The Wildcats (11-0) received 56 of 65 first-place votes from the national media panel.
UCLA remained No. 2, garnering three first-place votes. No. 4 Baylor got the other six first-place votes but still trailed No. 3 Kansas, also of the Big 12.
MORE: Malik Monk is a different kind of one-and-done
Butler, by virtue of its victory over in-state rival Indiana, made the week’s biggest jump, to No. 13 from 18th.
AP Top 25:
Rank, Team (first-place votes) W-L, Pts. 1. Villanova (56), 11-0, 1,614 2. UCLA (3), 12-0, 1,514 3. Kansas, 10-1, 1,450 4. Baylor (6), 11-0, 1,439 5. Duke, 10-1, 1,385 6. Kentucky, 10-1, 1,337 7. Gonzaga, 11-0, 1,211 8. North Carolina, 10-2, 1,170 9. Creighton, 11-0, 1,058 10. Louisville, 10-1, 1,044 11. West Virginia, 9-1, 937 12. Virginia, 9-1, 886 13. Butler, 10-1, 821 14. Wisconsin, 10-2, 781 15. Purdue, 9-2, 754 16. Indiana, 8-2, 719 17. Xavier, 9-2, 542 18. Arizona, 10-2, 501 19. Saint Mary’s, 8-1, 389 20. Oregon, 10-2, 299 21. Florida State, 11-1, 290 22. South Carolina, 9-1, 218 23. USC, 10-0, 212 24. Cincinnati, 9-2, 202 25. Notre Dame, 9-2, 188
Others receiving votes: Florida 48, Virginia Tech 40, Maryland 27, Seton Hall 15, Oklahoma State 8, Valparaiso 7, Minnesota 6, Miami 5, Northwestern 4, Iowa State 1, Clemson 1, Kansas State 1, Loyola Chicago 1
