An overtime win over Wichita State and blowout of then-fourth-ranked Michigan vaulted Arizona into the Associated Press Top 25 poll at No. 17, the Wildcats' first appearance in the poll since Feb. 17, 2020.
The Wildcats were not ranked at all last season, even though they were eligible for the AP poll and played well enough to likely earn an NCAA Tournament bid had they not self-sanctioned a postseason ban.
Arizona was ranked as high as No. 12 in 2019-20, right after they beat Pepperdine, Penn and Wake Forest to win the Wooden Legacy title They have only one scholarship player left from that season, center Christian Koloko, who earned the Main Event MVP on Sunday after averaging 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks against Wichita State and Michigan.
Koloko, who also had 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks in just 20 minutes against North Dakota State earlier last week, is also a top candidate to win this week's Pac-12 Player of the Week award that will be announced later Monday.
Among UA opponents this season, UCLA stayed at No. 2 while USC moved up one spot to No. 24. Oregon dropped out but received the 26th most points in voting after getting beaten badly at home by BYU, which moved to No. 17. Michigan dropped from No. 4 to No. 20.
FWIW, I had Arizona at No. 18. I dropped Oregon and Michigan while adding Arizona and St. Bonaventure. Though it does not show online that I had BYU at 14, this was the ballot I submitted to the AP. My ballot is also below:
1 Gonzaga
2 Purdue
3 UCLA
4 Kansas
5 Texas
6 Villanova
7 Houston
8 Duke
9 Baylor
10 Kentucky
11 Alabama
12 Arkansas
13 Illinois
14 BYU
15 Memphis
16 Tennessee
17 Auburn
18 Arizona
19 St. Bonaventure
20 USC
21 North Carolina
22 Colorado State
23 Ohio State
24 Florida
25 Connecticut
Asked after Sunday's game about the possibility of being ranked, neither Dalen Terry and UA coach Tommy Lloyd made a big deal of it.
“At the end of the day, it's just a number next to our next to our name when we play,” Terry said. “We want to still play the same way regardless. I don't want us to change our identity because we're ranked or anything. We’re gonna all still play the same way every single game.”
Lloyd spoke immediately after Terry.
“I'll add to that: Arizona basketball earns everything it gets and that's the way we want it,” Lloyd said. “We don't want anything given to us. We're gonna go take what we're gonna get and that's the approach we're gonna have.
“I've been ranked before a lot and I know the journey is about getting better week-by-week and we just played five games in a short time span. We’ve got a bunch of film to go through and a bunch of things to get better at and get ready for Saturday's game” against Sacramento State.
