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The Oklahoma Sooners improved to 18-2 on the season after breaking from conference play to partake in the Big XII/SEC Challenge. Coming from behind to secure a two point victory, Buddy Hield put on a clinic. The performance all but solidified the senior guard as the National Player of the Year for some.
Much of the success OU has had comes from holding serve on home court. Couple that with having already played at Hilton Coliseum and Allen Fieldhouse, fans recognize the road becomes a bit easier heading down the stretch. Of course, the Big XII has been anything but cut and dry as top teams continue to fall in surprising fashion.
Regardless, the Sooners currently hold down the top spot in the AP Poll. Will they steal the No. 1 ranking from North Carolina in the Coaches Poll? It's only a matter of time as upsets are sure to continue shaking up the rankings before conference tournaments start.
AP Top 25
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma Sooners (45) | 18-2 | 1605 |
| 2 | North Carolina Tar Heels (20) | 20-2 | 1578 |
| 3 | Villanova Wildcats | 18-3 | 1384 |
| 4 | Maryland Terrapins | 19-3 | 1366 |
| 5 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 17-4 | 1362 |
| 6 | Xavier Musketeers | 19-2 | 1344 |
| 7 | Kansas Jayhawks | 17-4 | 1233 |
| 8 | Texas A&M Aggies | 18-3 | 1169 |
| 9 | Virginia Cavaliers | 17-4 | 1086 |
| 10 | Michigan State Spartans | 19-4 | 1018 |
| 11 | Providence Friars | 18-4 | 900 |
| 12 | SMU Mustangs | 19-1 | 853 |
| 13 | Iowa State Cyclones | 16-5 | 851 |
| 14 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 17-4 | 814 |
| 15 | Baylor Bears | 17-4 | 728 |
| 16 | Oregon Ducks | 18-4 | 551 |
| 17 | Miami-Florida Hurricanes | 16-4 | 537 |
| 18 | Purdue Boilermakers | 19-4 | 511 |
| 19 | Louisville Cardinals | 17-4 | 478 |
| 20 | Kentucky Wildcats | 16-6 | 429 |
| 21 | Wichita State Shockers | 16-5 | 323 |
| 22 | Indiana Hoosiers | 18-4 | 270 |
| 23 | Arizona Wildcats | 17-5 | 245 |
| 24 | Dayton Flyers | 18-3 | 168 |
| 25 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 19-2 | 87 |
| Others Receiving Votes: St. Mary's (18-2) 63; Southern California (17-5) 40; VCU (16-5) 33; Utah (17-5) 33; Notre Dame (15-6) 21; Michigan (17-5) 21; Valparaiso (19-4) 7; Duke (15-6) 6; Pittsburgh (17-4) 4; Florida (14-7) 3; Saint Joseph's (18-3) 1; Stony Brook (17-4) 1; San Diego State (16-6) 1; Texas (14-7) 1 | |||
USA Today Coaches Poll
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina (18) | 19-2 | 786 |
| 2 | Oklahoma (14) | 18-2 | 780 |
| 3 | Maryland | 19-3 | 667 |
| 4 | Villanova | 18-3 | 657 |
| 5 | Xavier | 19-2 | 650 |
| 6 | Kansas | 17-4 | 627 |
| 7 | Iowa | 17-4 | 618 |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 18-3 | 594 |
| 9 | Virginia | 17-4 | 564 |
| 10 | Michigan St | 19-4 | 517 |
| 11 | Providence | 18-4 | 464 |
| 12 | West Virginia | 17-4 | 374 |
| 13 | Baylor | 17-4 | 366 |
| 14 | Iowa St. | 16-5 | 321 |
| 15 | Miami-Florida | 16-4 | 313 |
| 16 | Purdue | 19-4 | 278 |
| 17 | Oregon | 18-4 | 239 |
| 18 | Louisville | 17-4 | 237 |
| 19 | Kentucky | 16-5 | 223 |
| 20 | Arizona | 17-5 | 206 |
| 21 | Indiana | 18-4 | 200 |
| 22 | Wichita St. | 16-5 | 163 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 19-2 | 156 |
| 24 | Dayton | 18-3 | 120 |
| 25 | St. Mary's | 18-2 | 61 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Pittsburgh 42; Duke 27; Utah 21; Michigan 19; Notre Dame 17; Southern California 16; Virginia Commonwealth 16; Gonzaga 13; Butler 8; Monmouth 8; Valparaiso 8; Texas 7; St. Joseph's 5; Florida 4; California 3; Clemson 2; Alabama at Birmingham 1; Seton Hall 1; Washington 1. | |||