SYRACUSE (AP) -- The Syracuse basketball program is in the headlines for a very different reason: The Orange are No. 1 in The Associated Press' Top 25.
After spending weeks in the news when former assistant coach Bernie Fine was alleged to have molested two former ball boys, Syracuse moves into the top spot Monday for the fourth time overall and the first time since a one-week appearance late in 2009-10.
The Orange (10-0) jumped from third to No. 1 following losses this weekend by Kentucky and Ohio State. They received 51 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.
Syracuse was No. 1 in the 1987-88 preseason poll and for six weeks in 1989-90.
Ohio State (8-1), which lost to Kansas, stays second, while Kentucky (8-1) drops from first to third following the loss to Indiana. The Hoosiers, one of four newcomers this week, move in at 18th, their first appearance since 2007-08.
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 11, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
Record - Points - Previous Rank
1. Syracuse (51) 10-0 1,607 3
2. Ohio St. (7) 8-1 1,478 2
3. Kentucky (4) 8-1 1,468 1
4. Louisville (2) 9-0 1,374 5
5. North Carolina (1) 8-2 1,373 4
6. Baylor 7-0 1,284 6
7. Duke 9-1 1,273 7
8. Xavier 8-0 1,122 8
9. UConn 8-1 1,087 9
10. Missouri 9-0 1,030 10
11. Marquette 9-0 988 11
12. Kansas 7-2 945 13
13. Florida 7-2 891 12
14. Wisconsin 8-2 728 14
15. Pittsburgh 9-1 696 15
16. Georgetown 8-1 602 18
17. Mississippi St. 9-1 574 17
18. Indiana 9-0 462 -
19. Illinois 10-0 375 24
20. Michigan 7-2 354 20
21. Michigan St. 8-2 310 -
22. Texas A&M 8-1 270 22
23. Alabama 8-2 204 16
24. Murray St. 10-0 93 -
25. Creighton 7-1 88 19
25. Vanderbilt 6-3 88 -
Others receiving votes: Harvard 73, San Diego St. 59, Virginia 57, UNLV 41, Stanford 39, Saint Louis 26, Gonzaga 25, Memphis 13, Cleveland St. 7, N. Iowa 7, Arizona 5, California 3, Long Beach St. 3, Northwestern 2, Wichita St. 1.
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