College Basketball: Minnesota Enters Top 10 in Latest AP Poll

For the third consecutive week, Duke is the runaway No. 1 in the AP Top 25.

For the first time in 16 years, Minnesota, whose only loss of the season came against Duke at the Battle 4 Atlantis in November, has cracked the Top 10. The Golden Gophers leapfrogged Missouri and Cincinnati to jump from No. 11 to No. 9, marking their first appearance in the Top 10 since the end of season poll in 1996-1997, when the Clem Haskins-led team finished No. 3.

The Tigers sunk from No. 7 to No. 12 following an overtime loss to UCLA in Westwood. The Bearcats, meanwhile, dropped from No. 8 to No. 14 after recording their first loss in a home game against New Mexico, which surged from unranked to No. 20 in the poll. Hours after Cincinnati tumbled in the rankings, the Bearcats put the finishing touches on a signature road win over Pittsburgh in the Big East opener. The Panthers are No. 24 in the newest poll, but figure to fall out of the rankings by this time next week.

Duke (12-0) received 63 first-place votes from the 65-member media panel on Monday while Michigan (No. 2) received the other two. Arizona, one of four remaining unbeatens (joining Duke, Michigan and Wyoming) is third, followed by fourth-ranked Louisville and fifth-ranked Indiana. Kansas (No. 6), Syracuse (No. 7), Ohio State (No. 8) and Gonzaga (No. 10) round out the Top 10.

New Mexico, which won at undefeated Cincinnati, returns to the rankings following a one-week absence. The Lobos replaced UNLV, which dropped out from No. 20 after losing on the road at North Carolina over the weekend.

• Others receiving votes: UNLV 52, North Carolina 38, Wyoming 28, Temple 21, Virginia Commonwealth 15, Kentucky 13, Wichita State 11, Connecticut 9, UCLA 6, Maryland 5, Oregon 3