Thoughts on the AP poll: Duke men's basketball stays at No. 4

<p>Duke and Louisville represent a struggling ACC in the top-5.</p>

Duke and Louisville represent a struggling ACC in the top-5.

With conference play about to get underway, the college basketball season has yet to settle down. The Blue Zone will be here every Monday at noon until March giving you the biggest takeaways from each ranking:

Duke stands pat

After the shocking defeat at the hands of Stephen F. Austin, the Blue Devils tumbled down the rankings, falling from No. 1 to No. 10 three weeks ago. However, with four consecutive wins, Duke finds itself ranked fourth for the second straight Monday. With top-ranked Kansas falling to Villanova and fifth-ranked Ohio State taking down Kentucky, the Blue Devils kept their position amidst the surrounding turmoil.

Will the real number one please stand up?

With a chaotic start to the season, it has been difficult for pundits and fans alike to point out a dominant team in college basketball. The young season has seen six top-ranked teams fall already. By virtue of the previous the Jayhawks' loss, Gonzaga now occupies the top slot for the first time this season. Whether the Zags can maintain that position remains to be seen.

Buckeyes solidify top spot in the Big Ten

Despite being ranked behind Michigan State, Maryland and Michigan for various points this season, Ohio State’s consistency and quality wins have resulted with a clear-cut leader in what some view as the best conference in the country. With the Buckeyes’ most recent win coming over then No. 6 Kentucky, it is evident that Ohio State is here to stay among the crop of top-notch title contenders, and it finds itself ranked No. 2 in the latest ranking.

Complete rankings:

1. Gonzaga

2. Ohio State

3. Louisville

4. Duke

5. Kansas

6. Oregon

7. Baylor

8. Auburn

9. Memphis

10. Villanova

11. Michigan

12. Butler

13. Maryland

14. Michigan State

15. San Diego State

16. Virginia

17. Florida State

18. Dayton

19. Kentucky

20. Penn State

21. Washington

22. West Virginia

23. Texas Tech

24. Arizona

25. Iowa


Max Rego profile
Max Rego

Max Rego is a Trinity senior and an associate sports editor for The Chronicle's 118th volume. He was previously sports managing editor for Volume 117.

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