Latest Division I Polls For January 19

As another full weekend of college basketball was unfolding and Pittsburgh’s two-week reign as the number one team in the nation ended Saturday night with its loss to Louisville, I couldn’t help but wonder who would be number one today.

Would it be number three and one loss Duke, which had an impressive non-conference win against Georgetown? Or would it be number two Wake Forest, which had a big win against a team who some believe (Ryan) is one of the more overrated rated teams in Clemson?

I guess the voters in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls agree that undefeated defeating undefeated gets you the number one spot no matter how overrated the team you beat is.

Wake Forest (16-0), who I don’t think has been number one since Tim Duncan played there, is the third team this season to take the top spot.

Like Pittsburgh, which dropped to fourth, the Demon Deacons may not last long. Assuming they get past Virginia Tech on Wednesday, a date with Duke awaits on Jan. 28.

If Duke wins more than likely it will take over the spot making them the fourth team to do so this season and the third from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

No one has really stood out as a dominate team this season. I thought it would be UCLA, North Carolina and maybe Louisville. I still think that Michigan State will sneak up and surprise everyone in the weak Big 10 (plus one) conference.

But what do I know, right?

If the polls prove anything it’s that they really don’t mean a thing. They just give us something to write about and something for everyone else to talk about each week. We do this until the madness begins in March when the real number one team will be crowned.

Here are both the top 25 polls.

AP Top 25
1. Wake Forest (68) 16-0
2. Duke (4) 16-1
3. Connecticut 16-1
4. Pittsburgh 16-1
5. North Carolina 16-2
6. Oklahoma 17-1
7. Michigan State 15-2
8. Syracuse 17-2
9. Louisville 13-3
10. Clemson 16-1
11. Marquette 16-2
12. Georgetown 12-4
13. UCLA 14-3
14. Texas 13-4
15. Xavier 15-2
16. Butler 16-1
17. Arizona State 15-3
18. Purdue 14-4
19. Notre Dame 12-5
20. Villanova 14-3
21. Minnesota 16-2
22. Memphis 14-3
23. Gonzaga 12-4
24. Florida 16-2
25. Illinois 15-3

Others Receiving Votes
Baylor 148, Saint Mary’s 137, Kentucky 105, California 82, Florida State 34, Kansas 23, Ohio State 20, Missouri 14, Davidson 14, Tennessee 14, Utah State 12, Washington 12, West Virginia 8, Miami (FL) 8, Arkansas 6, Michigan 5, Dayton 4, George Mason 1, LSU 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Baylor 21, California 22, Tennessee 24, Michigan 25.

ESPN/USA Today Poll
1. Wake Forest (25) 16-0
2. Duke (6) 16-1
3. Connecticut 16-1
4. Pittsburgh 16-1
5. Oklahoma 17-1
6. North Carolina 16-2
7. Michigan State 15-2
8. Syracuse 17-2
9. Clemson 16-1
10. Marquette 16-2
11. UCLA 14-3
12. Louisville 13-3
13. Xavier 15-2
14. Georgetown 12-4
15. Texas 13-4
16. Arizona State 15-3
17. Butler 16-1
18. Purdue 14-4
19. Notre Dame 12-5
20. Minnesota 16-2
21. Villanova 14-3
22. Saint Mary’s 17-1
23. Baylor 14-3
24. Illinois 15-3
25. Memphis 14-3

Others Receiving Votes
California 65, Florida 52, Gonzaga 35, Utah State 31, Ohio State 22, Brigham Young 22, Dayton 16, Missouri 13, Kentucky 12, Davidson 9, Kansas 3, West Virginia 3, Washington 2, Miami (FL) 2, Florida State 2, Arkansas 2, Michigan 1.

Dropped From Rankings
California 23, Michigan 24.