BYU ends rankings drought, listed in both polls

The BYU basketball program ended a 14-year drought Monday, earning its first national ranking since 1993.

The Cougars, who are 20-6 overall and lead the Mountain West Conference with a 10-2 record, are ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press poll and No. 22 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

"We appreciate the recognition because I think it reflects the hard work of our players," said BYU coach Dave Rose. "Our guys have worked very hard. Obviously it's something we can be proud of but we're really just concerned with getting better and preparing for our next game. Game to game you just want your players to be consistent and we've been able to do that for the most part."

"I think it's a reflection of how our team has been playing," said senior guard Jimmy Balderson. "It's a big deal for us to be recognized but we don't want to look too much into it. What's more important is where we are ranked in our conference. We want to win a conference championship."

BYU earned a spot in the national polls for the first time since March 8, 1993, when it was ranked No. 25 in the AP poll. The Cougars' No. 21 ranking equals their highest ranking during the 1992-93 season.

BYU has been ranked in the AP poll during 15 seasons since their first ranking during the 1950-51 campaign. The last time BYU finished the season ranked among the top 25 was in 1987-88 when the Cougars achieved rankings as high as No. 2 (UPI) and No. 4 (AP) before finishing 19th (AP) and 17th (UPI).

Get ready for another 1 vs. 2 showdown in the Big Ten — this time on the hardwood.

Wisconsin was the new No. 1 in the AP poll and Big Ten rival Ohio State was not far behind at No. 2.

The Badgers (26-2, 12-1), on top of the poll for the first time in school history, play the Buckeyes (24-3, 12-1) in Columbus on Sunday — just a bit more than three months after Ohio State and Michigan played a much-hyped 1 vs. 2 football game at Ohio Stadium.

Florida's 83-70 loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday snapped the Gators' 17-game winning streak and dropped them from the top spot in the media poll for the second time this season.

Wisconsin, which was No. 3 last week, leapfrogged second-ranked Ohio State to become the fourth No. 1 team this season, and 52nd different school to hold the top spot in the history of the AP poll.

For the Badgers and coach Bo Ryan, there's not much time to celebrate their new lofty status, not with a game at Michigan State on Tuesday.