Ohio State returns to AP Top 25 after third straight decisive victory
COLUMBUS — Ohio State is back in the AP Top 25 for the first time since mid-December. The Buckeyes clocked in as the No. 24 team in Monday’s AP Poll.
There are four Big Ten teams in this week’s AP Top 25. They are No. 1 Purdue, No. 14 Wisconsin, No. 15 Indiana and No. 24 Ohio State.
Purdue is holding steady at the top of the poll for the fourth week in a row. The Boilermakers grabbed 60-of-61 first-place votes. UConn snagged one first-place vote but fell to No. 4 after its 10-point loss to Xavier, which is now No. 18.
Arkansas, coming off a defeat to LSU, slid four spots from No. 9 to No. 13. Baylor plummeted seven places from No. 12 to No. 19 in the wake of its 15-point loss to Iowa State.
This week’s biggest winner was 14-1 College of Charleston, which got the nod in the AP Top 25 for the first time in 20 years.
Ohio State stomped Northwestern Sunday night in Evanston, 73-57, in a game that was more lopsided than the score suggests. At one point, the Buckeyes were up, 34-8. Four Ohio State players finished in double figures, led by freshman Brice Sensabaugh (18 points), but, more notably, head coach Chris Holtmann’s team held Northwestern to 28.4% shooting.
Ohio State made it hard for the Wildcats to get inside, and, even when they did, they struggled at the rim, converting a meager 4-of-18 layups.
It was the perfect way for the Buckeyes — who, at times this season, have been held back by their defense — to resume Big Ten play. Earlier in the week, Ohio State pulled away from Alabama A&M in the second half for a 90-59 win.
The previous week, the Buckeyes dunked all over Maine in a 95-61 victory.
Ohio State has eclipsed the 90-point mark four times this year.
Lettermen Row has the entire Week 9 AP Top 25 Poll (Jan. 2) below:
- Purdue
- Houston
- Kansas
- UConn
- Arizona
- Texas
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Gonzaga
- UCLA
- Virginia
- Miami
- Arkansas
- Wisconsin
- Indiana
- Duke
- TCU
- Xavier
- Baylor
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- Auburn
- College of Charleston
- Ohio State
- Iowa State
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