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College basketball rankings: ACC teams in updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25 on Jan. 29

craig meyer, usa today network
·3 min read

After the disappointment of the 2022-23 season, which it began as the nation’s No. 1 team and ended outside of the NCAA Tournament field, the North Carolina men’s basketball team has rebounded emphatically thus far in the 2023-24 season.

The No. 3 Tar Heels (17-3, 9-0 ACC) remained undefeated in ACC play last week, throttling in-state foe Wake Forest by 21 points before gutting out a road victory against Florida State. Potential first-team All-American guard RJ Davis scored a combined 60 points in the two wins. Though coach Hubert Davis’ team is almost certain to not move up in the major national polls with UConn and Purdue going a combined 3-0 last week, it’s the only ACC team with fewer than two losses in conference play.

No. 12 Duke (15-4, 6-2), the conference’s only other ranked team, recovered from a stunning home loss the previous week against Pitt to go on the road and beat Louisville before returning to Cameron Indoor Stadium to defeat Clemson. Blue Devils guard Tyrese Proctor made a pair of free throws with less than a second remaining to give his team the 72-71 victory.

REQUIRED READING: Duke basketball vs. Virginia Tech: Score prediction, scouting report for Blue Devils

For both teams, bigger and higher-profile challenges await — namely, each other. The two programs will meet Saturday in Chapel Hill in the latest installment of the most storied rivalry in the sport.

How did Duke and North Carolina’s victories change their spot in the USA TODAY Coaches and AP Top 25 polls? Here’s a look at the updated rankings:

College basketball rankings for Jan. 29

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

ACC teams in bold. First-place votes in parentheses.

1. UConn, 18-2 (23)

2. Purdue, 19-2 (8)

3. North Carolina, 17-3

4. Houston, 18-2

5. Tennessee, 15-4

6. Wisconsin, 16-4

7. Duke, 15-4

8. Kentucky, 15-4

9. Kansas, 16-4

10. Marquette, 15-5

11. Iowa State, 16-4

12. Arizona, 15-5

13. Creighton, 16-5

14. Illinois, 15-5

15. Texas Tech, 16-3

16. Auburn, 16-4

17. Utah State, 18-2

18. Baylor, 14-5

19. Dayton, 16-3

20. New Mexico, 18-3

21. BYU, 15-5

22. Alabama, 14-6

23. Florida Atlantic, 17-4

24. Oklahoma, 15-5

25. TCU, 15-5

Others receiving votes: San Diego State 67; Ole Miss 57; South Carolina 46; Gonzaga 38; Memphis 26; Northwestern 23; Colorado State 14; Indiana State 13; Texas 11; Grand Canyon 9; Saint Mary's 5; Virginia 4; McNeese State 4; Appalachian State 4; Seton Hall 2; Cornell 2; Princeton 1

AP Top 25

ACC teams in bold. First-place votes in parentheses.

1. UConn, 18-2 (48)

2. Purdue, 19-2 (14)

3. North Carolina, 17-3

4. Houston, 18-2 (1)

5. Tennessee, 15-4

6. Wisconsin, 16-4

7. Duke, 15-4

8. Kansas, 16-4

9. Marquette, 15-5

10. Kentucky, 15-4

11. Arizona, 15-5

12. Iowa State, 16-4

13. Creighton, 16-5

14. Illinois, 15-5

15. Texas Tech, 16-3

16. Auburn, 16-4

17. Utah State, 18-2

18. Baylor, 14-5

19. New Mexico, 18-3

20. Florida Atlantic, 17-4

21. Dayton, 16-3

22. BYU, 15-5

23. Oklahoma, 15-5

24. Alabama, 14-6

25. TCU, 15-5

Others receiving votes: South Carolina 108; San Diego State 95; Memphis 48; Northwestern 32; Ole Miss 30; Texas 10; Colorado State 10; Saint Mary's 9; Indiana State 5; Boise State 5; Richmond 4; Gonzaga 4; Virginia 3; McNeese State 2; Appalachian State 1

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: College basketball rankings: ACC in updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25