Texas is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s college basketball poll for the first time in 21 years and the third different team to hold the top spot in the past three weeks.
The Longhorns moved atop the poll Monday after previous No. 1 Notre Dame lost in double overtime to North Carolina State. UCLA had been No. 1 the 12 weeks prior to the Fighting Irish.
“I’m so happy for my kids,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said in a phone interview hours before his team faced Georgia late Monday. “They’ve earned where they are today.”
It is only the fifth time since 2001 that three different schools have been No. 1 in a three-week span. Add in South Carolina being No. 1 to start the season and there have been four teams atop the rankings this season, just the sixth time that has happened since the poll began in 1976. It has never happened with five schools.
“There’s so much parity in the game right now,” Schaefer said.
Texas, which last held the top spot in the poll on Feb. 16, 2004, received 19 first-place votes from a 31-member national media panel. The Longhorns have spent 48 weeks atop the poll in their illustrious history dating to their first appearance at No. 1 in 1980.
“So much respect and admiration for coach (Jody) Conradt and the tradition of our program, and I certainly understand the standard we hope we can live up to,” Schaefer added.
Notre Dame fell to third after its 19-game winning streak was snapped, while UCLA moved up a spot to second. The Bruins, who edged Iowa, 67-65, on two late free throws Sunday, garnered 11 top votes. USC was fourth, receiving one first-place ballot. UConn was fifth.
South Carolina, LSU and North Carolina were next. NC State jumped up four places to ninth after its big win over ND.
The Wolfpack were followed by TCU to round out the top 10.
Florida State and Louisville re-entered the rankings this week at No. 24 and 25. The Seminoles beat Pittsburgh and then-No. 20 Georgia Tech. The Cardinals knocked off then-No. 11 Duke before losing to North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets and Illinois both fell out of the Top 25.
The SEC has seven ranked teams. The ACC has six, while the Big Ten and Big 12 each have five. The Big East has two.
Here’s the full AP Top 25:
1. Texas
2. UCLA
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. UConn
6. South Carolina
7. LSU
8. North Carolina
9. North Carolina State
10. TCU
11. Tennessee
12. Ohio State
13. Oklahoma
14. Kansas State
15. Kentucky
16. Duke
17. Baylor
18. West Virginia
19. Maryland
20. Alabama
21. Oklahoma State
22. Creighton
23. Michigan State
24. Florida State
25. Louisville
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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