After posting double-digit defeats of the two preseason favorites to win the University Athletic Association (UAA), including a victory over the fourth-ranked team in the nation, the New York University men's basketball team is getting its due.
 
The Violets (12-1, 2-1) entered the national rankings for the first time this season on Monday, January 16, landing at #23 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll.
 
Despite a 9-0 start to the season, NYU did not receive any votes in the poll until it knocked off two of the top teams in the nation. On Friday, Jan. 13, the Violets hosted then-#4 Emory University, a squad that entered the game as one of only seven unbeatens left in Division III. NYU handed the Eagles their first loss in decisive fashion, earning an 89-73 win behind Carl Yaffe's 24 points.
 
The Violets had little time to celebrate, as they then took on the University of Rochester – the defending UAA Champion and a team that reached the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Tournament last year – on Sunday. NYU won even more handily in that game, defeating the Yellowjackets 74-50 – its largest margin of victory over Rochester since the 1993-94 season.
 
With those two huge wins, NYU forced its way into the national conversation and is now one of two UAA schools ranked in the Top 25 (Emory dropped from #4 to #8 following its first loss).

The Violets were nationally ranked for one week last season at #25. The last time NYU was ranked this late in the season was 2006-07, when the squad climbed to as high as #16.
 
The Violets have another big UAA weekend coming up, as they travel to the University of Chicago on Friday and Washington University on Sunday. The Maroons (9-5) join NYU as one of four teams that stands at 2-1 in the UAA, while the Bears (11-3) sit alone atop the Association as the only 3-0 squad.
 
The trip is typically one of the toughest in the UAA. The Violets last won at Chicago in 2005-06 and at Washington in 2004-05. NYU has never earned a sweep on the road trip.