CINCINNATI – The Xavier Musketeers are on an all-time high and looking down on Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Louisville and other legendary basketball programs.
That's because the 11-0 Musketeers climbed to the school's highest ranking ever – No. 6 - in the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today coaches poll on Monday.
Xavier had achieved a No. 7 AP ranking twice, coming on Dec. 15, 2008 and Dec. 7, 1997. Its previous high in the USA Today Coaches Poll was a No. 7 on Dec. 15, 2008.
The top five are the same in both polls: Michigan State, Oklahoma, Kansas, Maryland and Virginia. AP has North Carolina seventh, Kentucky 12th, Duke 15th and Louisville 16th.
The University of Cincinnati (10-2) is 22nd in the AP poll and 21st in the coaches' poll.
The Musketeers, ranked 10th last week, are fresh off a 85-61 win against Auburn on Saturday and play at Wake Forest (8-2) at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in the Skip Prosser Classic. The series honors the late coach who worked at both schools.
UC hosts Iowa State (9-1), No. 9 in the coaches poll, at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fifth Third Arena.
