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After sweeping the Northern California schools, the Runnin' Utes climbed two spots in the AP Poll to No. 9. Utah also advanced a single spot to No. 9 in the Coaches Poll. If seeding in the NCAA Tournament were to follow the rankings, that would make Utah the top three-seed and just on the edge of a two seed.
Last night, Utah finished the NoCal sweep with a 76-61 win over a very determined and well-coached Cal squad. Freshman center Jakob Poeltl finished the game with 18 points, eight rebounds, and two blocked shots. It was Poeltl's best game of the season and a glimpse of the dominating player he could become in another season or two.
| AP Poll | USA Today Coaches Poll |
Team | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Kentucky Wildcats (65) | 25-0 | |
| 2 | 3 | Virginia Cavaliers | 23-1 | |
| 3 | 2 | Gonzaga Bulldogs | 26-1 | |
| 4 | 5 | Duke Blue Devils | 22-3 | |
| 5 | 4 | Wisconsin Badgers | 23-2 | |
| 6 | 6 | Villanova Wildcats | 23-2 | |
| 7 | 7 | Arizona Wildcats | 22-3 | |
| 8 | 8 | Kansas Jayhawks | 21-4 | |
| 9 | 9 | Utah Utes | 20-4 | |
| 10 | 10 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 22-4 | |
| 11 | 11 | Northern Iowa Panthers | 24-2 | |
| 12 | 12 | Louisville Cardinals | 20-5 | |
| 13 | 13 | Wichita State Shockers | 23-3 | |
| 14 | 14 | Iowa State Cyclones | 18-6 | |
| 15 | 16 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 18-7 | |
| 16 | 15 | Maryland Terrapins | 21-5 | |
| 17 | 17 | Oklahoma Sooners | 17-8 | |
| 18 | 17 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 20-5 | |
| 19 | 19 | Butler Bulldogs | 18-7 | |
| 20 | 20 | Baylor Bears | 18-7 | |
| 21 | 21 | SMU Mustangs | 21-5 | |
| 22 | 24 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | 17-8 | |
| 23 | 22 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 19-6 | |
| 24 | 23 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 19-7 | |
| 25 | NR |
Virginia Commonwealth Rams |
19-6 | |
| Others Receiving Votes: Iowa 38, Providence 26, Texas 25, S.F. Austin 22, Cincinnati 21, Murray St. 20, Indiana 13, Rhode Island 12, Georgetown 9, Texas A&M 7, Temple 6, Old Dominion 3, Mississippi 3, Harvard 2, S. Diego St. 2, Xavier 2, Valparaiso 1 | ||||