NCAA Basketball Top 25 Straw Poll: Week 4

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Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

A number of upsets in the past week of college basketball led to a number of changes in the top 25.

Three teams, San Diego State, Georgetown and Colorado, are in the rankings after being left out last week, and Duke leapfrogged from No. 5 to No. 2 after a championship at the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Read on to see the complete top 25 rankings.

Voters: Jesse Kramer, Jordan Schwartz, Hayden Deitrick, Ryan Satsky, David Mayer, James Sullivan, Josh Schoch, Scott Henry.

(Please note that all votes were sent in and compiled prior to the conclusions of: California vs. Pacific, UCLA vs. Cal Poly, San Diego State vs. USC.)

Other Teams Receiving Votes

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

Connecticut, 17 points

Wisconsin, 15 points

Ohio, 13 points

New Mexico, 12 points

Notre Dame, 10 points

Minnesota, 9 points

Kansas State, 7 points

Texas, 7 points

Oregon, 6 points

Pittsburgh, 2 points

Maryland, 2 points

VCU, 1 point

Alabama, 1 point

Illinois, 1 point

25. Baylor Bears

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Points: 20

Record: 4-2

Last Week's Ranking: 20

Baylor picked up its first bad loss of the season, falling to College of Charleston at home on Saturday.

The Bears will have a chance to redeem themselves against John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats this coming weekend.

T-23. San Diego State Aztecs

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Points: 24

Record: 3-1

Last Week's Ranking: Not Ranked

San Diego State returned to the top 25 after beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff last week. The Aztecs will get their second Top 25 opponent of the year on Saturday when they face UCLA.

In the Pomeroy Ratings, San Diego State has the No. 6 defense.

T-23. Memphis Tigers

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Points: 24

Record: 3-2

Last Week's Ranking: 18

Memphis remained in the top 25 despite finishing in seventh place at the Battle 4 Atlantis. At the tournament, the Tigers lost to Virginia Commonwealth and Minnesota but beat Northern Iowa.

Now, they start a seven-game homestand, which includes a game against Louisville.

22. Georgetown Hoyas

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Points: 31

Record: 4-1

Last Week's Ranking: Not Ranked

Georgetown cracked the top 25 this week after an impressive showing at the Legends Classic at the Barclays Center.

In their first game, the Hoyas defeated UCLA. The next day, they took No. 1 Indiana into overtime, where they lost, 82-72.

21. Colorado Buffaloes

Joshua S. Kelly-US PRESSWIRE

Points: 35

Record: 5-0

Last Week's Ranking: Not Ranked

Colorado improved to 5-0 with a win over Air Force on Sunday night.

The Buffaloes play a cupcake against Texas Southern on Tuesday before a tough, three-game stretch that includes games against Kansas and Colorado State.

20. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Points: 64

Record: 5-0

Last Week's Ranking: 23

Oklahoma State won its third straight game by more than 15 points, defeating Portland State on Sunday.

The Cowboys' next two games will be against Virginia Tech and South Florida.

19. UNLV Rebels

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Points: 67

Record: 3-1

Last Week's Ranking: 15

UNLV was upset on its home floor on Friday night, falling to Oregon in the Global Sports Classic. The Rebels then rebounded on Saturday to defeat Iowa State.

This week, the Rebels will host UC Irvine, which took UCLA into overtime a couple of weeks ago.

18. Missouri Tigers

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Points: 74

Record: 5-1

Last Week's Ranking: 14

Missouri finished in third place at the Battle 4 Atlantis last weekend. The Tigers defeated Stanford and Virginia Commonwealth but lost to Louisville.

The Tigers kick off December with a five-game homestand, starting with Appalachian State on Saturday.

17. Cincinnati Bearcats

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Points: 82

Record: 6-0

Last Week's Ranking: 22

Cincinnati continued its torrid start to the 2012-13 season by winning the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas. In the two-round tournament, the Bearcats defeated Iowa State and Oregon.

On Saturday, the Bearcats will begin a three-game homestand against the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide.

16. North Carolina Tar Heels

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Points: 85

Record: 4-1

Last Week's Ranking: 11

North Carolina finished in third place at the Maui Invitational last week. The Tar Heels defeated Mississippi State and Chaminade and lost to Butler.

On Tuesday, North Carolina will get a shot at the No. 1 team in the country, the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers.

15. Gonzaga Bulldogs

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Points: 89

Record: 6-0

Last Week's Ranking: 19

Gonzaga continues to cement itself as one of the top mid-majors in college basketball this year.

The Zags defeated Clemson, Oklahoma and Davidson last week to win the Old Spice Classic, and in December they will have the opportunity for a few more key wins against the likes of Illinois, Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State.

14. Michigan State Spartans

Mike Carter-US PRESSWIRE

Points: 103

Record: 5-1

Last Week's Ranking: 17

Michigan State received a scare from Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday afternoon.

The Spartans, who held a double-digit lead in the second half, won by only three points and gave the Ragin' Cajuns multiple opportunities in the final minute to force overtime.

13. UCLA Bruins

Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Points: 108

Record: 5-1

Last Week's Ranking: 10

UCLA's early struggles continued this past week at the Legends Classic in Brooklyn.

In the tournament semifinals, the Bruins were upset by Georgetown, 78-70. The following day, they just barely defeated Georgia, 60-56, after trailing for the entire first half.

12. Kansas Jayhawks

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Points: 119

Record: 4-1

Last Week's Ranking: 13

Kansas easily won the CBE Classic last week, defeating Washington State by 37 and Saint Louis by 14.

The Jayhawks will play on a neutral site for the fourth time already this season when they face Oregon State on Friday night.

11. NC State Wolfpack

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Points: 121

Record: 4-1

Last Week's Ranking: 9

Following a 20-point loss to Oklahoma State in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship, NC State nearly lost against, this time to UNC-Asheville. The Wolfpack trailed for most of the game against the Bulldogs, but Scott Wood and Richard Howell combined for 11 points in the final three minutes as they pulled out the 82-80 win.

If NC State plays against Michigan on Tuesday like it played in its last two games, it will be looking at a 4-2 November record.

10. Creighton Bluejays

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Points: 125

Record: 6-0

Last Week's Ranking: 16

Creighton continued to climb in the rankings after a pair of weekend wins over Wisconsin and Arizona State.

The Bluejays have now won all six of their games by at least 10 points.

9. Arizona Wildcats

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Points: 133

Record: 3-0

Last Week's Ranking: 12

Arizona blew out Long Beach State last Monday, 94-72, to remain undefeated. Freshman Brandon Ashley continued his strong start to the season with 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks against the 49ers.

This weekend, the Wildcats will go on the road for the first time this year to face Texas Tech.

8. Kentucky Wildcats

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Points: 164

Record: 4-1

Last Week's Ranking: 8

Twice last week, Kentucky struggled with mid-major opponents. The Wildcats needed a second-half run to get by Morehead State, and against LIU-Brooklyn they got the job done a little earlier, using a 15-0 run in the final four minutes of the first half to get a 12-point halftime lead.

The Wildcats will play a pair of tough games this week against Notre Dame on Thursday and Baylor on Saturday.

7. Florida Gators

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Points: 174

Record: 5-0

Last Week's Ranking: 7

Florida continued its undefeated season with wins over Savannah State and Central Florida this week. All of the Gators' wins have come by at least 13 points.

The most impressive part of Florida's game this season has been its defense. The Gators are holding opponents to 48.4 points per game and have a top-10 defensive efficiency ranking in the Pomeroy rankings.

T-5. Syracuse Orange

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Points: 185

Record: 4-0

Last Week's Ranking: 6

Syracuse has continued to cruise in its early-season games. Last week, the Orange defeated Princeton by 20 and Colgate by 36.

In the win over Colgate, sophomore Michael Carter-Williams posted eight points, six rebounds, 13 assists and four steals.

T-5. Louisville Cardinals

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Points: 185

Record: 5-1

Last Week's Ranking: 2

Louisville's reign as the No. 2 team in the country came to an end with a loss to Duke in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game.

The Cardinals will look to get back on a winning track against Illinois State on Saturday, where they will most likely have to play without Gorgui Dieng, who broke his wrist over the weekend.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

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Points: 188

Record: 4-0

Last Week's Ranking: 3

Ohio State won its fourth straight game by double figures with a 91-45 victory over UMKC on Friday. Junior Deshaun Thomas has continued to dominate everyone he faces, averaging 24 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field, 48 percent from beyond the arc and 94.1 percent from the charity stripe.

On Wednesday, the Buckeyes will play at Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

3. Michigan Wolverines

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Points: 195

Record: 5-0

Last Week's Ranking: 4

Michigan picked up a pair of quality wins at the NIT Season Tip-Off last week, defeating Pittsburgh and Kansas State to take home the trophy. Tim Hardaway Jr. has continued to be the Wolverines' driving force with 18.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

The Wolverines will face their first Top 25 opponent of the year on Tuesday when they take on NC State.

2. Duke Blue Devils

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Points: 203

Record: 6-0

Last Week's Ranking: 5

Duke continued to make its case over the weekend as a national contender. The Blue Devils won the Battle 4 Atlantis, defeating Minnesota, Virginia Commonwealth and Louisville.

On Wednesday, Duke will play its third Top Five opponent, playing Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.