Notre Dame Cracks the AP Top 25

And here we go. Notre Dame has finally jumped in the AP Top 25 at No. 23. The Irish are off to an 8-0 start and have a chance to really jump up in the rankings this week.

Notre Dame will host Fort Wayne (7-2) on Tuesday night, which is looking like a much tougher opponent than when the schedule came out this fall.

The Mastodons knocked off Indiana on November 22nd and will a good test for Saturday’s showdown against No. 1 Villanova (8-0).

The Wildcats and Irish will tangle at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey at noon on Saturday. It will be a massive jump for Notre Dame in terms of competition, but one that Irish need heading into ACC play in less than a month.

Full AP Top 25

1. Villanova
2. UCLA
3. Kansas
4. Baylor
5. Duke
6. Kentucky
7. North Carolina
8. Gonzaga
9. Indiana
10. Creighton
11. Louisville
12. Saint Mary’s
13. Xavier
14. Virginia
15. West Virginia
16. Butler
17. Wisconsin
18. Purdue
19.  South Carolina
20. Arizona
21. Florida  
22. Cincinnati
23. Notre Dame
24. Oregon
25. Iowa State