Up one spot is gaining ground, right?
New week, new Monday, new Associated Press top 25, new ranking for YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team. Marquette is up to #20 in the new rankings, which is up one spot from their placement in the poll last week.
This is the 49th consecutive week that Marquette has been in the AP top 25 after appearing in all 21 polls a year ago. We have not seen a run like this in the Associated Press poll since the 1970s, and hooooooooboy, we’re in for a treat if Shaka Smart gets to this mark. This is the longest AP run since MU appeared in every ranking from December 29, 1969 through December 3, 1979. Nearly 10 full years! 166 consecutive polls! Al McGuire was good at his job.
Marquette earned 409 points worth of votes this week to end up at #20, which is precisely 100 more points than they had last week. The voting was pretty close at least right around MU, as Kentucky is #19 with 417 points and Saint Mary’s is #21 with 399 points. Narrow margins all around.
Two voters think Marquette is a top 10 team right now. That’s Dylan Sinn and Zach Klein, who have moved the Golden Eagles up from #12 and #13 last week respectively. Behind them, it’s a bit of a mixed bag of votes, as there’s one vote at #11, no votes at #12, four at #13, one at #14, and then at least two at every spot between #15 and #24, and then one more 25th place vote. Four voters — including Seth Davis — declined to include the Golden Eagles on their ballot this week.
St. John’s is the best ranked team on Marquette’s schedule this week, as the Johnnies moved up one spot from last week to #6 in the country. That is their best position in the poll since February of 1986. Iowa State slipped down one spot to #10 this week, and Wisconsin dipped down one place to #12 as well. Maryland and Purdue were both gainers in terms of MU opponents in the poll, as the Terps moved up three spots to #13 and the Boilermakers shifted upwards by two places to #18.
There are two Big East teams down in the Receiving Votes area. UConn snagged two votes — one at #23 from Local Connecticut Guy Dave Borges — for a total of four points, while Creighton got one 24th place vote for two total points.
You can check out the entire top 25 right here, and you can see how everyone voted for Marquette right here.