This was easily the most difficult Top 25 ballot of the season so far, as far as I’m concerned. No less than 14 teams that I ranked last week lost at least once, two of them twice (including UConn, which falls off the charts).

In all, I knocked six teams (Notre Dame, Missouri, UNLV, Marquette, UConn and San Diego State) off my ballot this week and, obviously, added six (Michigan State, Mississippi, Miami, Wichita State, Wyoming and Cincinnati).

I’m pretty comfortable with Michigan being No. 1. I’ve thought the Wolverines were the best team in the country for a while now, and their impressive win at Minnesota this past week did nothing to change my mind.

After that, though, No.’s 2-6 (or even 2-8) are virtually interchangeable.

Anyway, here’s my ballot:

1. Michigan
2. Duke
3. Kansas
4. Syracuse
5. Louisville
6. Indiana
7. Arizona
8. Florida
9. New Mexico
10. Kansas State
11. Butler
12. Gonzaga
13. Oregon
14. Michigan State
15. Wichita State
16. Ohio State
17. Creighton
18. NC State
19. Mississippi
20. Minnesota
21. VCU
22. Cincinnati
23. Wyoming
24. Miami
25. UCLA

And here's the AP poll:

†•1. Duke (39) ‡•16-1••1,578•••3

†•2. Michigan (11) ‡•17-1••1,539•••5

†•3. Kansas (7) ‡•16-1••1,486•••4

†•3. Syracuse (8) ‡•17-1••1,486•••6

†•5. Louisville ‡•16-2••1,348•••1

†•6. Arizona ‡•16-1••1,270•••7

†•7. Indiana ‡•16-2••1,211•••2

†•8. Florida ‡•14-2••1,181••10

†•9. Butler ‡•16-2••1,146••13

†10. Gonzaga ‡•17-2•••|994•••8

†11. Kansas St. ‡•15-2•••|927••16

†12. Minnesota ‡•15-3•••|905•••9

†13. Michigan St. ‡•16-3•••|831••18

†14. Ohio St. ‡•13-4•••|701••11

†15. New Mexico ‡•16-2•••|659••19

†16. Oregon ‡•16-2•••|624••21

†17. Creighton ‡•17-2•••|611••12

†18. NC State ‡•15-3•••|587••14

†19. VCU ‡•16-3•••|433••22

†20. Wichita St. ‡•17-2•••|363••|_

†21. Cincinnati ‡•16-3•••|322••|_

†22. Missouri ‡•13-4•••|234••17

†23. Mississippi ‡•15-2•••|172••|_

†24. Notre Dame ‡•15-3•••|123••20

†25. Miami ‡•13-3•••|•93••|_

¶ Others receiving votes: Marquette 92, Wisconsin 55, UCLA 41, UNLV 32, Wyoming 28, San Diego St. 26, Colorado St. 7, Memphis 6, Georgetown 4, Iowa St. 3, North Carolina 3, Louisiana Tech 2, Bucknell 1, Pittsburgh 1.