Cal enters AP basketball poll at No. 25, St. Mary’s still No. 17

Duke held onto its comfortable lead in the Associated Press poll, and Cal and Cincinnati are newcomers in the first regular-season rankings.

The Blue Devils (2-0) received 58 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel Monday, keeping their large lead over Kentucky, which was No. 1 on one ballot.

Defending champion Villanova received five first-place votes and moved up one place to third, replacing Kansas, one of three ranked teams that lost last week.

There will be more ranked losses Tuesday when Duke meets Kansas and Kentucky faces Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden.

The 6-foot-11 junior went 15-for-20 from the floor en route to scoring a career-high 33 points in the Gaels’ 81-63 rout of Nevada on Friday night.

Top-ranked Notre Dame cruised to an easy win in its opener.

Notre Dame hosted Fordham in the second round of the Preseason WNIT on Monday and No. 4 South Carolina played seventh-ranked Ohio State.