Advertisement

'Nova gets back to 1, FSU falls a spot, UF rises

 
Published Jan. 17, 2017

Villanova coach Jay Wright likes this vantage point just fine.

The Wildcats are back on top in the Associated Press poll.

"It was great to be No. 1. I'd much rather be No. 1 than 3," Wright said last week after a loss against then-No. 18 Butler dropped his club two spots.

But on Monday the Wildcats moved back on top after No. 1 Baylor's loss in its only week ever as a top-ranked team. Florida State dropped from ninth to 10th, and Florida moved up four spots to No. 19.

In Monday night's game, Kris Jenkins scored 16 and Jalen Brunson added 13 to lead Villanova (18-1, 6-1 Big East) to a 76-46 win over visiting Seton Hall.

NO. 7 CREIGHTON 72, NO. 22 XAVIER 67: The visiting Bluejays (18-1, 5-1 Big East) had to overcome a knee injury to star point guard Maurice Watson to prevail. Creighton scored the final six points after the Musketeers (13-5, 3-3) pulled ahead 67-66. Watson hurt his left knee in the first half and spent the second half on crutches.

WOMEN: UConn stayed No. 1 in the AP poll, FSU seventh and Miami 14th. USF dropped to No. 23. … Jaime Nared hit a tiebreaking shot with 10.3 seconds left as unranked Tennessee erased a 15-point, second-half deficit to beat No. 6 Notre Dame (16-3) 71-69. … Victoria Vivians scored 23 as host Mississippi State (19-0, 5-0 SEC) set a school record for consecutive wins to start a season, 73-62 over Mississippi.

FOOTBALL: USC cornerback Adoree' Jackson said he will forgo his senior year to enter the NFL draft, joining receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and guard Damien Mama as Trojans underclassmen to leave this offseason.

ALABAMA: Greg Byrne was named athletic director after running Arizona's athletic department since 2010.