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They finished with a total of 1,611 points from a nationwide media panel and were one of seven teams to hold their spot at the top of the rankings.

No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Kentucky and No. 4 Louisville all received first-place votes and remained in their positions from last week. So did No. 5 North Carolina, No. 6 Baylor and No. 7 Duke.

No. 24 Harvard was in the AP poll for only the second time. It lost its first- ever game as a ranked team to Connecticut three weeks ago and fell out of the poll.

As for the Badgers, they too have spent the majority of their non-conference slate at home, ensconced in the Kohl Center where they have recorded eight wins in nine tries. On December 23, the team crushed Mississippi Valley State in a 79-45 final for their fifth consecutive win. Wisconsin, which has lost only to Marquette (61-54) and North Carolina (60-57), moved up two spaces yesterday in the most current AP top-25 rankings.

Against Mississippi Valley State, a team which had won just one of 10 games heading into last week's matchup, the Badgers allowed just 29.2 percent field goal efficiency, while the hosts made good on a solid 50 percent of their total shots. Jordan Taylor showed why he is considered one of the top performers at the collegiate level as he tallied 17 points, while teammates Jared Berggren and Josh Gasser chipped in with 17 and 11 points, respectively. Although he shot just 1-of-6 from the field and finished with a mere five points, Ryan Evans made an impact with his team-high 11 rebounds in the triumph. Evans leads the way on the glass overall for the program with an even seven boards per outing, his 19 blocked shots also tops on the unit. Berggren, who is second in blocks with 18, accounts for a team-best 12.5 ppg, followed by Taylor (12.2 ppg) who is responsible for 65 assists in 13 games and already has more than three times as many dishes as he does turnovers (20). Clearly the key to this team's success has been a defense which has held foes to a meager 44.7 ppg on 33.5 percent shooting from the floor and 24.2 percent behind the three-point line. Needless to say, Wisconsin entered the week ranked first in the nation in scoring defense, with only one other team (Virginia) holding opponents to less than 50 ppg.

South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Big East Conference slate begins tonight in South Bend for both the 22nd-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers and the hometown Notre Dame Fighting Irish, as the rivals square off at the Joyce Center. Pitt has won each of its last three Big East openers and carries an impressive 11-2 record into this affair. Unfortunately, the team is coming off a truly embarrassing and disappointing defeat, as it fell at home to Wagner on Friday by a 59-54 final to halt a nine-game winning streak.

As for Notre Dame, it is a rather mediocre 8-5 overall this season, but all eight home games have resulted in victory. The team has been idle since December 19 when it crushed Sacred Heart in a 106-65 final, the third win in the last four outings for the squad.

Notre Dame lost its best players, Tim Abromaitis, at the very beginning of the season, and several players have been asked to step up in his absence. Eric Atkins has emerged as the leading active scorer for the club with his 13.9 ppg, and he is second with 44 assists. Jerian Grant, who is tops with 57 assists, ranks second in scoring with 12.7 ppg. The Fighting Irish are generating 72.7 ppg while limiting opponents to 65.2 ppg on 41.5 percent field goal efficiency. In the 41-point romp over Sacred Heart last time out, five UND players reached double figures in scoring, and Jack Cooley led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds. Grant tallied 15 points and seven assists, while Atkins netted 13 points. The Irish shot 61.4 percent from the field and finished with 25 assists against only four turnovers in what was a tremendous offensive performance.

Charlottesville, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 23rd-ranked Virginia Cavaliers have an outstanding chance to add another victory to their record before the start of ACC play when the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks come to Charlottesville this evening. Maryland-Eastern Shore, a member of the MEAC, is 0-1 in conference action and a disappointing 3-9 overall. The Hawks have lost two of their last three games and are coming off a 64-60 setback at Air Force back on December 17.

Virginia crushed UMES in the only previous meeting between the programs back in 2007.

comments

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•    It's ok Sydney, 200 extra taxis on tonight. Good luck getting home! Pffft.

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•    Ohh yeaah & we are playing on field 2 :) since beena doesnt know how too tell no one haha

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•    Luck is what you have left over after you give 100 percent. - Langston Coleman #quotes

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•    love and other drugs home

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•    Bae, I'm going home now. I can't feel my fingers. Tweet you in a few :)

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•    Mey makes the day 100 percent better lol ❤

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•    Hey urinals, give us something to aim at. Maybe a Wisconsin Badgers logo or somethin like that. I like to be competitive when I pee.

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•    Pitt State defeated MO Southern in mens and womens basketball #fuckinA

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•    - i remember las year i was outside at tha notre dame pep rally .

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•    On the floor in ac >>>>

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