As this is the final week of the regular season, this week’s AP Poll will be the final time that fans will get to view their programs from a perspective that is not a tournament seeding format. Even though top-10 programs such as Michigan State, Kansas, Duke and Purdue all lost this week, none of these programs fell out of the top 10. In the case of the Blue Devils, they were able to stave off any type of a fall in the poll as they valiantly defeated their hated conference rival in North Carolina during the final game of the regular season. With conference tournament play commencing for the remaining power five conferences this week, there is still plenty to be decided in terms of overall NCAA Tournament seeding before Selection Sunday.
Top 25 College Basketball Rankings 2018: Week 18
Despite losing 11 games this season, the Florida Gators were pushed into the top-25 as they were able to beat Alabama and a ranked Kentucky team last week. Although the Gators do have one of the best point guards in the country in Chris Chiozza on their roster (6.1 APG), they are certainly not the high-octane offense that they were during the early part of the regular season. Even though Arkansas, Kentucky, and Missouri all had better overall records than Florida, the Gators were rewarded for having a slightly better conference record, which is something worth keeping an eye when the committee releases their NCAA Tournament selections on Sunday.
| Ranking | Team (1st place votes) |
| 1 | Virginia (65) |
| 2 | Villanova |
| 3 | Xavier |
| 4 | Michigan State |
| 5 | Duke |
| 6 | Gonzaga |
| 7 | Michigan |
| 8 | Cincinnati |
| 9 | Kansas |
| 10 | Purdue |
| 11 | Wichita State |
| 12 | North Carolina |
| 13 | Tennessee |
| 14 | Texas Tech |
| 15 | Arizona |
| 16 | Auburn |
| 17 | Ohio State |
| 18 | West Virginia |
| 19 | Clemson |
| 20 | Saint Mary’s |
| 21 | Houston |
| 22 | Nevada |
| 23 | Florida |
| 24 | Miami |
| 25 | Rhode Island |
Defeating both Michigan State and Purdue last week in the Big 10 Tournament, the Michigan Wolverines asserted themselves as a dynamically deadly program that could feasibly win a National Title. Clutch at making three-point shots while relentlessly attacking their opponents with an aggressively cerebral defensive style, the Wolverines have all of the pieces and versatility needed to contend with any opponent they may face during March Madness. Can the Wolverines put it all together and finally win a National Title that has alluded this program throughout their competitive history as a college basketball team?
https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/status/970706987754381312
Dropped from rankings: Kentucky 23, Middle Tennessee 24
Others receiving votes that did not make the poll: St. Bonaventure 72, Kentucky 66, TCU 45, Loyola-Chicago 43, Virginia Tech 15, Seton Hall 10, Middle Tennessee 9, Creighton 8, Arkansas 4, NC State 2, Nebraska 2, Kansas State 2, Buffalo 1, New Mexico State 1, Texas A&M 1, Florida State 1
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