UConn reaches No

Purdue preserved its grasp on No. 1 in the AP Top 25 guys’s college basketball survey on Monday.Another unbeaten is closing the gap, though.The Boilermakers got 40 of the 60 first-place votes from a national media panel after knocking off Davidson in their only game recently, enabling them to hold the top spot for a 2nd successive week. But after then-No. 2 Virginia lost to Houston, UConn jumped into second place and scooped up the staying 20 first-place votes.It’s the greatest the Huskies, unranked in the preseason, have remained in the AP poll

because they were No. 1 on March 2, 2009.”We just need to stick to our identity,”stated UConn star Adama Sanogo, who had 27 points and 14 rebounds in a 68-48 romp at Butler on Saturday.”No pressure, just play the way I have actually been playing.”1. Purdue(40 )2. UConn (21)3. Houston 4. Kansas 5. Arizona 6. Virginia 7. Texas

“For us to get a gritty ‘W’against a group like Tennessee, it was a fantastic night,” Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd said.Virginia dropped to 6th while Texas, which played its first game without suspended coach Chris Beard, remained at No. 7 following a win over Stanford. The Volunteers was up to eighth to begin a run of Southeastern Conference

teams with Alabama falling to ninth after a loss to Gonzaga and Arkansas holding on to 10th for the 2nd straight week.The Bulldogs, who likewise beat Northern Illinois prior to their 100-90 road victory over the Crimson Tide, came in at No. 11, while UCLA climbed four spots to No. 12 after arguably the most outstanding week of anybody. The Bruins won 87-60 at then-No. 20 Maryland prior to beating then-No. 13 Kentucky at Madison Square Garden.” Long week,”said UCLA coach Mick Cronin, whose group has followed back-to-back losses with seven straight wins.”We understand what we’re capable of if we defend and play with the toughness we had fun with this week.”Baylor signed in at No. 13 ahead of Duke, the only Top 25 team that did not play recently, while Mississippi State among five unbeatens left in males’s Department I basketball– can be found in at No. 15. 1 Associated Illinois began a run for the Big 10 at No. 16 with Wisconsin and Indiana right behind it. Kentucky toppled six spots to No. 19 after

its third loss in its very first 10 games, while TCU rounded out the top 20 after its win over Mississippi Valley State.Virginia Tech, Miami, Marquette, Auburn and Arizona State completed the poll.RISING AND FALLING Wisconsin made the greatest relocation in the survey, climbing five spots following its win over Lehigh.

However that success began the heels of more excellent wins over Maryland and in overtime at Iowa the previous week to open Huge

10 play.Kentucky took the greatest fall after its 63-53 loss to the Bruins. The Wildcats’ other two losses are to Michigan State and Gonzaga, and they are simply 1-3 in games played at Rupp Arena this season.IN AND OUT Marquette moved into the poll at No. 23 for the very first

time this season after beating Creighton to open Big East play, while Arizona State entered in the final slot after its own win over the Bluejays and another over San Diego.Maryland fell out after its loss to UCLA.

So did Ohio State, which lost in overtime to North Carolina in New York.CONFERENCE ENJOY 7 different leagues fill the very first 8 areas in the Leading 25, though the SEC has the most teams in the poll with 6 this week. The Big Ten, American Athletic and Big 12 conferences have

four each.