Kentucky is back in a familiar position under John Calipari: No. 1 in The Associated Press mens college basketball poll.
The Wildcats rose one spot after winning a 1-vs-2 matchup with Michigan State to open the season in the Champions Classic, followed by an easy win against Eastern Kentucky. They earned 64 of 65 first-place votes in Mondays poll to finish ahead of No. 2 Duke.
I think well have a good mindset, sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley said. Coach does a good job of keeping us humble. We know were No. 1, but were not where we need to be yet. By the end of the year we want to be that No. 1 team, and we know what were looking for from each other.
It marks the first time the Wildcats (2-0) have reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 since spending two weeks there early in the 2016-17 season.
Yet its the seventh of Caliparis 11 seasons that the Wildcats have spent at least one week atop the AP Top 25. That includes 10 weeks during the 2011-12 season on the way to the national championship and a start-to-finish stay in 2014-15 as the Wildcats carried an unbeaten record to the Final Four, where they lost to Wisconsin.
Weve grown very close over this time weve spent together, and I feel like the closer we are, the better we are going into the postseason, throughout the year, freshman forward Keion Brooks Jr. said after Fridays victory over the Colonels.
THE TOP TIER
The same five teams were at the top of the poll, just in reshuffled order.
Duke climbed two spots to No. 2 after winning a top-4 matchup against Kansas at the Classic. The Blue Devils were ranked second on 48 ballots, third on 13 more and no lower than fifth on any ballot.
The Spartans were No. 1 in the AP preseason poll for the first time in program history entering the Kentucky game but fell to third, followed by Louisville which claimed the remaining first-place vote and Kansas.
North Carolina, Maryland, Gonzaga, reigning national champion Virginia and Villanova rounded out the top 10.
RISING
It was a week of modest climbs for poll risers, with the Tar Heels (2-0) moving up three spots for the biggest gain.
Twelve teams moved up in the poll, with Duke, Virginia, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 18 St. Marys, No. 19 Arizona and No. 22 Auburn all moving up two spots.
