Another week, another fresh set of Top 25 polls. The only differences for Iowa between this week and last week? Iowa moves up slightly in the USA Today Coaches Poll (from #25 to #23) and they're ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time this season. The same "first time ranked since ____" information that we talked about last week applies this week, too; Iowa hasn't been ranked in an AP poll since the season-ending poll in 2005-06.
Iowa's the fifth of five Big Ten teams ranked in both polls: Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan are the other B1G teams to earn a ranking this week. Just one of Iowa's future non-conference opponents is ranked (Iowa State at #17), although there's a chance that Iowa will get Kansas (#2) in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament this weekend. Future non-conference opponents (and/or potential non-conference opponents) Xavier and Tennessee are both listed in the "others receiving votes" category, meaning that five of Iowa's next seven non-conference opponents could be ranked in the top 40 or so in the nation. So yes: things are about to get much, much more real for the Iowa hoopsters.
AP Poll, 11/25/13
Rank | Team | Record | Votes | Previous |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Michigan State | 6-0 | 1,616 | 1 |
2 | Kansas | 4-0 | 1,559 | 2 |
3 | Kentucky | 4-1 | 1,445 | 4 |
4 | Arizona | 5-0 | 1,425 | 5 |
5 | Oklahoma State | 4-0 | 1,347 | 7 |
6 | Duke | 5-1 | 1,285 | 6 |
7 | Ohio State | 4-0 | 1,206 | 8 |
8 | Syracuse | 4-0 | 1,161 | 9 |
9 | Louisville | 5-1 | 1,103 | 3 |
10 | Wisconsin | 6-0 | 960 | 12 |
11 | Gonzaga | 4-0 | 830 | 13 |
12 | Wichita State | 5-0 | 809 | 14 |
13 | Connecticut | 6-0 | 798 | 18 |
14 | Oregon | 4-0 | 731 | 17 |
15 | Florida | 4-1 | 729 | 16 |
16 | North Carolina | 4-1 | 712 | 24 |
17 | Iowa State | 4-0 | 521 | 21 |
18 | Baylor | 4-0 | 437 | 20 |
19 | UCLA | 5-0 | 416 | 22 |
20 | Creighton | 4-0 | 373 | 23 |
21 | Memphis | 2-1 | 354 | 11 |
22 | Michigan | 4-2 | 238 | 14 |
23 | Iowa | 5-0 | 197 | NR |
24 | Massachusetts | 6-0 | 188 | NR |
25 | Marquette | 3-1 | 126 | 17 |
USA Today Coaches Poll, 11/25/13
RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | FIRST PLACE VOTES | PREVIOUS RANK | CHANGE | HI/LOW* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Michigan State Spartans | 6-0 | 798 | 30 | 1 | 1/2 | |
2 | Kansas Jayhawks | 4-0 | 762 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2/6 |
3 | Arizona Wildcats | 5-0 | 722 | 4 | 1 | 3/5 | |
4 | Kentucky Wildcats | 4-1 | 672 | 5 | 1 | 1/5 | |
5 | Duke Blue Devils | 5-1 | 639 | 6 | 1 | 4/6 | |
6 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 4-0 | 617 | 8 | 2 | 6/10 | |
7 | Syracuse Orangemen | 4-0 | 611 | 7 | 7/7 | ||
8 | Oklahoma State Buckeyes | 4-0 | 593 | 9 | 1 | 8/12 | |
9 | Louisville Cardinals | 5-1 | 591 | 2 | 7 | 2/9 | |
10 | Gonzaga Bulldogs | 4-0 | 454 | 12 | 2 | 10/15 | |
11 | Wisconsin Badgers | 6-0 | 440 | 15 | 4 | 11/21 | |
12 | Wichita State Shockers | 5-0 | 405 | 16 | 4 | 12/16 | |
13 | Florida Gators | 4-1 | 395 | 14 | 1 | 8/14 | |
14 | Connecticut Huskies | 6-0 | 337 | 18 | 4 | 14/20 | |
15 | Oregon Ducks | 4-0 | 327 | 17 | 2 | 15/18 | |
16 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 4-1 | 325 | 19 | 3 | 11/19 | |
17 | Baylor Bears | 4-0 | 213 | 21 | 4 | 17/21 | |
18 | Creighton Bluejays | 4-0 | 199 | 23 | 5 | 18/23 | |
19 | Memphis Tigers | 2-1 | 194 | 11 | 8 | 11/19 | |
20 | Michigan Wolverines | 4-2 | 185 | 13 | 7 | 8/20 | |
21 | UCLA Bruins | 5-0 | 156 | 24 | 3 | 21/24 | |
22 | Iowa State Cyclones | 4-0 | 151 | NR | 22/NR | ||
23 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 5-0 | 97 | 25 | 2 | 23/25 | |
24 | Virginia Commonwealth Rams | 4-2 | 78 | 10 | 14 | 10/24 | |
25 | Indiana Hoosiers | 5-1 | 72 | 22 | 3 | 22/25 |
Can Iowa hold a spot in the rankings next week? Obviously, a lot depends on what happens in the Bahamas this weekend. If Iowa wins two games and loses to Kansas in the finals, there's a decent chance that they can stay ranked (probably in that same 20-25 range), especially if they don't get run off the gym by the Jayhawks. Anything less than that, though, and we'll probably be saying goodbye to Iowa's tenure in the polls, at least for a week. We'll check back next week to see where Iowa lands.
EDIT: If Iowa makes the Battle 4 Atlantis finals and BEATS Kansas, obviously we'll continue to be ranked -- and we'll be ranked much higher than we are this week. The entire BHGP braintrust will also be running around with no pants on for a solid week if that happens. -- Ross