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Here are the Week 16 polls for the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Villanova leads the way nationally in both polls with Kansas ranking No. 2 in both rankings. Virginia and Oklahoma are No. 3 and No. 4 in the Coaches Poll while coming in tied at No. 3 in the AP Poll. Xavier ranks No. 5 in both polls to round out the Top 5.
After pulling themselves into AP Poll consideration last week, earning two votes, Cincinnati used a 1-1 week to earn an additional vote. Three votes in the AP Poll isn't exactly tearing it up, but progress is progress. The Bearcats, at 20-8 (10-5), aren't receiving any votes in the Coaches Poll.
This past week was a gauntlet of sorts for the Bearcats with two tough games against the likes of Tulsa and UConn. Cincinnati lost to Tulsa, on the road, 70-68 in overtime and earned a hard-fought victory over UConn, 65-60, at Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats will need to keep winning if they have hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament, regardless of their ranks in these polls. Cincinnati has a relatively quiet week this week with one game, on the road, against East Carolina on Saturday, February 27. Cincinnati won their previous contest, 75-60, on February 13.
AP Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova Wildcats (45) | 24-3 | 1,604 |
| 2 | Kansas Jayhawks (20) | 23-4 | 1,580 |
| 3 | Virginia Cavaliers | 21-5 | 1,393 |
| 3 | Oklahoma Sooners | 21-5 | 1,393 |
| 5 | Xavier Musketeers | 24-3 | 1,368 |
| 6 | Michigan State Spartans | 22-5 | 1,346 |
| 7 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 22-5 | 1,241 |
| 8 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 20-6 | 1,144 |
| 9 | Arizona Wildcats | 22-5 | 1,028 |
| 10 | Maryland Terrapins | 23-5 | 976 |
| 11 | Louisville Cardinals | 21-6 | 902 |
| 12 | Miami-Florida Hurricanes | 21-5 | 851 |
| 13 | Oregon Ducks | 21-6 | 842 |
| 14 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 20-7 | 772 |
| 15 | Duke Blue Devils | 20-7 | 674 |
| 16 | Kentucky Wildcats | 20-7 | 627 |
| 17 | Iowa State Cyclones | 19-8 | 616 |
| 18 | Indiana Hoosiers | 22-6 | 571 |
| 19 | Baylor Bears | 20-7 | 521 |
| 20 | Purdue Boilermakers | 21-7 | 357 |
| 21 | Texas A&M Aggies | 20-7 | 283 |
| 22 | Utah Utes | 21-7 | 253 |
| 23 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 18-8 | 185 |
| 24 | SMU Mustangs | 22-4 | 154 |
| 25 | Texas Longhorns | 17-10 | 104 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Dayton 80, Providence 48, California 34, Wichita St 33, Texas Tech 31, Wisconsin 27, Saint Joseph's 20, VCU 19, South Carolina 12, Hawaii 12, Saint Mary's 10, Valparaiso 3, Cincinnati 3, USC 2, San Diego State 2, UAB 1, Connecticut 1, Arkansas-Little Rock 1, Stephen F. Austin 1 | |||
| Dropped: Dayton 15, Providence 23 | |||
USA TODAY Coaches Poll
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova | 24-3 | 792 | 25 |
| 2 | Kansas | 23-4 | 751 | 7 |
| 3 | Virginia | 21-5 | 679 | 0 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 21-5 | 668 | 0 |
| 5 | Xavier | 24-3 | 652 | 0 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 22-5 | 639 | 0 |
| 7 | Michigan St | 22-5 | 626 | 0 |
| 8 | Iowa | 20-6 | 561 | 0 |
| 9 | Maryland | 23-5 | 527 | 0 |
| 10 | Arizona | 22-5 | 512 | 0 |
| 11 | Miami-Florida | 21-5 | 466 | 0 |
| 12 | West Virginia | 20-7 | 366 | 0 |
| 13 | Oregon | 21-6 | 365 | 0 |
| 14 | Kentucky | 20-7 | 333 | 0 |
| 15 | Indiana | 22-6 | 317 | 0 |
| 16 | Baylor | 20-7 | 305 | 0 |
| 17 | Iowa St. | 19-8 | 304 | 0 |
| 18 | Duke | 20-7 | 303 | 0 |
| 19 | Purdue | 21-7 | 245 | 0 |
| 20 | Notre Dame | 18-8 | 176 | 0 |
| 21 | Texas A&M | 20-7 | 172 | 0 |
| 22 | Dayton | 21-5 | 121 | 0 |
| 23 | Utah | 21-7 | 120 | 0 |
| 24 | Providence | 19-8 | 102 | 0 |
| 25 | Texas | 17-10 | 66 | 0 |
| Others Receiving Votes: South Carolina 47; Saint Mary's 42; Wichita State 32; Texas Tech 30; Pittsburgh 18; Wisconsin 15; California 11; St. Joseph?s 10; Seton Hall 6; Southern California 6; Virginia Commonwealth 6; Hawaii 3; LSU 3; Michigan 1; St. Bonaventure 1; San Diego State 1. | ||||
| Dropped: South Carolina 23 | ||||