Highlights from the ballot …
— Gonzaga, the preseason No. 1 in the AP poll, moved into that spot on my ballot following a convincing victory over Kansas and Villanova’s loss to Virginia Tech.
— The Hokies were unranked on my preseason ballot but joined the fray in the No. 10 spot after their upset of Villanova and two additional wins.
Major changes early in the season — whether it’s moving teams in or yanking them out — are essential to eliminating preseason bias and developing a ballot based on results.
— Houston also jumped nine spots, to No. 12, after beating Texas Tech.
— Another riser: San Diego State, which climbed five rungs, to No. 18, after the victory over UCLA.
This ballot will be published every Monday morning through the regular season.
My preseason rankings can be found here.
1. Gonzaga2. Iowa3. Baylor4. Michigan State5. Villanova6. Creighton7. Illinois8. Wisconsin9. Duke10. Virginia Tech11. Kansas12. Houston13. Virginia14. Texas15. West Virginia16. Arizona State17. UNC18. San Diego State19. Tennessee20. Oregon21. Indiana22. Rutgers23. Ohio State24. UCLA25. Michigan
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