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Virginia up one spot, to #2; Virginia Tech makes first appearance in poll this week

Chris Graham
uva basketball
Photo: UVA Athletics

Purdue somehow jumped past Virginia to take the top spot in this week’s AP Top 25, which, fine, whatever.

The Boilermakers (10-0) were third last week, Virginia (8-0) second.

Houston (9-1), last week’s #1, dropped to fifth after losing 71-65 to Alabama (8-1), which jumped four spots to #4.

UVA seems to be getting penalized for a tight 55-50 win over JMU (8-3, KenPom: 76) last Tuesday. The Cavaliers had to play the final 36 minutes of that one without projected first-round NBA Draft pick Reece Beekman, who left the game with a strained hamstring.

The voters were apparently more impressed with Purdue’s 65-62 OT win at Nebraska (6-5, KenPom: 80) on Saturday.

UConn (11-0), which played Virginia in one of those not-so-secret secret scrimmages ahead of the season, a 75-69 Virginia win that we officially don’t know anything about, is #3 this week.

The ACC has three other teams in the AP Top 25 this week – Duke (8-2) at #12, Virginia Tech (10-1), at #24, and Miami (10-1) is #25.

Tech and Miami are ranked for the first time this season.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019, and Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship, and The Worst Wrestling Pay-Per-View Ever, published in 2018. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].