Duke Is Latest No. 1 in AP Poll; UCLA Falls to No. 4

A familiar name was atop the Associated Press college basketball rankings Monday as Duke became the sixth school to hold the No. 1 spot this season. It was the fifth consecutive poll with a different team on top.

Previously No. 1 UCLA, the last undefeated Division I team, dropped to No. 4 after falling to California on Sunday, 85-70. The Bears (12-4), ranked sixth in the preseason, returned to the rankings at No. 19 after a one-week absence.

Duke (15-1) reached No. 1 for the third season in a row, and the Blue Devils’ first game with the top ranking will be Thursday night at No. 2 North Carolina. It will be the first 1-2 matchup since top-ranked Nevada Las Vegas defeated Arkansas, 112-105, on Feb. 10, 1991.

This was supposed to be a good Duke team, but not as good as the ones that made the Final Four part of their regular schedule.

“I’m very surprised,” Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday. “I think that going into the year we had a lot of questions about our group and midway through the year we still have a lot of questions. I’ve had opportunities to coach teams that have been No. 1 before and this team is very much a developing team. We think it is an honor to be voted No. 1 at any time because you may never be voted No. 1 again.”