Missouri, Kansas lose ground in poll

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Border rivals Missouri and Kansas met the same fate Monday in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, ceding ground after losses to unranked Big 12 opponents.

But they didn't fall much.

Kentucky (21-1) remained a unanimous No. 1 for the second straight week, receiving all 31 votes ahead of Syracuse, Ohio State, Missouri and Duke.

The Wildcats were also a runaway No. 1 in The Associated Press poll, drawing 63 votes from a 65-member media panel.

Missouri was handed its second loss of the season Wednesday by Oklahoma State, 79-72, as the Cowboys shot a staggering 59 percent from the field in Stillwater.

ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll

The top five teams in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll:

UK	Cuse	Ohio St.	Mizzou	Duke

• Rankings: ESPN/USA Today | AP
• Poll Thoughts: Nice work, coaches

Kansas, which dropped three places to No. 8, likewise failed to contain a hot-handed Iowa State team that shot 41.2 percent from beyond the 3-point line Saturday in Ames. The Jayhawks (17-4) lost 72-64.

Missouri (19-2) and Kansas get a chance to separate themselves further on Saturday when they play at Columbia (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET). The Tigers play at Texas on Monday (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

Syracuse (22-1) jumped Ohio State (19-3) for the No. 2 spot despite a controversial win over West Virginia in which an apparent goaltending play that would have tied the game late was not called. The Orange also beat Cincinnati last week.

Murray State, the only undefeated team left in Division I at 21-0, remained No. 9. The Racers came in behind Baylor (19-2) and North Carolina (18-3), who were tied for sixth. Michigan State (17-4) followed in 10th.

Georgetown, which also lost to an unranked team in Pittsburgh, dropped four spots to No. 14. The Hoyas (16-4) followed Florida (17-4), Creighton (20-2) and UNLV (20-3), in 13th.

Marquette (18-4) advanced three places to No. 15 and was followed by Saint Mary's (21-2), San Diego State (18-3), Virginia (17-3) and Mississippi State (17-5).

Indiana and Wisconsin, both 17-5, were tied for 20th. Michigan (16-6), Harvard (18-2), Florida State (14-6) and Louisville (17-5) rounded out the Top 25.

Connecticut (14-6), previously ranked 19th, fell out after its third straight loss, a 50-48 setback to Notre Dame.

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