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Wednesday, December 13, 2000
Alabama, Charlotte also enter Top 25



The bottom five teams in the ESPN/USA Today men's college basketball coaches poll lost Saturday, clearing the way for four schools to enter the poll Sunday for the first time this season.

Among the newcomers is 25th-ranked Iowa (7-0), which received 28 points from Luke Recker on Saturday and posted an impressive 80-68 victory over Iowa State. The Hawkeyes are ranked for the first time under Steve Alford and off to their best start since opening the 1992-93 campaign with 11 wins.

Other newcomers joining Iowa among the nation's elite is No. 22 Alabama (6-0), No. 23 Georgetown (7-0) and No. 24 Charlotte (6-1). Alabama's most impressive victory this season was a 100-71 pounding of Louisville on Nov. 30, while the Hoyas posted a 70-63 win over the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Charlotte has knocked off North Carolina State, Miami and South Carolina this season.

Falling from the rankings were Utah, Temple, St. John's and Texas.

Duke (9-0) remained No. 1, receiving 30 of 31 first-place votes and 774 points from a nationwide panel of coaches. The Blue Devils hold a 35-point lead on No. 2 Michigan State (7-0).

Third-ranked Stanford (6-0) received the final first-place vote and is joined in the top five by Tennessee (8-0) and Illinois (7-2), which rose two places following Saturday's overtime win against No. 10 Seton Hall (5-1).

The week's biggest drop was taken by Notre Dame (4-2), which fell 10 places to 20th following losses to Indiana and Miami of Ohio.

Preseason No. 1 Arizona (5-2) is sixth and is followed by Wake Forest (7-0), Kansas (7-1) and Florida (5-1). Wake Forest moved up from 11th.

The second 10 begins with Big East schools Connecticut (7-1) and Syracuse (8-0). After Southern California (6-0) is Atlantic Coast Conference members Virignia (6-0) and North Carolina (5-2).

Rounding out the poll are 16th-ranked Oklahoma (6-1), No. 17 Wisconsin (5-1), No. 18 Cincinnati (3-1) and No. 19 Maryland (5-3).
ALSO SEE
ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll

AP poll: Duke, Spartans strengthen hold on 1-2; Stanford up to No. 3

ESPN.com's Sweet 16

AthletesDirect: Mike Krzyzewski's official Web site




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