UNLV basketball team jumps to No. 12 in media, coaches’ polls
January 9, 2012 - 10:43 am
The UNLV basketball team climbed five spots in the weekly Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches polls released today, settling in at No. 12 after extending its winning streak to seven games.
The Rebels (16-2) played and won just one game last week -- an 89-57 nonconference victory at Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday -- but took advantage of the struggles of teams previously ranked in front of them to make the jump from No. 17.
Syracuse, one of three unbeaten teams in Division I, remained No. 1 in both polls for the fifth straight week.
In the AP poll, the Orange received 60 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel; in the coaches' poll, the Orange received 30 of 31 first-place votes. Kentucky, which got the other No. 1 votes in both polls, North Carolina and Baylor remained second through fourth. Ohio State moved up one spot to fifth in both polls.