BYU basketball: Cougars check in at No. 12 in both polls

By Jim Rayburn, Deseret News

Published: Monday, Feb. 1 2010 11:43 a.m. MST

BYU players wear pink to mark the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend as BYU and the U. play in men's MWC basketball Saturday at the Marriott Center in Provo. BYU won 82-69.

Tom Smart, Deseret News

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Summary

PROVO — The BYU Cougars, after a close loss last week at New Mexico and a 13-point win over Utah, are ranked No. 12 in both men's college basketball polls that were released Monday morning.

The Cougars, 21-2 overall and 6-1 in the Mountain West Conference, remain at No.12 in the AP poll despite getting 150 fewer points in the balloting than they received last week. They dropped, however, from No. 10 to No. 12 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.

In front of BYU in the AP poll, tied for No. 10, are Duke and Kansas State, with both receiving 1,025 points in the balloting. The Cougars got 748 points, 71 points ahead of Ohio State in the 13th spot. New Mexico, after the win over BYU, moved up in the AP poll from No. 23 to No. 15.

In the coaches' poll, the Cougars received 432 points, only one point behind No. 11 Kansas State. They are 81 points ahead of No. 13 Gonzaga. In both polls BYU is the highest ranked team in the west. New Mexico broke into the coaches' poll for the second time this season at No. 23. UNLV is 33rd and 34th in the AP and coaches polls, respectively.

The new No. 1 team in both polls is Kansas. The Jayhawks, in the AP poll, got 54 first-place votes. In the coaches' poll they got 24 of a possible 31 first-place votes. Rounding out the AP Top 5 are Villanova, Syracuse, Kentucky and Michigan State. In the coaches' poll, Syracuse and Kentucky flip-flop the No. 3 and No. 4 spots.

AP TOP 25

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 31, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:

Record Pts Pvs

1. Kansas (54) 20-1 1,605 2

2. Villanova (4) 19-1 1,534 3

3. Syracuse (6) 21-1 1,506 4

4. Kentucky (1) 20-1 1,460 1

5. Michigan St. 19-3 1,367 5

6. West Virginia 17-3 1,230 9

7. Georgetown 16-4 1,204 7

8. Purdue 18-3 1,182 10

9. Texas 18-3 1,069 6

10. Duke 17-4 1,025 8

10. Kansas St. 17-4 1,025 11