COLLEGE BASKETBALL : Massachusetts Reclaims First Place in Poll

Massachusetts, which reached No. 1 for the first time in school history last season, went back to the top of the college basketball poll Monday.

The Minutemen (7-0) moved up one spot from last week and were the runaway choice of the national media panel, receiving 58 of 64 first-place votes and 1,593 points, 90 more than runner-up Kentucky.

The third change at No. 1 this season came about because of Kansas’ overtime loss to Temple on Friday. The Jayhawks (7-1) had been top-ranked for three weeks after taking over for Kentucky, the preseason No. 1. The Wildcats held the top spot until losing to Massachusetts.

“Being No. 1 means more to the other teams than us,” Massachusetts Coach John Calipari said after beating Georgia Tech hours after Kansas had been beaten in the other game of the inaugural Jimmy V Classic. “Now you’re a bigger target. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure if we’re the best team in the country.”

Kentucky (7-1), which was fourth last week, received three first-place votes and was followed by Memphis (7-0), which was No. 1 on one ballot and moved up two spots, and Kansas.

Cincinnati (7-0) continued its climb from a preseason No. 21 ranking, moving from ninth to fifth and getting one first-place vote. Georgetown held sixth and was followed by Connecticut, which got the final No. 1 vote, Villanova, Arizona and Iowa.

Arizona dropped six spots after losing its first game of the season, at home to Syracuse.

Massachusetts held the No. 1 spot twice last season, the first time for only one week, then was on top for four weeks later in the year. Six schools held the No. 1 position last season--Massachusetts, Arkansas, North Carolina, UCLA, Connecticut and Kansas.

North Carolina again was 11th this week and was followed by Illinois, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Utah, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Michigan and Duke. Rounding out the Top 25 were Virginia Tech, Virginia, defending national champion UCLA, Clemson and Tulsa.

The Bruins (6-3) have won four in a row.