[TomWilkinson]

Duke’s big win over Texas kept them solidly at #1 in the AP College basketball poll. The next three are Connecticut, Villanova and Louisville.

The one note in this week’s poll is the inclusion of Houston, who is ranked for the first time in nearly 13 years. Houston (4-1) moved into the rankings at No. 25 a week after the Cougars beat then-No. 25 LSU 84-83 and then-No. 15 Arizona 69-65. "Being ranked is important for recruiting and credibility and later on when they pick teams in March, the committee tends to look at that as some sort of barometer," Houston coach Tom Penders said Monday. "It's a sleeping giant here. It's been down since Guy Lewis retired in 1986, but it's a tradition-rich school with five Final Fours and banners all over the place."

"Rather than get giddy after beating LSU, which is an unbelievably talented team, the guys immediately turned their focus on Arizona and that final score wasn't indicative of the margin of that game," Penders said. "This is best defensive team I've ever had. They really get after it. These are very athletic, quick long-armed kids who pressure all over."

"I think it's huge for the league," Penders said. "We still feel we're still at least a three-bid league."

Connecticut, Villanova and Louisville moved up one place apiece with Texas' drop to sixth. Connecticut (7-0) had five first-place votes, four fewer than last week, and 1,703 points. Villanova (6-0) again received the only other first-place vote. Memphis moved up two places to fifth, its highest ranking since it was No. 3 in January 1996, and was followed by Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Illinois and Gonzaga.

Washington was 11th and was followed by Michigan State, Boston College, UCLA, George Washington, Wake Forest, Maryland, Indiana, North Carolina and Nevada. The last five ranked teams were North Carolina State, Iowa, Kentucky, Arizona and Houston.