Virginia Basketball Falls in Latest AP Top 25 After Facing Loss to Duke

Virginia was bound to face a drop in the latest rankings.

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder and Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba II | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

After the Virginia Cavaliers dropped their matchup to the Duke Blue Devils over the weekend, it was expected that the Hoos would lose their promising No. 11 spot in the AP Top 25. This wasn't a tight matchup, as UVA had become accustomed to playing, but rather, it was a dreadful blowout.

This wasn't too surprising, however. Heading into the game, the Cavaliers knew they would be tested; the Blue Devils are ranked No. 1 in the country, and they've only faced two losses this season—one to Texas Tech and another to North Carolina.

The Hoos have navigated their 2025-26 campaign with a high level of momentum, so to face such a hideous loss over the weekend was unfamiliar territory for the Cavaliers. Now having another loss stamped on their resume, their third in conference play, falling in the AP Top 25 was to be expected.

As of Monday, Virginia now comes in at No. 13 in the rankings, after moving down two spots. Gonzaga landed at No. 12, after dropping three spots, while Illinois landed at No. 11 after dropping one spot.

Duke continues to stand at No. 1, with Arizona and Michigan at Nos. 2 and 3, none of which saw any movement in the rankings this week.

Can UVA Get Back on Track?

Virginia Cavaliers center Johann Grünloh | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers still have two matchups remaining on their regular-season schedule. On Tuesday, they will face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who are running 15-14 overall and 6-10 in conference play. Although they don't have the most imposing record, they could take advantage of Virginia's recent loss if the Cavaliers aren't able to bounce back in performance and confidence. As head coach Ryan Odom stated during a recent media appearance:

"It's not the first time we’ve ever lost a game by a significant margin. We lost to Albany one time. I was telling the team after the game, it was like 80-some to 40-something, and that team went on to do something pretty special. And so I'm not worried about one game, I'm worried about the mindset of our team, and we can't lose our confidence because we just lost to a really good basketball team.

We've got to get back to work and get ready to play and get ready to compete in our conference, which we know every night is going to be a tough matchup. Wake Forest is going to come to JPJ ready to play."

Tipoff for UVA"s matchup against the Demon Deacons is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday at John Paul Jones Arena.