Oklahoma Basketball: Sooners Deservedly Hold onto No. 2 Ranking
By Chip Rouse
Kansas established itself as the No. 1 team in both national polls after last week’s classic triple-overtime victory over an Oklahoma basketball team that had claimed one of the No. 1 spots a week ago.
Typically when you lose to the No. 1 team in the land you lose your position in the national rankings. In Oklahoma’s case, the Sooners were forced to vacate their No. 1 spot in the USA Today Coaches Poll, but only as far as No. 2, as OU held on to the second spot in the Associated Press poll, which reflects the vote of members of the media.
That is valid testament to the quality of last Monday’s emotionally charged showdown at Kansas between the top two teams in college basketball this season. In a spectacular show of poise and resiliency in game that either team could have won, it is gratifying to see that the national pollsters rewarded the losing team, Oklahoma, with a solid No. 2 positioning in this weeks college basketball rankings.
That means the Big 12 commands the top two positions in both weekly national polls, which also include three other teams from the conference in the top-25 rankings. West Virginia (who the Sooners will play on Saturday), Iowa State (OU’s opponent next Monday) and Baylor are also ranked in the top-25 this week.
West Virginia, which is 3-0 in Big 12 play and 14-1 on the season, is ranked at No. 10 in the USA Today poll (No. 11 in the AP poll); Iowa State (12-3, 1-2) is 17 in the AP poll this week (No. 18, according to USA Today); Baylor, which upset Iowa State on the road on Saturday, moved into the No. 22 spot in both polls.
Kansas received all but two first-place votes from the 65-member AP voting panel. Oklahoma and Michigan State, ranked No. 4, split the other two first place votes. Maryland, Michigan State and North Carolina rounded out the top five teams in both polls this week.
Villanova, who the Sooners beat by 23 points earlier this season, checked in at No. 6 in the AP Top 25 this week.