AP College Basketball Poll 2012: Complete Week 8 Standings Released

In this festive time of year, it's nice to see the best teams in college basketball get rewarded for their brilliant performance. The Associated Press did just that in its latest Top 25 Rankings. 

The very top of the standings stayed the same, with the Duke Blue Devils coming off a 2-0 week and improving their record to 11-0 with conference play on the horizon. 

Besides Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Cincinnati are the only remaining undefeated teams in the Top 10. The Bearcats took over the spot vacated by Illinois, which saw its 12-game winning streak snapped against Missouri last Saturday. 

Another team that saw its undefeated streak come to an end was New Mexico. The Lobos have been flirting with disaster all season long, and finally fell to a game South Dakota State squad. 

Once conference season begins, the sense of urgency facing every team in the country is sure to spike. When the meaty part of the schedule rolls around, you will start to see more and more unbeaten teams fall by the wayside.

Meanwhile, the cream of the crop will rise to the top. Teams that suffered early losses like Indiana, Kansas and Florida will move back to their perch atop the standings. 

Here is a complete look at the AP Top 25 Rankings for the week of December 24-30. 

WEEK 8 AP TOP 25 RANKINGS
1. Duke
2. Michigan
3. Arizona
4. Louisville
5. Indiana
6. Kansas
7. Missouri
8. Cincinnati
9. Syracuse
10. Ohio State
11. Minnesota
12. Illinois
13. Gonzaga
14. Florida
15. Georgetown
16. Creighton
17. San Diego State
18. Butler
19. Michigan State
20. UNLV
21. Notre Dame
22. Oklahoma State
23. North Carolina State
24. Pittsburgh
25. Kansas State

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