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Duke reaches top of AP hoop poll

Duke is back on top of The Associated Press’ college basketball poll for the first time in just over a month. St. John’s is back in the Top 25 for the first time in over a decade.

The Blue Devils (25-2) jumped from fifth to No. 1 on Monday after a week that saw the top four teams in the poll all lose. The move to the top is the biggest since Kansas went from sixth to No. 1 in November 2003, the last time the top four all lost in the same week.

Duke, which was No. 1 in the preseason poll and for the first eight weeks of the regular season, received 35 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.

Five other teams received first-place votes this week, another indication of the parity this season.

The only change near the bottom of the rankings was that St. John’s (17-9), which beat a top 10 team for the fourth time this season with a win over Pittsburgh on Saturday, moved in at No. 23. The Red Storm were last ranked in November 2000.

Ohio State stayed No. 2 with 10 first-place votes, while Kansas dropped from No. 1 to third with five first-place votes.

Pittsburgh, No. 1 on 12 ballots, stayed fourth and Texas, which got one first-place vote, fell two spots to fifth.

San Diego State, BYU, which had two first-place votes, Purdue, Notre Dame and Arizona rounded out the top 10.

Ohio State followed Duke to No. 1 holding the top spot for four weeks before Kansas took over for one week.

Besides St. John’s win over Pittsburgh, Kansas lost to Kansas State, Ohio State lost to Purdue and Texas lost to Nebraska in the week it wasn’t safe to be at the top of the rankings.

In November 2003, No. 1 Connecticut, No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Michigan State and No. 4 Arizona all lost.

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