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This last week proved to be a frustrating one for the Iowa State Cyclones, who fell a spot in this weeks' AP Poll after going 1-1 over their last two. Despite a hot start, Iowa State couldn't overcome a smothering WVU defense in the midst of a snowstorm last Tuesday, dropping their first loss to the Mountaineers in Hilton since WVU joined the conference. The Cyclones regained their footing with a much needed road win at Oklahoma State with an even thinner roster due to the suspension of starting senior, Jameel McKay who did not make the trip.
The Big 12 continues to be an extremely difficult conference, with six of ten teams appearing in this week's top 25. This includes three teams in the top 10, two of which Iowa State has to face again on the road.
The Oklahoma Sooners fell to #3 after a loss on the road at Kansas State (Thanks guys! #Farmalliance). Kansas moved up to #6 after defending the Phog against in-state rival KSU and getting the job done on the road at TCU. West Virginia (#10) takes sole possession as King of the Big 12 (for now) with an 8-2 record, and moves up 4 spots to squeak into the top 10 with a perfect week.
Baylor bear-ly hangs in the top 25, tumbling to #21 after losses at home to Texas and on the road to WVU. Texas makes the jump into the rankings after receiving a single vote in last week's poll for whomping Baylor on the road and defeating Texas Tech at home.
Outside of the Big 12, Villanova is the new #1 (up from #3) and former #2 UNC free-falls to #9 going 0-2 in the last week. The Iowa Hawkeyes are up to #4 with 2 wins and the Texas A&M Aggies drop below Iowa State after losing 2.
It's rematch week for Iowa State, who plays at Texas Tech on Wednesday before meeting up with Shaka Smart and the Texas Longhorns on Saturday in Hilton. With McKay still listed as suspended indefinitely, Iowa State will need a solid effort out of the increasingly thin rotation and the help of Hilton Magic (including a little of the Hilton Way South variety) to keep the hunt for a good tournament seeding alive.
AP Top 25
| RK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS |
| 1 | Villanova Wildcats (32) | 20-3 | 1,566 |
| 2 | Maryland Terrapins (13) | 21-3 | 1,499 |
| 3 | Oklahoma Sooners (7) | 19-3 | 1,472 |
| 4 | Iowa Hawkeyes (11) | 19-4 | 1,471 |
| 5 | Xavier Musketeers | 21-2 | 1,382 |
| 6 | Kansas Jayhawks (1) | 19-4 | 1,311 |
| 7 | Virginia Cavaliers (1) | 19-4 | 1,223 |
| 8 | Michigan State Spartans | 20-4 | 1,144 |
| 9 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 19-4 | 1,136 |
| 10 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 19-4 | 1,082 |
| 11 | Oregon Ducks | 20-4 | 905 |
| 12 | Miami-Florida Hurricanes | 18-4 | 826 |
| 13 | Louisville Cardinals | 19-4 | 819 |
| 14 | Iowa State Cyclones | 17-6 | 781 |
| 15 | Texas A&M Aggies | 18-5 | 663 |
| 16 | SMU Mustangs | 20-2 | 593 |
| 17 | Arizona Wildcats | 19-5 | 497 |
| 18 | Purdue Boilermakers | 19-5 | 456 |
| 19 | Dayton Flyers | 19-3 | 413 |
| 20 | Providence Friars | 18-6 | 349 |
| 21 | Baylor Bears | 17-6 | 333 |
| 22 | Kentucky Wildcats | 17-6 | 228 |
| 23 | USC Trojans | 18-5 | 225 |
| 24 | Texas Longhorns | 16-7 | 199 |
| 25 | Wichita State Shockers | 17-6 | 132 |
| Others receiving votes: South Carolina 128, Indiana 91, Notre Dame 75, San Diego State 22, Duke 14, Seton Hall 14, Gonzaga 10, LSU 10, VCU 10, Valparaiso 9, Stony Brook 8, Saint Mary's 6, Saint Joseph's 5, UNC Wilmington 4, Hawaii 3, Utah 3, Chattanooga 2, Connecticut 2, George Washington 2, Michigan 1, Monmouth 1 | |||
USA Today Coaches Poll
| RK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova (11) | 20-3 | 753 |
| 2 | Maryland (11) | 21-3 | 749 |
| 3 | Oklahoma (3) | 19-3 | 708 |
| 4 | Xavier | 21-2 | 683 |
| 5 | Iowa (3) | 19-4 | 674 |
| 6 | Kansas (2) | 19-4 | 670 |
| 7 | Virginia | 19-4 | 616 |
| 8 | North Carolina (1) | 19-4 | 599 |
| 9 | Michigan State (1) | 20-4 | 567 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 19-4 | 490 |
| 11 | Miami (FL) | 18-4 | 433 |
| 12 | Oregon | 20-4 | 423 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 18-5 | 387 |
| 14 | Arizona | 19-5 | 310 |
| 15 | Iowa State | 17-6 | 307 |
| 16 | Purdue | 19-5 | 292 |
| 17 | Dayton | 19-3 | 236 |
| 17 | Providence | 18-6 | 236 |
| 19 | Baylor | 17-6 | 221 |
| 20 | South Carolina | 20-3 | 185 |
| 21 | Kentucky | 17-6 | 178 |
| 22 | Indiana | 19-5 | 119 |
| 23 | USC | 18-5 | 105 |
| 24 | Wichita St | 17-6 | 91 |
| 25 | Texas | 16-7 | 69 |
| Others receiving votes: Notre Dame 63, Gonzaga 53, Duke 40, Saint Mary's 28, Pittsburgh 25, Seton Hall 21, Valparaiso 14, Louisville 12, Monmouth 12, Utah 12, VCU 8, LSU 5, Saint Joseph's 2, Stony Brook 1, California 1, Clemson 1, Arkansas-Little Rock 1 | |||