Rams Crack Into Top 25: First Time For CSU In Rankings Since 1954
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - The CSU Rams have cracked into The Associated Press' Top 25 rankings for the first time since 1954.
Since taking over the team, head coach Larry Eustachy has continued the Rams' impressive home win streak, which now stands at 26 straight. Only Syracuse (37) and South Dakota State (27) boast longer home winning streaks.
Eustachy's squad has compiled a 19-4 record this season, with a 6-2 Mountain West Conference record. They are now ranked No. 24.
Their latest victory was last Wednesday night's 73-69 win over Nevada in Reno. In their final eight games of the season the Rams face San Diego State (18-5, 6-3) on Wednesday night, then Air Force, UNLV, No. 19 New Mexico, Fresno State, Boise State, Wyoming and Nevada.
Eustachy said Monday that cracking the Top 25 was exciting for the program but noted that the Rams have two tough games this week and can't get caught up in the national recognition.
Indiana remains at No. 1 in despite losing a game this week, surviving a week of upsets to become the first team in over a month to hold onto the top ranking.
The Hoosiers (21-3) lost to Illinois on a last-second basket Thursday but rebounded with a win at Ohio State on Sunday. In a week when four of the top five teams and six of the top 10 lost, it was enough to keep the No. 1 ranking.
It ends a stretch of five consecutive weeks with a new No. 1, two weeks short of the longest such stretch in 1993-94. Duke started the run followed by Louisville, Duke again, Michigan and Indiana.
The Hoosiers received 26 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel Monday, while Duke, the only member of the top five not to lose last week, moved up two spots to second after getting 20 first-place votes.
Miami, which received 17 No. 1 votes, jumped from eighth to No. 3, the Hurricanes' highest ranking ever. Michigan dropped one spot to fourth, while Gonzaga, which got the other two first-place votes, moved up one spot to fifth.
Syracuse was sixth, followed by Florida, which dropped from second, Michigan State, Arizona and Kansas State.
The top 10 teams to lose last week were No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Michigan, No. 5 Kansas, No. 7 Arizona and No. 10 Ohio State.
There were four newcomers to the rankings this week: No. 20 Wisconsin, No. 22 Memphis, No. 24 Colorado State and No. 25 Kentucky.
Wisconsin, Memphis and Kentucky, the defending national champion, were all ranked early in the season, while Colorado State makes it first appearance in the poll since March 9, 1954.
They replace Creighton, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Missouri, the only one of the four not to lose two games last week.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
