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Updated at 11:25 a.m., Monday, February 19, 2007

Wisconsin No. 1 in AP poll; low-led WSU No. 9

By Ralph Russo
Associated Press

Get ready for another 1 vs. 2 showdown in the Big Ten — this time on the hardwood.

Wisconsin was the new No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll on today and Big Ten rival Ohio State was not far behind at No. 2.

The Badgers (26-2, 12-1), on top of the poll for the first time in school history, play the Buckeyes (24-3, 11-1) in Columbus on Sunday — just a bit more than three months after Ohio State and Michigan played a much-hyped 1 vs. 2 football game at Ohio Stadium.

Florida's 83-70 loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday snapped the Gators' 17-game winning streak and dropped them from the top spot in the media poll for the second time this season.

Wisconsin, which was No. 3 last week, leapfrogged second-ranked Ohio State to become the fourth No. 1 team this season, and 52nd different school to hold the top spot in the history of the AP poll.

For the Badgers and coach Bo Ryan, there's not much time to celebrate their new lofty status, not with a game at Michigan State on Tuesday.

So Ryan held his own 60-second celebration at home, with a big foam "We're No. 1" finger he took from his kids, a party favor and a handful of paper torn into confetti.

"I ran around with the foam finger, blowing the horn and throwing the confetti for about a minute," Ryan said with a laugh. "Then I went back into my office and watched the DVD of a very good Iowa team losing by 30 to Michigan State."

The Badgers received 35 first-place votes and 1,747 points. Ohio State got 31 first-place votes and 1,728 points. No. 3 Florida received four first-place votes and No. 4 UCLA got two.

"I'm really happy for the players and the university," Ryan said. "It says something about the work that's been put in, not just this year but over the years. That's the reward.

"It does make a great statement for the program."

For the Big Ten, it's the first time the league best known for its football has had the top two teams in the AP basketball poll. The last time the same conference had Nos. 1 and 2 was last season, when the Big East had Connecticut at No. 1 and Villanova No. 2 in the second-to-last poll.

The last 1 vs. 2 game was also last season. No. 1 Duke defeated No. 2 Texas 97-66 at the Meadowlands in New Jersey on Dec. 10, 2005.

The Blue Devils returned to the rankings at No. 18 after a one-week absence. A four-game losing streak ended an 11-year run in the Top 25 for Duke. The Blue Devils were ranked in 200 straight polls, the second-longest streak ever.

But last week Duke beat Boston College on the road and Georgia Tech at home and the voters rewarded the Blue Devils.

The bottom of the rankings received a major shake-up as teams ranked 18-25 last week went 3-13.

Vanderbilt, Texas, Louisville, BYU and Virginia also moved into the Top 25. For Louisville, which beat two ranked teams — Pittsburgh and Marquette — on the road, and BYU, it's the first time this season they've been ranked. The Cougars haven't been in the Top 25 since March 1993.

Dropping out were Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Boston College, Indiana and Southern California.

Duke's Atlantic Coast Conference rival and Tobacco Road neighbor, North Carolina, slipped a spot to No. 5 after a 1-1 week. Kansas jumped three spots to No. 6.

Memphis, Texas A&M, Washington State and Pittsburgh rounded out the top 10.

Washington State is led by 'Iolani alum Derrick Low.