After a one-week exile, the UCLA men’s basketball team is back in the Associated Press poll’s top 10.

The Bruins were No. 11 last week before moving up on spot in Monday’s poll as Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia fell out of the top 10.

Oregon and North Carolina not only moved into the top 10 but passed UCLA after a tumultuous week that included seven combined losses by top 10 teams.

Undefeated Gonzaga maintained its hold on No. 1. Villanova moved up three spots to No. 2 courtesy of losses by Baylor and Kansas.

UCLA was in the top five for seven consecutive weeks before back-to-back losses to Arizona and USC dropped the Bruins six spots over a two-week period.

UCLA snapped its only losing streak of the season with wins at Washington State and Washington last week. A significant opportunity to affect their standing in the polls and the Pac-12 awaits Thursday when UCLA plays host to Oregon.

Oregon’s 27-point win over Arizona on Saturday vaulted the Ducks eight spots to No. 5 and dropped Arizona four spots to No. 9.

UCLA responded to a disturbing loss at unranked USC with a 95-79 win at Washington State on Wednesday before handing Washington a 107-66 defeat Saturday night in front of the first sellout crowd for the Huskies at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle in five years.

The Bruins’ 107 points in Seattle were the program’s most in a Pac-12 road game since scoring 110 in a six-point, double-overtime loss at Stanford in 1987.

UCLA swept the trip to the Washington schools for the first time since 2004.

The win at Washington gave UCLA its 21st win, earlier than any team in program history. The Bruins’ 2006-07 and 2007-08 teams, both of which advanced to the Final Four, each won their 21st game Feb. 7.

Contact the writer: cfowler@scng.com

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