College Basketball: Indiana Headlines Coaches’ Poll in Divided Vote

There’s a change at the top of the coaches’ poll for the seventh straight week. And for the second time in the last three, Indiana is the new name heading the list.

Tom Crean’s team is the latest beneficiary of  the No. 1 carousel, sewing up 19 of a possible 31 first-place votes. Second-ranked Miami snagged seven No. 1 votes while locking up its highest ranking in program history. Gonzaga, ranked third, received three votes and fourth-ranked Florida took the remaining two.

No. 5 Michigan State pulls into the Top 5 for the first time this season, winners of five straight including a 23-point thumping of Michigan in East Lansing. The Spartans are followed in the poll by Duke (No. 6), Michigan (No. 7), Syracuse (No. 8), Kansas (No. 9) and Louisville (No. 10).

Memphis made the biggest jump of any team in the poll, jumping six spots from No. 25 to No. 16. Long overlooked as a viable Top 25 team, the Tigers earned brownie points with a 22-point pasting of sanction-ridden Central Florida, arguably the second most talented team in Conference-USA.

Oregon (No. 23) and Virginia Commonwealth (No. 24) rejoined the poll, the Ducks returning after a one-week absence and the Rams for the first time in four weeks. They replaced San Diego State (No. 22) and Creighton (No. 23).

• Others receiving votes: Saint Louis 23, Saint Mary’s 19, Akron 19, Cincinnati 16, Creighton 16, Middle Tennessee 15, Louisiana Tech 12, Illinois 9, Minnesota 7, San Diego State 3, UCLA 3, Wichita State 3, Missouri 2, Oklahoma 2, Kentucky 1