Baylor didn’t get a vote in the preseason poll. None in the first regular season poll either. Heck, it was picked fifth in the Big 12’s preseason poll.

But with the season around it’s midpoint, not only do all 66 voters have the Bears ranked, but 55 of them — including me, see below — have Baylor at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25.

That would be an unlikely rise in any season. But for Baylor to be there is especially surprising.

It was just 11 years ago that the Bears didn’t play a nonconference schedule as part of NCAA punishment.

As the NCAA investigated one Baylor player (Carlton Dotson) murdering another (Patrick Dennehy), it also uncovered two things:

1. Illegal payments from the school to players.

2. Coach Dave Bliss tried to defame Patrick Dennehy as a drug dealer to cover up where Dennehy’s money came from after he’d been killed.

Despite NCAA penalties that included scholarship restrictions, coach Scott Drew, who replaced Bliss, not only got the program back on its feet, but better than it has ever been.

Many times the coach who is brought in to restore order, battles through the unavoidable rough bounce-back years only to be fired for lack of success.

Drew navigated the Bears through the icebergs and now as the program cruising.

This would be an amazing feel-good school-on-the-rise story, except nothing about Baylor ever feels really good.

When a college scandal is about recruits getting paid, or illegal contact with agents, or even academic fraud, that feels icky, dirty and cheapens any success. But those crimes don’t ruin lives.

Baylor has become synonymous with nauseating stories. In addition to the Dennehy murder, the school is currently most known for the sexual assaults involving the football and its mishandling of them.

The Bears’ rise to No. 1 isn’t the only thing to come out of the poll this week.

Minnesota’s return to the top 25 means that Richard Pitino, who coaches the Gophers, and his father Rick Pitino, the Louisville coach, are ranked at the same time.

TRIVIA QUESTION I — In addition to Richard Pitino, name the other current coach of a ranked team whose father had coached a ranked team before.

TRIVIA QUESTION II — With Baylor ranked No. 1 for the first time, how many schools have sat atop the AP poll since it began in 1949?

MY TOP 10 — 1. Baylor; 2. UCLA; 3. Villanova; 4. Kansas; 5. Kentucky; 6. Gonzaga; 7. Oregon; 8. Duke; 9. Creighton; 10. Florida State.

For the rest of my Top 25, visit the College Hoop Week Guide on gazettenet.com’s UMass Sports Blog.

GAMES OF THE WEEK: With college football done, basketball moves to the forefront on campus Tuesday and there are some terrific matchups right away.

No. 1 Baylor at No. 10 West Virginia, Tuesday, 7 p.m. ESPN2 — The two best challengers to Kansas’ annual Big 12 crown square off. Vegas doesn’t think the Bears will stay No. 1 long. The Mountaineers are 6-point favorites at home.

No. 15 Xavier at No. 3 Villanova, Tuesday, 7 p.m. FS1 — The Wildcats have had a tough slate since the start of conference play with games at Creighton and Butler. At least Xavier is a home game.

No. 7 Duke at No. 9 Florida State, Tuesday, 8 p.m. — Are the Seminoles really this good or are they playing above their head? They play Duke and North Carolina (Saturday 2 p.m. ESPN) this week.

No. 21 St. Mary’s at No. 5 Gonzaga, Saturday, 10 p.m. ESPN — This game is to the WCC now what UMass vs. Temple was to the Atlantic 10 in the mid-1990’s.

ATLANTIC 10 GAME OF THE WEEK: VCU at Davidson, Saturday, 2 p.m. CBSSN — At 1-2 in conference, the Wildcats need a big win. VCU is getting top 25 votes and could improve its at-large bid chances here.

TRIVIA ANSWER I — Virginia coach Tony Bennett’s father Dick Bennett had ranked teams at Wisconsin. Scott Drew’s father Homer Drew famously led Valparaiso to an NCAA Tournament win, but the Crusaders were never ranked.

TRIVIA ANSWER II — 59.

BUZZER BEATER — Scoochie Smith could be moving into strong consideration for Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.

Dayton’s point guard, who was a preseason all-conference second-team player, has always been well regarded, but he’s been overshadowed by teammate Charles Cooke.

But Smith has led Dayton to a win at St. Bonaventure and one over Rhode Island with Cooke out.

Cooke could return for Wednesday’s game at UMass.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage

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