Oklahoma stays No. 1 in AP poll, North Carolina right behind

460x (4)Oklahoma, despite losing to Iowa State last week, remains No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll. Unlike last week, when the Sooners were a unanimous No. 1, North Carolina is a close second.

Oklahoma (16-2) received 36 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel on Monday, seven more than the Tar Heels (18-2), who remained second.

Iowa jumped from ninth to third, the Hawkeyes’ highest ranking since January 1987. They were followed by Kansas and Texas A&M, which is at its highest ranking ever. Villanova, Xavier, Maryland, West Virginia and Providence round out the Top Ten.

Wichita State, Oregon and Notre Dame — all of whom have been ranked during the season — are the week’s newcomers replacing Butler, Southern California and South Carolina.Oklahoma, despite losing to Iowa State last week, remains No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll. Unlike last week, when the Sooners were a unanimous No. 1, North Carolina is a close second.

Oklahoma (16-2) received 36 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel on Monday, seven more than the Tar Heels (18-2), who remained second.

Iowa jumped from ninth to third, the Hawkeyes’ highest ranking since January 1987. They were followed by Kansas and Texas A&M, which is at its highest ranking ever. Villanova, Xavier, Maryland, West Virginia and Providence round out the Top Ten.

Wichita State, Oregon and Notre Dame — all of whom have been ranked during the season — are the week’s newcomers replacing Butler, Southern California and South Carolina.