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Unbeaten Tigers rise to the top in coaches’ rankings 1/22/08

ESPN.com news services

” … We played the No. 1 non-conference schedule in the country with Gonzaga and Tennessee still to come. We’ve taken care of business, done what we’re supposed to do,” John Calipari

Undefeated Memphis received the validation it yearned for Monday when the Tigers ascended to the No. 1 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 coaches’ poll.

The groundwork for the top ranking to change hands was laid Saturday when, hours after No. 1 North Carolina lost at home to Maryland, Memphis beat Southern Mississippi by 36 points.

The only time the Tigers, who were ranked second the last seven weeks, attained a No. 1 ranking was in 1983. Known then as Memphis State under coach Dana Kirk, the Tigers were No. 1 in the The Associated Press Top 25 on Jan. 10, but lost at Virginia Tech that same night and dropped to No. 6 the next week.

Memphis (17-0, 4-0 Conference USA) received 21 of 31 first-place votes in the coaches’ poll and 765 points, 11 more than No. 2 Kansas (18-0). The nation’s only other unbeaten Division I men’s team, the Jayhawks received the other 10 first-place votes. Last week, Memphis had six first-place votes and Kansas two, with the other 23 going to North Carolina.

Memphis and Kansas also held down 1-2 in The Associated Press Top 25.

Losses by UNC, UCLA and Texas A&M (two last week) fostered a shuffling of the coaches’ top 10. Duke (15-1) moved up to third from fifth, the Tar Heels (18-1) fell to fourth and Tennessee (16-1) was elevated two spots to fifth.

Washington State (16-1) also made a two-spot jump to No. 6. The Bruins (16-2) fell from fourth to seventh, while Indiana (16-1), Georgetown (14-2) and Michigan State (16-2) rounded out the top 10.

After Saturday night’s win, Memphis coach John Calipari made the case for his Tigers to be No. 1.

” … We played the No. 1 non-conference schedule in the country with Gonzaga and Tennessee still to come. We’ve taken care of business, done what we’re supposed to do,” Calipari said.

“So I’d tell those people to come in this locker room, look these players in the eye and tell them they don’t deserve to be No. 1 right now.”

The Tigers became the first team from outside a non-BCS-affiliated conference to be ranked No. 1 since Saint Joseph’s one-week run in March 2004, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

“For this program to do the things we’re doing, it’s incredible,” Calipari said Saturday.

Wisconsin (15-2) led the second 10 in the poll, with No. 12 Texas (14-3) — 19th last week — the top mover in the rankings, followed by Vanderbilt (17-2), Butler (17-2), Mississippi (15-2), Texas A&M (15-3), Pittsburgh (15-3), Villanova (13-3), Dayton (14-2) and Marquette (13-4).

Rounding out the Top 25: Stanford (15-3, unranked last week), Xavier (15-4), Drake (16-2, unranked), Saint Mary’s (15-2, unranked) and Clemson (14-4). Rhode Island, Miami and Arizona State fell from the Top 25.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Posted by Tug | Filed under Men's Basketball