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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 9:40 a.m., Monday, February 16, 2009

CBKB: Top 4 remain the same in AP poll

By JIM O’CONNELL
AP Basketball Writer

Connecticut's third straight week at No. 1 in The Associated Press' college basketball poll means the Huskies have the second-longest streak of the season.

The Huskies (24-1) were again a runaway choice Monday, receiving 66 first-place votes from the 72-member national media panel, and the three teams behind them remained the same for a second straight week.

Oklahoma (25-1), which was No. 1 on four ballots, was second, followed by North Carolina (23-2), which got two first-place votes, and Pittsburgh (23-2).

North Carolina was an unanimous No. 1 in the preseason poll and in the first seven of the regular season. Pittsburgh held the top spot for two weeks and had been tied with Connecticut for the second-longest streak. The two were to meet Monday night at Hartford, Conn.

Memphis and Michigan State both moved up three places to fifth and sixth, respectively, and were followed by Louisville, Wake Forest, Duke and Marquette.

Wake Forest and Duke were both ranked No. 1 for one week this season.

Washington, which was ranked for two weeks before falling out for one poll, returned this week and was joined by newcomers LSU and Dayton.

They replaced Utah State, Ohio State and Florida State.

Missouri, which beat Kansas and Nebraska last week, had the week's biggest jump from 17th to No. 11, and the Tigers were followed by Villanova, Clemson, Arizona State, Kansas, Xavier, Gonzaga, Illinois, Purdue and UCLA.

The last five ranked teams were Butler, Washington, LSU, Syracuse and Dayton.

UCLA, which was swept on its two-game trip to the Arizona schools in the Pac-10 last week, had the biggest drop, from 11th to No. 20.

Washington (19-6), which was ranked 23rd and 22nd before dropping out, returned at No. 22 having won four of five, including an 84-71 win at Arizona State.

LSU (21-4) has won nine of 10, the only loss in that stretch to Xavier. The 23rd-ranked Tigers, the only Southeastern Conference team in the Top 25, was last ranked in 2006-07 when they were No. 5 in the preseason poll and then were in the first 11 polls of the regular season before falling out until this week.

Dayton (23-3) entered at No. 25 having won nine of 10, including a win over Xavier. The Flyers, who won two games in that stretch by one point and two others by two points, were ranked for four weeks last season.

Utah State (24-2), which was ranked for two weeks, fell out from 21st following a 66-56 loss to Boise State that ended its 19-game winning streak, the longest in the nation.

Ohio State (17-6) lost 55-50 at Wisconsin and dropped out after a one-week return at No. 24.

Florida State (19-6) moved into the poll last week for the first time this season, but fell out from No. 25 after beating Virginia 68-57 and losing 86-63 to Wake Forest.