<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Northern Iowa is ranked in The Associated Press' Top 25 for the first time. Michigan is back in for the first time in almost a decade.The Panthers and Wolverines were among four teams new to the poll Monday, but their waits were a lot longer than Iowa and LSU, which were both ranked earlier this season.The top of the poll stayed the same with Connecticut, Duke and Memphis in the first three spots, but then came a number of changes after a week that saw 12 ranked teams lose at least one game."I'm excited for our players. This is the first time our school has ever been ranked and for this particular group to be one that cracks the Top 25 is very special," Northern Iowa coach Greg McDermott said. "I'm sure in a lot of our fans' minds they think something like this has never been possible. I want them to enjoy it while it lasts and we'll do what we can to stay there but we're in a very tough league."Northern Iowa (19-3), ranked 25th this week, has been in the NCAA tournament the last two seasons. Last year the Panthers were one of three teams from the Missouri Valley Conference to make it, along with Creighton and Southern Illinois. The Missouri Valley is ranked sixth among conferences in the most recent public RPIs."The success of our league from the start of the season to now should have been enough for people to take notice of just how good the Missouri Valley is," said McDermott, whose team has won five straight and nine of 10, "but if us being ranked does that, that's great."Michigan (15-3) moved in at No. 21, the Wolverines' first appearance in the Top 25 since the final poll of the 1997-98 season, which was also the last time they were in the NCAA tournament."I think for the road we've traveled this is a significant achievement for our kids," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "The way we've been able to get to this moment has been to stay focused and take things as they come. Hopefully they will feel honored and deserving and keep it in perspective."The Wolverines have won four straight, the last two over Michigan State and Wisconsin. The only losses have been to UCLA, Indiana and Illinois.Michigan and Iowa give the Big Ten six teams in the Top 25, the most among the conferences."It's a very tough league and the way our teams have played all year and now with everyone beating each other in conference play it will only stay that way," Amaker said. "This league has shown its mettle over the long haul."Connecticut (18-1), which beat St. John's and Providence in its first week as the No. 1 team, received 65 first-place votes and 1,793 points from the national media panel. Duke (19-1) beat Virginia Tech and Virginia and remained second with the other seven first-place votes and 1,727 points. Memphis (19-2) stayed third after wins over UAB and Central Florida.Villanova, Gonzaga and Illinois each jumped two spots to fourth through sixth, respectively.Texas, which lost at Oklahoma on Saturday, dropped from fourth to seventh and was followed by Florida, Pittsburgh and George Washington.This was George Washington's first Top 10 appearance since Jan. 3, 1956, when the Colonials were ranked seventh.West Virginia, which had its 12-game winning streak snapped by Marshall, dropped two spots to 11th and was followed by Michigan State, Tennessee, UCLA, Boston College, Washington, Georgetown, North Carolina State, Oklahoma and Ohio State.The last five ranked teams were Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, LSU and Northern Iowa.Iowa (16-5) was ranked for the first seven polls and returned this week after being out of four of the last five. The Hawkeyes have won five of six games, the only loss coming at Michigan State.LSU (14-5) was ranked for one week in November and the Tigers returned after having won seven of their last eight, the loss at Connecticut.Maryland (14-5) dropped out from 18th following a loss to Temple. The Terrapins were ranked all season, getting as high as No. 16.Louisville (14-6) had dropped each of the last three polls and the Cardinals, who were No. 7 in the preseason rankings, fell out from 22nd having lost four of five.Wisconsin (15-5), which was ranked as high as 15th this season, fell out from 23rd after losing three of four.Syracuse (15-6) fell out after losing to Pittsburgh and Seton Hall last week. The Orange have lost four straight for just the third time in coach Jim Boeheim's 30 seasons.</div>http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/5252732Congrats to N.Iowa for being ranked for the 1st time ever
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ Jan 30 2006, 02:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'> College Basketball = Boring.</div>CB=Exciting.
