Sunday Upset Update: Zags to be Week 10 AP #3?

What to do with the Zags (6)...  Let them climb to #3 or be leapfrogged by an undeserving team?

Three top 10 teams played unranked teams away Sunday, and all three went down in regulation:

Duke (2) @ NC State

Wisconsin (4) @ Rutgers (RUTGERS!!!)

Arizona (7) @ Oregon State

Saturday also handed Louisville a loss, and Kentucky needed two OTs to get away with the W at Texas A&M.  Coach John Calipari actually said Kentucky wasn't a very good team right now.  That seems like a bit of an extreme indictment, but they did shoot .281 from the field, less than what they shot from the promise land, at .321.  Regardless, Kentucky stays a shaky #1.

Louisville (5) @ North Carolina (18) - The Cardinals lost 72-71 in regulation.  In a tough environment, with such a close loss, it's possible the AP doesn't drop the Cards too much, but still, it has to be at least one spot past the Zags.

Week 9 AP Rankings.  Where will the Zags be
in Week 10?

Do the Zags really get AP #3 Honors?

The AP probably isn't too keen on letting the Zags wander up the polls three places in week 10, for blowing out two mid-majors at home, but Arizona's bringing up the rear, Villanova hasn't done anything special, and Utah and Maryland are too far away to make a jump into the top 5.  The AP's only really alternative is to let 'nova take the 3 spot, and still let the Zags go to #4.  Either way, the Zags will be on thin ice. 

Formalities aside, the Zags really are doing everything right.  Not falling asleep at the wheel against weaker teams is just as important as beating the strong teams  (see Four Saturday Upsets, Gonzaga Survives Portland Run to Avoid being Fifth).  So maybe the Zags do really deserve to be (3).  It's not their fault teams are falling down around them.  All they can do is win.  Maybe DJ Khaled is a Zag.



Sidenote: Is UVA better than Kentucky?  UVA hasn't struggled like Kentucky has to maintain a perfect record.  They are the only team in the top 5 who are doing well on the road as well as at home.  The AP may reward this, but it's really rare for a team to slide without actually losing.

Stay tuned for updates when the AP releases week 10 rankings in the next several hours...