Louisville basketball climbs to No. 17 in new AP poll

Finally, a jump for the Cards.

For the first time in the 2017-18 season, Louisville didn’t fall in the most recent Associated Press Top 25. In fact, the 4-0 Cards actually rose two spots from No. 19 to No. 17.

Duke maintained its status atop the AP’s poll, but the biggest story was Arizona, which went from No. 2 to unranked after an 0-3 performance at the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Wildcats become the first team to make the fall from No. 2 to unranked in a single week since .... Louisville in 1986-87. The reigning national champion Cardinals also went 0-3 in a November tournament to initiate the tumble.

Also falling from the rankings this week are Purdue (formerly No. 18) and Seton Hall (formerly No. 20), the next two teams on Louisville’s schedule. The Boilermakers went 1-2 at the Battle 4 Atlantis, beating only Arizona. The Pirates, meanwhile, were dealt a 1-point loss by Rhode Island in the preseason NIT, but bounced back with a 13-point win over Vanderbilt.

Here’s the full poll for this week: