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UCLA Men's Basketball is finally back in the top-25 of the AP Poll thanks to its upset of Gonzaga last week. The last time the Bruins were a top-25 team was over a year ago when they spent one week at #22 in the last week of November.
The last time the Bruins spent two consecutive weeks in the AP top-25 was over two years ago. If UCLA defeats North Carolina on Saturday, it will surely earn enough points for a second straight week in the top-25; if the Bruins lose, they may be on the outside looking in again.
Although UCLA isn't in the top-25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll, it is just 11 points away.
The only other Pac-12 team in the top-25 of either poll is Arizona. The Wildcats (9-1) are #13 in the AP Poll, and #12 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
After beating Michigan in Ann Arbor, UCLA Women's Basketball moved up one spot in the AP Poll to #19. Like the men's basketball team, the women's team sits just outside the top-25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Pac-12 is well-represented in both women's basketball polls. In the AP Poll, Oregon State (7-0) is #7, Stanford (6-2) is #15, UCLA (5-2) is #19, Arizona State (5-3) is #21, and California (7-2) is #22. The Coaches Poll has Oregon State at #7, Stanford at #14, California at #20, and Arizona State at #23.
I received some criticism last week for writing that Dan Guerrero has failed "to develop elite football and men's basketball programs during his tenure." I honestly didn't consider that statement to be even mildly controversial, but since it generated a backlash, let me present a few facts for your consideration:
- The last time UCLA Men's Basketball was ranked in the AP top-10 was January, 2009.
- UCLA Men's Basketball has been ranked in the top-10 of the final AP Poll in just 3 seasons since Dan Guerrero became UCLA's Athletic Director.
- UCLA Football has been ranked in the top-10 of the final AP Poll in just 1 season during Dan Guerrero's tenure.
- UCLA Football has failed to win a single conference championship since Dan Guerrero became AD.
Men's Basketball
Last Week: UCLA defeated #20 Gonzaga 71-66.
Associated Press Poll (December 14, 2015)
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
| 1 | Michigan State (64) | 11-0 | 1,621 | 1 |
| 2 | Kansas (1) | 8-1 | 1,499 | 2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 7-0 | 1,409 | 7 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 9-1 | 1,385 | 5 |
| 5 | Iowa State | 9-0 | 1,370 | 4 |
| 6 | Maryland | 9-1 | 1,353 | 6 |
| 7 | Duke | 8-1 | 1,271 | 8 |
| 8 | Virginia | 8-1 | 1,132 | 10 |
| 9 | Purdue | 11-0 | 1,082 | 11 |
| 10 | Xavier | 10-0 | 1,062 | 12 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 7-2 | 1,023 | 3 |
| 12 | Villanova | 8-1 | 865 | 9 |
| 13 | Arizona | 9-1 | 860 | 13 |
| 14 | Providence | 10-1 | 724 | 15 |
| 15 | Miami (Fl) | 8-1 | 622 | 17 |
| 16 | Baylor | 7-1 | 605 | 16 |
| 17 | Butler | 8-1 | 562 | 18 |
| 18 | SMU | 7-0 | 560 | 19 |
| 19 | Louisville | 7-1 | 534 | 22 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 8-1 | 466 | 14 |
| 21 | George Washington | 9-1 | 256 | NR |
| 22 | UCLA | 7-3 | 213 | NR |
| 23 | Cincinatti | 8-2 | 197 | 23 |
| 24 | Texas A&M | 8-2 | 152 | NR |
| 25 | Connecticut | 6-3 | 47 | NR |
USA Today Coaches Poll (December 14, 2015)
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
| 1 | Michigan State (28) | 11-0 | 794 | 1 |
| 2 | Iowa State (3) | 9-0 | 719 | 2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma (1) | 7-0 | 675 | 8 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 9-1 | 665 | 4 |
| 5 | Kansas | 8-1 | 664 | 7 |
| 6 | Duke | 8-1 | 649 | 5 |
| 7 | Maryland | 9-1 | 640 | 9 |
| 8 | Purdue | 11-0 | 552 | 11 |
| 9 | Virginia | 8-1 | 547 | 10 |
| 10 | Xavier | 10-0 | 491 | 13 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 7-2 | 474 | 3 |
| 12 | Arizona | 9-1 | 469 | 12 |
| 13 | Villanova | 8-1 | 464 | 6 |
| 14 | Baylor | 7-1 | 323 | 15 |
| 14 | Providence | 10-1 | 323 | 18 |
| 16 | West Virginia | 8-1 | 288 | 19 |
| 16 | Louisville | 7-1 | 288 | 14 |
| 18 | Butler | 8-1 | 268 | 21 |
| 19 | Miami (FL) | 8-1 | 265 | 20 |
| 20 | Cincinnati | 8-2 | 101 | 22 |
| 21 | Gonzaga | 6-3 | 90 | 17 |
| 22 | George Washington | 9-1 | 87 | NR |
| 23 | Vanderbilt | 6-3 | 79 | 16 |
| 24 | Texas A&M | 8-2 | 77 | 25 |
| 25 | South Carolina | 8-0 | 70 | NR |
UCLA (7-3) received 59 points (26th place).
Women's Basketball
Last Week: UCLA defeated Michigan 86-77.
Associated Press Poll (December 14, 2015)
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
| 1 | UConn (32) | 8-0 | 800 | 1 |
| 2 | South Carolina | 9-0 | 763 | 2 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 9-1 | 724 | 3 |
| 4 | Baylor | 10-0 | 711 | 4 |
| 5 | Texas | 8-0 | 659 | 5 |
| 6 | Maryland | 10-0 | 651 | 5 |
| 7 | Oregon State | 7-0 | 599 | 7 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 9-0 | 549 | 8 |
| 9 | Mississippi State | 7-1 | 535 | 9 |
| 10 | Ohio State | 6-3 | 507 | 10 |
| 11 | Florida State | 7-2 | 447 | 11 |
| 12 | Northwestern | 9-0 | 434 | 12 |
| 13 | Duke | 7-2 | 416 | 13 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 7-2 | 342 | 16 |
| 15 | Stanford | 6-2 | 329 | 14 |
| 16 | DePaul | 7-3 | 302 | 18 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 9-1 | 293 | 17 |
| 18 | Texas A&M | 7-3 | 245 | 15 |
| 19 | UCLA | 5-2 | 163 | 20 |
| 20 | South Florida | 6-2 | 145 | 21 |
| 21 | Arizona State | 5-3 | 125 | 24 |
| 21 | California | 7-2 | 125 | 22 |
| 23 | Miami | 10-0 | 98 | NR |
| 24 | Michigan State | 7-2 | 83 | 25 |
| 25 | St. John's | 8-1 | 64 | NR |
USA Today Coaches Poll (December 14, 2015)
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
| 1 | Connecticut (32) | 8-0 | 800 | 1 |
| 2 | South Carolina | 9-0 | 763 | 2 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 9-1 | 725 | 3 |
| 4 | Baylor | 10-0 | 704 | 4 |
| 5 | Maryland | 10-0 | 676 | 5 |
| 6 | Texas | 8-0 | 643 | 6 |
| 7 | Oregon State | 7-0 | 600 | 7 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 9-0 | 560 | 8 |
| 9 | Mississippi State | 7-1 | 479 | 10 |
| 10 | Florida State | 7-2 | 475 | 9 |
| 11 | Duke | 8-2 | 456 | 11 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 6-3 | 434 | 13 |
| 13 | Northwestern | 9-0 | 412 | 14 |
| 14 | Stanford | 6-2 | 393 | 12 |
| 15 | DePaul | 7-3 | 324 | 17 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 7-2 | 320 | 15 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 9-1 | 276 | 18 |
| 18 | Texas A&M | 7-3 | 243 | 16 |
| 19 | South Florida | 6-2 | 214 | 20 |
| 20 | California | 7-2 | 165 | 21 |
| 21 | Miami (FL) | 10-0 | 138 | 22 |
| 22 | Michigan State | 7-2 | 101 | 23 |
| 23 | Arizona State | 6-3 | 92 | 24 |
| 24 | Iowa | 8-2 | 79 | 19 |
| 25 | Seton Hall | 9-1 | 60 | NR |
UCLA (5-2) received 50 points (27th place).
This Week In UCLA Sports
- UCLA Men's Basketball vs. Louisiana-Lafayette at Pauley Pavilion (6:00 PM PST)
- UCLA Women's Basketball vs. UC Irvine at Pauley Pavilion (7:00 PM PST)
- UCLA Women's Basketball vs. Sacramento State in Sacramento, CA (7:00 PM PST)
Saturday, December 19
- UCLA Men's Basketball vs. #11 North Carolina in Brooklyn, NY (10:00 AM PST)
Go BRUINS!