Associated Press

No. 17 Arizona State picked up one of its biggest wins in program history by knocking off top-ranked Kansas 80-76 on Saturday.

But the Sun Devils (9-2) picked up only one spot in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, thanks to a road loss to Vanderbilt the previous Sunday.

Kansas dropped four spots to No. 5, but should get big man Udoka Azubuike back soon after he missed four games with a sprained ankle.

Duke moved to No. 1 after blowing out Kentucky in its season opener, only to lose the top spot two weeks later with a loss to Gonzaga in Maui.

Well, the Blue Devils are back at No. 1.

Buoyed by a win over No. 12 Texas Tech and Kansas’ loss at No. 18 Arizona State, Duke moved atop the ranking, receiving 35 of 64 first-place votes.

No. 2 Michigan received nine first-place votes, No. 3 Tennessee got 12, and No. 4 Virginia and No. 5 Kansas received four each.

No. 6 Nevada, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Florida State and Virginia Tech rounded out the top 10.

Duke (11-1) started the season No. 4 in the preseason poll, but moved to No. 1 for a record-tying 135th week in the first regular-season poll after turning its opener against then-No. 2 Kentucky into a laugher.

The Blue Devils stayed in the top spot until a rally against Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational title game came up short. Duke worked its way up to No. 2 and slid into the top spot after routing Princeton and holding off No. 12 Texas Tech last week.

The 69-58 win over the previously-unbeaten Red Raiders had a March-like feel at Madison Square Garden as two Elite Eight teams from a year ago played for the first time.

“This is a great night for college basketball,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Rising and falling

No teams made significant jumps in this week’s poll. No. 10 Virginia Tech and No. 16 Kentucky were the biggest movers, adding three spots each.

No. 21 Buffalo had the biggest drop, losing seven places after losing to No. 18 Marquette. No. 12 Auburn and No. 14 North Carolina lost five spots each.

Furman’s first run at being ranked came to an end this week after the Paladins lost by 20 to LSU.

Nebraska dropped out of the poll from No. 25 despite winning its only game last week.

In and out

No. 20 North Carolina State (11-1) moved into the poll for the first time since 2013 after knocking off then-No. 7 Auburn on Wednesday and South Carolina Upstate on Saturday.

No. 25 Oklahoma is ranked for the first time since hitting No. 4 in last year’s poll.

Voter death

Indiana beat writer and AP Top 25 poll voter Terry Hutchens died last week after being critically injured in an automobile collission. He was 60.

“Hutch” covered the Hoosiers for CNHI Sports Indiana.

AP TOP 25

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 23, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:

Team | Record | Points | Previous rank

1. Duke (35) | 11-1 | 1529 | 2

2. Michigan (9) | 12-0 | 1472 | 4

3. Tennessee (12) | 10-1 | 1471 | 3

4. Virginia (4) | 11-0 | 1427 | 5

5. Kansas (4) | 10-1 | 1386 | 1

6. Nevada | 12-0 | 1316 | 6

7. Gonzaga | 11-2 | 1199 | 8

8. Michigan State | 10-2 | 1146 | 10

9. Florida State | 11-1 | 1061 | 11

10. Virginia Tech | 10-1 | 924 | 13

11. Texas Tech | 10-1 | 845 | 12

12. Auburn | 10-2 | 770 | 7

13. Ohio St. | 11-1 | 737 | 15

14. North Carolina | 8-3 | 678 | 9

15. Wisconsin | 10-2 | 673 | 16

16. Kentucky | 9-2 | 664 | 19

17. Arizona State | 9-2 | 626 | 18

18. Marquette | 10-2 | 538 | 20

19. Mississippi State | 11-1 | 518 | 17

20. N.C. State | 11-1 | 292 | —

21. Buffalo | 11-1 | 279 | 14

22. Houston | 12-0 | 274 | 21

23. Indiana | 11-2 | 247 | 22

24. Iowa | 10-2 | 178 | 23

25. Oklahoma | 11-1 | 163 | —

Others receiving votes: Nebraska 160, Kansas St. 69, St. John’s 67, Villanova 44, Cincinnati 11, Iowa St. 11, TCU 6, Seton Hall 5, Louisville 4, Purdue 3, Belmont 2, Furman 2, NJIT 1, Penn 1, San Francisco 1.

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