Here is our preliminary week 9 ballot.
| Rank | Team | Record | Conference | Delta |
| 1 | Syracuse |
28-2 | Big East |
 1 |
| 2 | Kansas |
27-2 | Big 12 |
 1 |
| 3 | Duke | 25-5 | ACC |
2 |
| 4 | Kentucky |
27-2 | SEC |
-- |
| 5 | Ohio State | 24-7 | Big Ten |
2 |
| 6 | Kansas State |
24-5 | Big 12 |
-- |
| 7 | Purdue |
24-4 | Big Ten |
5 |
| 8 | West Virginia |
23-6 | Big East |
4 |
| 9 | Maryland |
22-7 | ACC |
5 |
| 10 | Wisconsin |
21-7 | Big Ten |
3 |
| 11 | New Mexico |
27-3 | Mountain West |
3 |
| 12 | Butler | 26-4 | Horizon |
3 |
| 13 | Vanderibilt |
23-6 | SEC | NEW |
| 14 | Tennessee |
21-7 | SEC |
NEW |
| 15 | Gonzaga |
25-5 | West Coast | NEW |
| 16 | Clemson |
21-8 | ACC |
NEW |
Thoughts:
- Syracuse keeps rolling while Kansas was tripped up at Oklahoma State, so 1 and 2 are flipped this week.
- Duke moving up 2 is more a product of what the teams ahead of them last week did this week than anything Duke did (yes, I know they just lost to Maryland). However, Kentucky, Kansas and Purdue had their own losses this week.
- Still don't understand Wisco. They keep winning, but didn't really do much to climb in the rankings this week. Similarly, New Mexico and Butler fall not for anything they did but based on the strength of what other major conference teams around them did.
- New to the ballot this week is Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Gonzaga and Clemson.
Dropped Out: Georgetown (#10), Villanova (#11), Florida State (#15), Brigham Young (#16)
Welcome (Back): Vanderbilt (#13), Tennessee (#14), Gonzaga (#15), Clemson (#16)
Maybe Next Week: Georgetown, Villanova, Brigham Young, Texas, Florida State
By Conference: ACC 3, Big Ten 3, SEC 3, Big East 2, Big 12 2, Horizon 1, West Coast 1, Mountain West 1