Luke DeCock’s AP Top 25 basketball poll ballot: Week 13
News & Observer sports columnist Luke DeCock is serving as an Associated Press Top 25 basketball poll voter for the 2021-22 NCAA basketball season. This is his AP ballot for February 6, 2022.
There are a lot of not-so-fun aspects of participating in this poll -- the amount of abuse and targeted harassment voters get is staggering -- but one of the best parts is the chance to vote for mid-majors and teams that aren’t always in the spotlight when they deserve it.
Perhaps I’m just biased, having gone to one of those, and remembering how cool it was just to show up with ACC and Big East schools among those “also receiving votes,” let alone crack the top 25 itself, but it’s fun to justifiably elevate Wyoming and Murray State above LSU and Southern Cal. (Two weeks ago, I was the only voter with St. Mary’s on my ballot.)
Marquette and Arkansas crack my ballot as well, with four open spots thanks to some turnover near the bottom. Auburn stays No. 1. but that top seven -- Auburn, Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, Baylor, Houston, Purdue -- is a pretty tightly packed group.
THIS SEASON’S BALLOTS
Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 12
THIS WEEK’S TOP 25 BASKETBALL BALLOT
1. Auburn (Last week: 2)
2. Gonzaga (2)
3. Arizona (4)
4. Kansas (5)
5. Baylor (3)
6. Houston (6)
7. Purdue (7)
8. Kentucky (10)
9. Duke (11)
10. Texas Tech (12)
11. Villanova (9)
12. Tennessee (15)
13. UCLA (8)
14. Illinois (16)
15. Ohio State (18)
16. Wisconsin (13)
17. Michigan State (14)
18. St. Mary’s (20)
19. Providence (24)
20. Marquette (NR)
21. Murray State (NR)
22. Wyoming (NR)
23. USC (23)
24. LSU (17)
25. Arkansas (NR)
OUT Xavier (19), Connecticut (21), Alabama (22), Iowa State (25)
This story was originally published February 7, 2022 at 6:35 AM.
