AP top 25: Non-conference season coming to a close

For most of the country Christmas break is a time for you to relax, not worry about school or work, and get a chance to reboot for the upcoming new year. College basketball teams approach scheduling the same way. Though it is important for teams to stay fresh and continue playing, the time period leading up to conference play is a time for big programs to relax and schedule cupcake mid major teams. The last time two ranked teams played each other was on the 17th, and only five times in the past week did a top 25 team even play another power conference opponent.

UNC and Miami had to find out the hard way that cupcakes aren’t always sweet. Both teams suffered losses to small school opponents and slid down considerably in the rankings. Both Kentucky and Gonzaga lost to quality unranked opponents and stayed in the rankings, but both teams have fans scratching their heads as to whether they are indeed quality teams themselves.

Though Tech had two nice wins over soft opponents, they still slid in the rankings thanks to Tennesse’s impressive win over Wake Forest. Big game against ranked Baylor at home will have Tech’s standing drastically changed either for the better or the worse.

1. Villanova, 12-0 (-)
2. Michigan State, 12-1 (-)
3. Arizona State, 12-0 (-)
4. Duke, 12-1 (-)
5. Texas A&M, 11-1 (+3)
6. Xavier, 12-1 (+3)
7. West Virginia, 11-1 (+3)
8. Wichita State, 10-2 (+3)
9. Virginia, 11-1 (+4)
10. TCU, 12-0 (+5)
11. Kansas, 10-2 (+3)
12. Oklahoma, 8-1 (+5)
13. North Carolina, 11-2 (-8)
14. Purdue, 12-2 (+2)
15. Miami, 10-1 (-9)
16. Kentucky, 9-2 (-9)
17. Arizona, 10-3 (+1)
18. Baylor, 10-2 (-)
19. Tennessee, 9-2 (+2)
20. Gonzaga, 10-3 (-8)
21. Cincinnati, 11-2 (-1)
22. Texas Tech, 11-1 (-1)
23. Seton Hall, 11-2 (-)
24. Florida State, 11-1 (-)
25. Creighton, 10-2 (-)