North Carolina closes in on first-place Oklahoma in AP Poll

By foxsports
Published

Oklahoma, despite losing to Iowa State last week, remains No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll. Unlike last week, when the Sooners were a unanimous No. 1, North Carolina is a close second.

Oklahoma (16-2) received 36 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel on Monday, seven more than the Tar Heels (18-2), who remained second.

Iowa jumped from ninth to third, the Hawkeyes' highest ranking since January 1987. They were followed by Kansas and Texas A&M, which is at its highest ranking ever. Villanova, Xavier, Maryland, West Virginia and Providence round out the Top 10.

Wichita State, Oregon and Notre Dame -- all of whom have been ranked during the season -- are the week's newcomers replacing Butler, Southern California and South Carolina.

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