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Despite winning three straight games to earn a third consecutive Big East Tournament Championship, the #23 Villanova Wildcats only moved up two spots in Monday’s AP Poll. Nova will now play the unranked St. Mary’s Gaels on Thursday in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round.
Villanova is once again the only Big East team ranked in the poll, as the Marquette Golden Eagles fell among the “others receiving votes” group despite receiving the highest seed of any Big East team. They’re joined there by the team they last played and lost to, the Seton Hall Pirates. St. John’s, the other Big East team in the big dance, did not receive any votes.
2018-19 AP Poll: Week 20
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Duke (58) | 1,592 |
| 2 | Virginia (5) | 1,497 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 1,453 |
| 4 | Gonzaga (1) | 1,398 |
| 5 | Michigan State | 1,382 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 1,270 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 1,232 |
| 8 | Michigan | 1,146 |
| 9 | Texas Tech | 1,033 |
| 10 | Florida State | 1,017 |
| 11 | Houston | 933 |
| 12 | LSU | 886 |
| 13 | Purdue | 727 |
| 14 | Auburn | 665 |
| 15 | Buffalo | 608 |
| 16 | Virginia Tech | 595 |
| 17 | Kansas | 590 |
| 18 | Kansas State | 529 |
| 19 | Wofford | 385 |
| 20 | Nevada | 361 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 339 |
| 22 | Cincinnati | 335 |
| 23 | Villanova | 306 |
| 24 | Iowa State | 245 |
| 25 | Utah State | 73 |
Others Receiving Votes: Marquette 63, Maryland 55, Mississippi St. 35, Murray St. 12, New Mexico St. 11, UCF 9, Louisville 8, VCU 4, Seton Hall 3, Old Dominion 2, Liberty 1.
Polling History
Some interesting Villanova AP Poll facts from College Poll Archive and College Poll Tracker:
- It’s Villanova’s 383rd ranking in the AP Poll (17th All-Time)
- It’s Villanova’s 3rd consecutive week in the AP Poll (Tied for 22nd longest active streak)
Additional Polling Data
Some would argue these “experts” are more relevant than the AP Poll.
KenPom: Nova is 26th overall, 16th in Adj. Offense, and 73rd in Adj. Defense
Sagarin: Nova is 18th overall, 19th in Predictive, 18th in Golden Mean, and 15th in Recent
Massey: Nova is 23rd overall, 24th in Power Rating, 47th in Offense, and 21st in Defense
NET: Nova is 26th overall, previously 26th
Kendrick: Anna Kendrick shares the #23 Villanova Wildcats passion for dancing.
And if you’re looking for another set of rankings to care about, try reading Rankings 101.