College basketball rankings: Villanova falls to No. 23 as shooting struggles continue

After picking up their fourth loss of the season — and second in a row — the Villanova Wildcats have plummeted 14 spots to No. 23 in the latest AP college basketball rankings.

Villanova only had one game this past week, a 20-point loss to open conference play in Omaha. The game was closely contested until Creighton took advantage of the ‘Cats going cold late to pull away.

Seton Hall is now the highest-ranked Big East team in the top 25 polls. The Pirates enter this week at No. 15, but COVID-related issues within the program forced Seton Hall to cancel its non-conference game against Iona and forfeit its conference-play opener against St. John’s. Seton Hall’s status is unknown for Thursday’s game against DePaul.

Outside of the Wildcats and the Pirates, Xavier and Providence are also ranked.

The Musketeers climbed to No. 18 after wins over Morehead State and Marquette. Meanwhile, the Friars are ranked in the top 25 for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Providence enters the rankings at No. 22, after picking up a road win at UConn.

Two Big East teams are receiving votes: UConn, who fell out of the rankings after the loss to Providence, and Creighton.