Virginia Tech and Cal move up the most in Hoopfeed poll, UConn remains No. 1
Even during last week’s Christmas holiday season with less basketball games scheduled, there were several exciting upsets and close games. In this week’s Hoopfeed poll, while there were no changes in the top 11 teams, there was some drastic movement elsewhere including significant advances by the Virginia Tech Hokies and the California Bears. Both the Hokies and the Bears remain undefeated at 12-0 as 2016 comes to a close.
Connecticut remained the unanimous choice for first place among the poll voters. The rest of the top five in rank order:Â Notre Dame, Baylor, Maryland and Mississippi State. UConn and Maryland face off on Thursday in a sold out, televised contest in College Park, Md.
Last Tuesday, Dayton upset formerly ranked Texas A&M 74-57. This week’s No. 19, Cal, knocked off Oklahoma on the same day with an 82-74 victory during a tournament in Las Vegas. The Sooners dropped six spots in the poll to No. 25.
The next day Texas A&M bounced back to defeat last week’s No. 21, Syracuse. The Orange fell out of the poll this week.
Unranked Northern Iowa defeated last week’s No. 24, Kansas State, 67-59 last Thursday. The Wildcats also fell out of the poll.
No. 16 Virginia Tech moved up four spots and has one more contest before beginning its Atlantic Coast Conference slate on Jan. 2 hosting North Carolina. The Hokies close out 2016 with a game against Delaware State on Dec. 30.
Out on the West Coast, No. 19 Cal begins Pac-12 Thursday with a game on the road at Arizona followed by a Jan. 1 game at No. 21 Arizona State. The Bears moved up six spots in this week’s poll after entering at No. 25 last week.
Previously undefeated Colorado fell five spots the poll, landing at No. 20. The Buffs ended their non-conference schedule with an 82-75 home loss to Wyoming last Wednesday.
Oregon State re-entered the poll at No. 22 while DePaul reappeared at No. 24.
Other teams that received votes: Syracuse, Kansas State, Gonzaga, Utah, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Northwestern, Oregon, Tennessee.
Dropped out: Syracuse, Kansas State.
| Rank | School | Record | Previous |
| 1 | Connecticut | 11-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | 11-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Baylor | 11-1 | 3 |
| 4 | Maryland | 12-0 | 4 |
| 5 | Mississippi State | 13-0 | 5 |
| 6 | South Carolina | 10-1 | 6 |
| 7 | Florida State | 12-1 | 7 |
| 8 | Louisville | 12-2 | 8 |
| 9 | Washington | 12-1 | 9 |
| 10 | UCLA | 9-2 | 10 |
| 11 | Miami | 11-1 | 11 |
| 12 | West Virginia | 12-0 | 13 |
| 13 | Ohio State | 10-4 | 12 |
| 14 | Stanford | 9-2 | 14 |
| 15 | Duke | 11-1 | 16 |
| 16 | Virginia Tech | 12-0 | 20 |
| 17 | Texas | 6-4 | 17 |
| 18 | Kentucky | 9-3 | 18 |
| 19 | California | 12-0 | 25 |
| 20 | Colorado | 10-1 | 15 |
| 21 | Arizona State | 9-2 | 22 |
| 22 | Oregon State | 10-1 | NR |
| 23 | South Florida | 10-1 | 23 |
| 24 | DePaul | 8-4 | NR |
| 25 | Oklahoma | 9-3 | 19 |
Voting Panel
- Yvonne Sanchez
- Viet Nguyen
- Joan Bonvicini
- Lisa Bodine
- Kevin Danna
- Kristopher Gardner
- Brenda VanLengen
- Cindy Brunson
- Michael Roberson
- Mel Greenberg
- Bobbie Kelsey Grayson
- Ben Parker (did not vote this week)
- Cheryl Coward
