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Winners of eight of their last nine, the VCU Rams jumped 11 spots in this week’s Other Top 25 and found themselves ranked No. 11. They sit alone top the Atlantic 10 standings at 9-2 in conference play.
The Rams have held opponents to 65 points or less in each of their last eight games. They rank 22nd in KenPom in defensive efficiency.
This week, VCU earned a pair of road victories over Davidson and Saint Louis.
In the win at Davidson on Tuesday, Ace Baldwin Jr. knocked down the go-ahead jumper with 15 seconds left to give the Rams the 61-59 victory.
Ace Baldwin with a clutch bucket for @VCU_Hoops
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) February 1, 2023
The Rams lead by two with 15.1 seconds left. pic.twitter.com/pjJoTA4jrW
The junior followed that clutch shot with a career-high 37 points in VCU’s 73-65 win at Saint Louis, who sits in second place in the A10. He shot 12-for-15 from the floor, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
A new for @yeah_ace3 #UNLIMITED #LetsGoVCu pic.twitter.com/K2gKsDy4J4
— VCU Basketball (@VCU_Hoops) February 4, 2023
The Rams return home for a matchup with Dayton, who is tied for third, on Tuesday.
There were two new members of the top 10: Nevada jumped from No. 13 to 6, and Utah State came in at No. 10 after tying for 14th last week.
The Wolf Pack earned a 75-66 win over San Diego State, who was ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25, Tuesday night. Nevada outscored SDSU by 11 in the second half. Jarod Lucas tallied 26 points. The Wolf Pack followed this game with a 20-point win over Air Force.
The Aggies began the week with an 84-73 victory over New Mexico. They raced out to a 19-point lead at halftime. Sean Bairstow tied his career-high with 20 points. On Saturday, Utah State topped Colorado State thanks to 18 3-pointers and a big second half win which it scored 55 points.
Six teams joined the Other Top 25: UAB at 15; Tulane and Akron in a tie for 18; Southern Miss and Louisiana knotted at 20; and UC Santa Barbara at 25.
They replaced Temple, Sam Houston State, Drake, Loyola Marymount, San Francisco and Toledo.
The Other Top 25: Feb. 6, 2023
| Rank | Team (First-Place Votes) | Points | Record | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team (First-Place Votes) | Points | Record | Previous |
| 1 | Houston (3) | 75 | 22-2 | 1 |
| 2 | Saint Mary's | 72 | 21-4 | 2 |
| 3 | Gonzaga | 67 | 19-5 | T-3 |
| 4 | Florida Atlantic | 66 | 22-2 | T-3 |
| 5 | San Diego State | 64 | 18-5 | 5 |
| 6 | Nevada | 58 | 18-6 | 13 |
| 7 | Boise State | 57 | 18-6 | 7 |
| 8 | New Mexico | 55 | 19-4 | 9 |
| 9 | Charleston | 49 | 22-3 | 6 |
| 10 | Utah State | 44 | 19-5 | T-14 |
| 11 | VCU | 42 | 18-6 | T-22 |
| 12 | Oral Roberts | 39 | 21-4 | 18 |
| 13 | Memphis | 34 | 17-6 | 8 |
| 14 | Kent State | 32 | 18-5 | 11 |
| 15 | UAB | 31 | 17-7 | NR |
| 16 | North Texas | 25 | 19-5 | 10 |
| 17 | Liberty | 22 | 19-6 | 17 |
| T-18 | Tulane | 18 | 15-7 | NR |
| T-18 | Akron | 18 | 17-6 | NR |
| T-20 | Southern Miss | 17 | 21-4 | NR |
| T-20 | Louisiana | 17 | 20-4 | NR |
| 22 | Saint Louis | 15 | 15-8 | T-14 |
| 23 | Dayton | 10 | 15-9 | 16 |
| 24 | Marshall | 8 | 19-6 | T-24 |
| 25 | UC Santa Barbara | 7 | 18-4 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes:
Yale 6; Utah Valley 5; UCF 4; Iona 4; Drake 4; Sam Houston State 3; Hofstra 3; Furman 2; Toledo 2
Dropped from Ranking:
Temple; Sam Houston State; Drake; Loyola Marymount; San Francisco; Toledo
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