Predicting Where Virginia Will Be Ranked In The Latest AP Poll

The latest AP Poll will be released this afternoon as the rankings will be updated. Several top 25 teams fell this week.

Iowa fell at home to Illinois on Sunday, 75-69, and Minnesota 70-67 on Tuesday. Tennessee got blown out by Florida on the road, 91-67, on Saturday.

Arkansas fell on the road to Auburn 95-73 on Saturday. Kansas fell to West Virginia 86-75 on Saturday.

Virginia dominated this week, some of the better teams in ACC play in California and Stanford. The Hoos used their defense to slow down both and never let either get back into the game in the second half. Despite the offense being so good, the defense carried the day.

"Yeah, I think certainly the offense, but it's more the defense. I think in this particular game, Stanford is excellent on defense. They knock balls away, and they get turnovers on 20% of their possessions. So, we knew taking care of the ball was going to be critical tonight. And our guys did that certainly at the beginning of the second half to finish with nine turnovers, you know, was something that we had set out to do, and you know, we had a couple there at the end that none of us liked, but you know, that's part of the game. And I thought our guys did a nice job of taking care of the ball. And I think when we do that, we can set our defense. You know, we're going to get good shots and live to fight another day,” said Odom.

The Cavaliers also forced six shot clock violations in the win over Stanford, and Ugonna Onyenso had five rejections in the victory.

"The urgency, you know, understanding how we're trying to play defense. Just the connectivity. I think communication is a big part of it; the efforts are there. The understanding that, you know, we can get teams deeper into the clock. The press certainly can help with that, and I thought we got a couple of steals, you know, in the first half, which helped us and got us going a little bit, and you know, I think finishing with a rebound. I mean, that's one of the keys, like getting the ball, you know, at the end. You can force all the misses you want, but if you can't rebound the basketball, well, you didn't play the defense that you set out to play. And I think our guys are understanding of the importance of each facet, you know, of a possession," said Odom.

Where should they be ranked?

latest — Jan 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom looks on from the sidelines against the California Golden Bears during the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Hoos should be a top 15-18 team in college basketball. They can beat you in a multitude of ways and are 14-2 on the season. They shut down one of the best scorers in ACC play in Ebuka Okorie to just 14 points on 5-14 shooting and a 0-6 second half. They beat a high-powered offense in California and held them to just 60 points. The Hoos have a number of quality wins and continue to add to their impressive resume thus far with wins over Texas, Sayton, NC State, California, Stanford, Virginia, Northwestern, and Maryland. Virginia is one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country, ranking No.18 with 14.12 per game. Virginia has proven that they are one of the best teams in the country and deserve the proper respect. With so many defeats in the top 25 this week, the committee of voters should move the Cavaliers up.

More Virginia Basketball News:

•The Good, Bad and Ugly of Virginia Basketball’s Victory Over Stanford

•Key Takeaways From Virginia 70-55 Win Over Stanford

•The Plus/Minus: Defense Carries Virginia Basketball Past Stanford

•Everything Ryan Odom Said After No. 23 Virginia Defeated Stanford Today