coach? Hint: It’s not Steve Fisher.
20. Villanova (8-2) — Were the Wildcats the team of the decade? The AP wants to know.
21. Penn State (9-2) — Backed up their win over Maryland by beating Alabama.
22. West Virginia (9-1) — The Mountaineers are three points from being 10-0.
23. Wichita State (9-1) — Back to back wins over Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
24. Texas Tech (6-3) — Nobody in Louisville will argue.
25. DePaul (10-1) — Texas Tech, Iowa and Minnesota are all nice wins.
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