UNC, Gonzaga remain atop Top 25 men's poll

North Carolina didn't person a dominating commencement astatine No. 1. The Tar Heels unfastened their 2nd week atop the Associated Press men's assemblage hoops poll with manager Hubert Davis reminding his players it volition instrumentality clip to find a travel similar the 1 that carried them to past year's NCAA title game.

UNC (2-0) earned 44 of 63 first-place votes to decorativeness up of No. 2 Gonzaga successful Monday's archetypal regular-season AP Top 25, which featured lone flimsy changes from the preseason canvass released Oct. 17.

The Tar Heels instrumentality 4 starters from past year's team, including AP preseason All-American Armando Bacot inside. But they labored done wins past week, archetypal against UNC Wilmington and past against College of Charleston.

After the opener, Davis said helium hoped it was "first-game anxiousness and nervousness." After the second, helium said helium had talked to his squad astir dealing with expectations.

"One of the things I've sensed successful them -- I conscionable felt not a nervousness, but possibly a small spot of a load of the expectations," Davis said. "And I tried to get them to recognize that though those expectations are noise, it means nothing.

"I felt similar connected each play, they were trying to marque it look similar the mode we looked successful April. That's conscionable not possible. That conscionable can't happen. This is this year's team."

The apical tier

The second-ranked Bulldogs (2-0) picked up 14 first-place votes aft wins against North Florida and Michigan State, the second coming connected the platform of an craft carrier. Third-ranked Houston (2-0) and fourth-ranked Kentucky (2-0) picked up the remaining 5 first-place votes.

Baylor and Kansas were tied for 5th previously. This time, Baylor is unsocial astatine No. 5, followed by Kansas and Duke. UCLA, Arkansas and Creighton circular retired the apical 10.

The caller eras

Duke and Villanova some are starting with young coaches replacing retired Hall of Famers. One had an aboriginal stumble that carried it close retired of the poll.

The Wildcats person turned to Kyle Neptune, who took implicit successful the outpouring aft the status of Jay Wright. They won their opener against La Salle, then mislaid to Temple, which dropped Villanova from 16th to unranked for the archetypal clip since February 2019.

The Blue Devils bushed Jacksonville and USC Upstate -- surrendering 82 combined points -- in their archetypal 2 games nether Jon Scheyer, who has taken implicit for Mike Krzyzewski successful the Duke program's archetypal coaching alteration since 1980.

Rising

Illinois (2-0) had the biggest jump, climbing 4 spots to No. 19 aft 2 casual location wins. No. 14 Arizona and No. 21 Dayton each roseate 3 spots. In all, 12 teams moved up from the preseason poll.

Sliding

Tennessee (1-1) took the biggest tumble, falling 11 spots to No. 22 after losing to Colorado successful its location state.

Kansas -- which fell retired of the voting necktie astatine No. 5 -- Creighton and No. 15 TCU fell 1 spot each to circular retired the 4 teams that slid from their preseason rankings.

Status quo

Seven teams, each wrong the apical 10, held their preseason position.

Welcome

No. 24 Texas A&M and No. 25 Connecticut are the week's caller additions. The Huskies spent astir of past play successful the AP Top 25, and the Aggies joined the canvass for the archetypal clip nether fourth-year manager Buzz Williams. Texas A&M was past ranked successful February 2018, a play that ended with an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.

Farewell (for now)

Oregon (No. 21) joined Villanova arsenic the different squad to autumn retired from the preseason poll. The Ducks opened with a location triumph against Florida A&M but lost astatine location to UC Irvine 4 days later.

Conference watch

The SEC led the mode with six ranked teams, with No. 13 Auburn and No. 18 Alabama joining Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

The Big 12 was adjacent with five, with No. 11 Texas and No. 23 Texas Tech joining Baylor, Kansas and TCU.

The ACC and Big Ten had three, with No. 16 Virginia joining UNC and Duke for the ACC and No. 12 Indiana and No. 20 Michigan joining Illinois for the Big Ten.

The Pac-12 and Big East each had 2 ranked teams, followed by the West Coast, American Athletic, Mountain West and Atlantic 10 conferences each having one.