St. Mary's joins AP poll at No. 24

12/11/2007

After being the West Coast Conference's lone representative in the Associated Press' college basketball poll for the past decade, Gonzaga has another league member in the rankings as Saint Mary's (Calif.) moved in at No. 24 yesterday.

The Gaels (7-0) were last in the Top 25 for the final three weeks in the 1988-89 season. With Gonzaga at No. 19, the WCC has two ranked teams for the first time since the beginning of the 1973-74 season.

North Carolina was No. 1 as it has been since the preseason poll, and the top six teams held their places from last week. The Tar Heels (8-0) received 48 first-place votes. No. 2 Memphis (7-0), which beat Southern California 62-58 in overtime, was

No. 1 on 19 ballots.

Kansas (9-0) and Texas (9-0) held third and fourth, while Georgetown (7-0) stayed fifth. Duke was sixth.

Complete poll on Page 7.