Virginia moves up two spots, to #3, in this week’s Associated Press Top 25

Virginia, on the eve of its first true road game of the 2022-2023 season, moved up two spots to #3 in this week’s AP Top 25.

The Cavaliers (5-0) had a light week, with just one game, a 72-45 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Friday night at JPJ.

UVA did the heavy lifting for its rise from preseason #18 last week with a pair of Top 25 wins at the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas, defeating then-#5 Baylor, 86-79, and then-#19 Illinois, 70-61.

Baylor (5-1) is ranked sixth in this week’s AP Top 25; Illinois (5-1) is 16th.

Houston (6-0) is the new #1, for the first time since 1983, after last week’s top-ranked team, North Carolina, lost twice at the Phil Knight Invitational – 70-65 to Iowa State on Friday, and 103-101, in four overtimes, to then-#18 Alabama on Sunday.

UNC (5-2) fell all the way to 18th in this week’s poll.

Duke (6-2), which lost to then-#24 Purdue, 75-56, in the Phil Knight Legacy on Sunday, fell from eighth to 17th.

Purdue (6-0) was the big mover this week, jumping from 24th to fifth after its win over Duke and a win over then-#6 Gonzaga on its way to winning the PKL championship.

UVA will face unranked Michigan (5-1) Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.