College Basketball: Louisville Tops Coaches’ Poll, UCLA Returns

Louisville is the new No. 1 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll unpacked on Monday.

Rick Pitino’s squad traded places with Duke (No. 3), the only team to beat the Cardinals this season. Louisville received 18 first-place votes while Indiana (No. 2) nabbed six and the Blue Devils took the remaining seven. Kansas (No. 4) and Michigan (No. 5) fill out the Top 5, parroting the Top 5 in the AP Poll released one hour earlier.

Syracuse moved up one spot from seventh to sixth, followed by Arizona, which fell from third to seventh. Gonzaga (No. 8) and Florida (No. 9) retain their spots from last week while Creighton (No. 10) slides into the Top 10 for the first time this season. The Blue Jays replaced Minnesota, which fell from tenth to twelfth following its road loss over the weekend to Indiana.

N.C. State, fresh off dealing in-state foe Duke its first loss of the season, surged from No. 21 to No. 15. Despite losing senior guard Rotnei Clarke to a neck sprain last weekend, Butler rose from No. 17 to No. 13. Illinois, which lost twice in the week, tumbled nine spots to No. 22.

Georgetown (previously No. 22) and Wyoming (previously No. 25) were the only two schools to drop out of the poll. The Hoyas were routed at home by Pittsburgh during the week while the Cowboys picked up their first loss on a buzzer beater by Boise State’s Jeff Elorriaga.

New Mexico jumps back into the poll after a one-week absence. The Lobos earned brownie points after knocking off UNLV, which sunk from No. 19 to No. 23. UCLA makes a triumphant return at the tail end of the poll. The resurgent Bruins have won nine straight, including their most recent upset of Colorado on the road.

• Others receiving votes: Oregon 37, Georgetown 32, Marquette 23, Wisconsin 23, Wichita State 19, Ole Miss 14, Wyoming 13, Connecticut 10, Miami (FL) 8, Oklahoma State 8, Boise State 2, Bucknell 2, Utah State 2, Iowa State 1