Michigan State moves into No. 1 spot in AP men's Top 25

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Monday, January 1, 2018

Michigan State was passed by Villanovafor the No. 1 ranking after Dukeand Kansas lost three weeks ago. The Spartans were No. 3 at the time, but voters moved the fourth-ranked Wildcats to the top spot.

Look who's No. 1 now.

Michigan State (14-1) moved up to No. 1 in the poll released on Monday, receiving 43 of 65 first-place votes following previously top-ranked Villanova's loss to Butler on Saturday.

No. 2 Duke, up two spots, received 21 first-place votes, and No. 3 Villanova had one.

Michigan State won both of its games last week and hasn't lost since Nov. 14, when Duke beat the Spartans 88-81 at the Champions Classic in Chicago. The Spartans are No. 1 for the first time since the 2015-16 season, the 12th time overall.

"Any time we can be ranked No. 1 is a good thing," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said after the Spartans beat Savannah State 108-52. "I also think there are five or six teams that could be No. 1."

One thing there certainly isn't: an undefeated team left in college basketball.

No. 3 Arizona State lost to No. 17 Arizona,and No. 10 TCU lost to No. 12 Oklahoma on the same day as Villanova, leaving the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers as the last team to finish a season undefeated.

The Sun Devils (12-1) dropped to No. 4, and the Horned Frogs fell from the program's highest ranking to No. 16.

No. 5 Xavier, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Virginia, Wichita State and Kansas rounded out the top 10.

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