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AP College Basketball Poll 2019: Complete Week 6 Rankings Released
December 9, 2019
If there were any questions about which team will head into conference play as the nation's best team, Louisville answered them last week.
The Cardinals remain the top-ranked team in the latest Associated Press poll after thrashing Michigan and Pittsburgh to stay unbeaten at 9-0. Kansas, Ohio State and Michigan round out the Top Five.
Here is a look at how the entire Top 25 played out:
1. Louisville
2. Kansas
3. Ohio State
4. Maryland
5. Michigan
6. Gonzaga
7. Duke
8. Kentucky
9. Virginia
10. Oregon
11. Baylor
12. Auburn
13. Memphis
14. Dayton
15. Arizona
16. Michigan State
17. North Carolina
18. Butler
19. Tennessee
20. Villanova
21. Florida State
22. Seton Hall
23. Xavier
24. Colorado
25. San Diego State
Five of the nation's top 12 teams lost at least one game, with North Carolina dropping a pair to Ohio State and Virginia. The Tar Heels were held under 50 points in the pair of dispiriting losses—a first since 1947-48—which dropped them 10 spots to No. 17 in the rankings.
"It's the most frustrated I've ever been," North Carolina coach Roy Williams told reporters. "I've been very fortunate coaching-wise, but this is the most frustrated I've ever been. I don't think we're playing basketball the way I want us to play and that's probably the most frustrating."
Virginia's win over North Carolina was its own bounce-back performance following an ugly 69-40 loss at Purdue. The Cavaliers have been held to under 50 points four times this season, including three of their last four games. Ken Pomeroy's advanced metrics rank Virginia as the nation's No. 124 offense.
Michigan State also continued its descent in the rankings, coming in at No. 16 after an 87-75 home loss to Duke. The Spartans rebounded for a 12-point win over Rutgers but look nothing like the stable, veteran crew they appeared to be in the preseason.
Seton Hall, the lone ranked team Michigan State has beaten, is barely hanging on at No. 22 after a 76-66 loss at Iowa State. The Pirates' No. 12 preseason ranking now appears to have been a bit overzealous; No. 18 Butler has emerged as the early-season class of the Big East and is the conference's last remaining unbeaten team.
The Bulldogs exist on the opposite end of the spectrum, moving up six spots after earning a strong home win against Florida on Saturday. They'll face their biggest test of the young season Tuesday night when they visit Baylor, which vaulted up seven spots to No. 11 after a 63-58 win over Arizona.
No. 23 Xavier and No. 25 San Diego State are the lone pair of new teams in the rankings this week.