Kansas returns to top spot in hoops poll

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/08/2010 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kansas is back atop the men's basketball world, taking the top spot in the Associated Press poll for the third time this season.

The Jayhawks (29-2) were the preseason No. 1 and spent the first eight weeks of the season as the top-ranked team before a loss to Tennessee on January 10. Kansas then returned to the top the first week of February before falling to No. 2 just last week after a loss at Oklahoma State, but a loss by Syracuse at Louisville on Saturday pushed the Big 12 regular-season champs back up to the top spot.

Kansas received 63 first-place votes and 1,623 points from a nationwide media panel to easily outdistance SEC regular-season champ Kentucky. The Wildcats (29-2) picked up the other two top tallies and 1,553 points to move up one spot to second.

Syracuse (28-3), which occupied the top ranking for the first time in 20 years before Saturday's 78-68 setback in the Freedom Hall finale, dropped two spots to third.

Duke remained fourth and Ohio State climbed one spot to fifth. Purdue, West Virginia, New Mexico, Kansas State and Villanova complete this week's top 10. Kansas State dropped four spots from fifth after losses at Kansas and at home to Iowa State.

The second 10 consists of Michigan State, Butler, Wisconsin, BYU, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Temple, Gonzaga, Maryland and Vanderbilt. Maryland vaulted three spots after entering the poll last week at No. 22 thanks to wins over Duke and Virginia to claim a share of the ACC regular-season crown with the Blue Devils. Vanderbilt dropped seven places from 13th after Saturday's home loss against South Carolina.

Baylor, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Xavier and UTEP are the last five teams ranked this week.

There were no new entries this week heading into tournament play in the power conferences.

Wwwthirdage NCAA Basketball Betting News

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