MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota men’s basketball team has cracked the national rankings at No. 15 in this week’s Associated Press poll.

The results were released Monday, the day after the Gophers beat West Virginia 74-70 to win the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament. Wins over Western Kentucky and North Carolina rounded out their weekend success. This is the first time Minnesota (5-0) has been ranked by the AP since the second poll of last season.

Also Monday, junior forward Trevor Mbakwe was named the Big Ten’s Co-Player of the Week after averaging 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds over three games in Puerto Rico.

Top 25

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 21, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:
Record Pts Pvs

1. Duke (58) 3-0 1,616 1
2. Michigan St. (6) 2-0 1,547 2
3. Ohio St. 3-0 1,437 4
4. Kansas St. (1) 3-0 1,423 3
5. Pittsburgh 5-0 1,388 5
6. Kansas 3-0 1,263 7
7. Villanova 4-0 1,260 6
8. Kentucky 2-0 1,063 12
9. Syracuse 4-0 972 10
10. Purdue 3-0 905 14
11. Missouri 2-0 862 15
12. Baylor 3-0 757 17
13. Washington 2-0 735 17
14. Memphis 4-0 707 19
15. Minnesota 5-0 608     —
16. Florida 3-1 589 9
16. Georgetown 5-0 589 20
18. San Diego St. 4-0 567 25
19. Illinois 4-1 460 13
20. Texas 3-1 424     —
21. Temple 2-0 362 21
22. Gonzaga 2-1 355 11
23. BYU 3-0 347 23
24. Tennessee 3-0 164 24
25. North Carolina 2-2 124 8

Others receiving votes: Virginia Tech 109, West Virginia 99, Butler 96, Louisville 76, UNLV 66, Florida St. 36, Vanderbilt 31, Georgia 28, Wichita St. 16, UCLA 10, Connecticut 8, Arizona 5, Richmond 5, Wisconsin 5, Saint Mary’s, Calif. 4, Mississippi St. 3, California 1, Iowa St. 1, VMI 1, Xavier 1.