Duke made a big jump and Mark Few's Gonzaga Bulldogs are No. 1 for the third straight week in the AP Top 25 poll released Monday.

 

The Zags jumped their tallest hurdle of the conference slate yet with a 10-point road win over Saint Mary's on Saturday. Barring a major upset in the weeks leading up to Selection Sunday, Gonzaga's chances of finishing the regular season undefeated are looking more likely than ever.

 

Even with its incredible run this season, the NCAA selection committee handed the Bulldogs a No. 1 seed in the West Region in Saturday's top-16 reveal -- the fourth overall No. 1 seed. Should it finish up the regular season and conference tournament before March Madness a perfect 33-0, that fourth overall No. 1 seed very well could improve.

 

As for No. 2 Villanova, named as the No. 1 overall seed by the selection committee on Saturday, it passed a similar test this weekend. The reigning national champion won on the road against a legitimate tournament team in Xavier -- doing so by 16 points and are looking good to win the regular season Big East title.

Perhaps the most intriguing league race in the country, though, is shaping up in the ACC. North Carolina lost to rival Duke which dropped the Tar Heels two spots in the poll to No. 10. Duke jumped from No. 18 last week to No. 12.

 

Also Florida State fell to Notre Dame and Virginia fell to Virginia Tech in overtime in the past week. Right now it's North Carolina who holds a half-game lead in the standings -- and still the second highest rating in the AP poll behind Louisville. Four teams -- Florida State, Virginia, Duke, and Louisville -- are all within striking distance and all sit in the top 20 of the poll. There are 6 ACC teams in the top 25 this week.