IUBB almost unanimous No. 1 in polls

With Miami finally succumbing to an ACC foe and dropping from the No. 2 spot, IU solidified its spot atop the polls Monday after its Feb. 19 win against then-No. 4 Michigan State on the road.

The Hoosiers were a near-unanimous choice as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, garnering 64 of 65 possible first place votes. Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal was the lone dissenting voice. He voted Gonzaga as the top team.

IU’s margin in the coaches poll is smaller, but only slightly. It earned 28 of the 31 No. 1 votes with Gonzaga, again, receiving the rest.

At No. 2, Gonzaga again set a new mark for highest rank of the season for a mid-major team.

Duke and Michigan jumped back into the top five at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, while Miami dropped to No. 5 after its upset loss Saturday to Wake Forest.
Five Big Ten teams are ranked this week, all in the top 17 in the AP poll and top 16 of the coaches poll. In the former, Michigan State checks in at No. 9 after losing to both IU and Ohio State, while the Buckeyes rose to No. 16 with the upset on the Spartans on Sunday.

Wisconsin rounds out the Big Ten’s ranked contingent at No. 17, while Illinois also received votes.

Among IU non-conference opponents, Butler slid to No. 20 while Georgetown broke into the top 10 at No. 7. The Hoyas were unranked when IU defeated them in November.

­— Max McCombs