Kansas back on top of AP Poll; Michigan State No. 2, Nova 3rd

Kansas is back on top of the men's college basketball poll by The Associated Press. Villanova had been No. 1 the past three weeks.

TheKansas Jayhawksare 25-4 and were No. 1 for two weeks in January. On Monday, they were a runaway choice, receiving63 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.

Michigan Stateis 24-5 and ranked No. 2. The Spartans, who were No. 1 for a season-best four weeks, drew the other two first-place votes.

TheVillanova Wildcatslost to Xavier last week and fell two spots to third. The Wildcats were followed in the top 10 by Virginia,Xavier, Oklahoma, Miami, North Carolina, Oregon and West Virginia. This is Oregon's first appearance in the top 10 this season.

The California Golden Bearswere ranked in three polls earlier this season and are the week's only newcomer at No. 25. The Bears replace Notre Dame, which fell out from 23rd.

California (21-8) is on a seven-game winning streak, and only one of those victories was by less than double figures. The 25th-ranked Bears were 14th in the preseason poll and then were 15th and 14th the first two weeks of the season before dropping out until this week.

Utah, which beat Arizona State and Arizona last week, made the biggest jump in the poll, moving from 22nd to No. 13. Indiana, which beat Illinois in its only game, rose from No. 18 to 12th.

The biggest drops were Arizona's fall from No. 9 to 18th after losing to Colorado and Utah, and Iowa's drop from No. 8 to 16th after dropping games to Wisconsin and Ohio State.