MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Arizona remains a near-unanimous choice for No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' basketball poll but several Top 10 teams are bunched close together.
The Wildcats (12-0) again take 30 of the 32 first-place votes from the Board of Coaches with the other two ballots listing Arizona second.
Syracuse (11-0) gets one first-place vote and pulls out of a tie for second with Ohio State, dropping the Buckeyes (12-0) into third despite Ohio State getting the final first-place mention.
The next three teams are very tight with No. 4 Louisville (11-1) taking 662 poll points, just one ahead of fifth-ranked Michigan State (10-1) and three up on No. 6 Wisconsin (12-0).
Gonzaga took the biggest drop this week, falling six places to 21st and Connecticut is down five to No. 15 while Memphis is off three to 17th. Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky and San Diego State each move up three places. Iowa returns to the Top 25 after a one-week absence and UCLA drops out of the rankings.
Oklahoma State (11-1) is again seventh with Wichita State (12-0) taking over the eighth place, pushing Duke (9-2) to ninth. Oregon (11-0) moves up one place to 10th.
Villanova (11-0) moves from 12th to No. 11 with Baylor (10-1) coming 12th and Iowa State again in the No. 13 spot. Florida (9-2) moves to 14th and Connecticut settled in at 15.
Kansas (8-3) is the new No. 16, moving ahead of No. 17 Memphis (8-2) with Kentucky (9-3) not far behind in 18th. North Carolina (8-3) slips a notch to 19th and San Diego State (9-1) comes in 20th.
Gonzaga (10-2) drops to 21st and Massachusetts (10-1), last week's No. 19, is 21st. Iowa (11-2) returns at 23rd while Colorado (10-2) and Missouri (10-1) remain 24th and 25th, respectively.
The Christmas holiday means there is a light schedule this week but there are a pair of key games Saturday with Villanova playing at Syracuse and Louisville visiting Kentucky.
