Geno Auriemma Achieves Historic Milestone in AP Top 25 Appearances
Geno Auriemma has broken a significant record in women's college basketball, moving past Tara VanDerveer for the most appearances by a coach in The Associated Press women's basketball Top 25. This milestone was achieved on Monday as his UConn Huskies were once again ranked as the unanimous No. 1 team.
UConn's Dominance and Unbeaten Streak
Auriemma has now led the Huskies to be ranked for the 655th time in the AP poll. UConn received all 31 first-place votes from the national media panel, solidifying their top position. The Huskies boast an impressive 29-0 record this season, making them the last unbeaten team in Division I basketball. Their winning streak extends to 45 consecutive games, dating back to last season, highlighting their sustained excellence.
Top Five Teams Remain Unchanged
The top five teams in the rankings held their positions this week, with UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, and Vanderbilt following UConn. However, the rest of the top ten experienced notable shifts due to losses by several key teams.
- Michigan, Louisville, Duke, and Ohio State all suffered defeats last week, causing changes in their rankings.
- LSU advanced one spot to sixth place.
- Oklahoma made a significant jump, moving up four places to seventh.
- Michigan dropped two spots to eighth.
- Iowa climbed four places to ninth after a victory over Michigan on Sunday.
- Louisville rounded out the top ten at tenth.
Notable Drops and Tennessee's Struggles
Duke fell to 12th after ending their 17-game winning streak with a loss to Clemson on Sunday. Ohio State also slipped to 13th. In a dramatic turn, Tennessee dropped out of the poll for the first time this season following losses to Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma last week. The Lady Vols have lost seven of their last nine games, marking the first such slump in school history. They had been ranked for the past 31 consecutive polls.
Coach Kim Caldwell commented on the team's challenges, stating, "We've had an incredibly tough stretch. You just have to be honest with your team, and they can handle it or they cannot. And sometimes the honesty is not good and sometimes the honesty is good." The schedule remains difficult for Tennessee, with upcoming regular-season games against LSU and Vanderbilt.
Princeton Returns to the Poll
Princeton re-entered the AP Top 25 this week at No. 25. The Tigers, with a 21-3 record, had fallen out last week after a loss to Columbia on February 13. Columbia has defeated Princeton twice this season, and the Tigers' only other loss came against No. 14 Maryland.
Conference Standings and Key Matchups
The SEC continues to lead as the top conference with nine teams in the poll, followed by the Big Ten with seven. The Big 12 has four teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference has three, and the Ivy League and Big East each have one representative.
Looking ahead, key games this week include:
- No. 8 Michigan at No. 13 Ohio State on Wednesday: This rivalry matchup will impact Big Ten Conference seeding. Michigan is coming off a loss to then-No. 13 Iowa, while Ohio State has lost two of their last three games.
- No. 12 Duke at No. 21 North Carolina on Sunday: Duke aims to secure the ACC regular season crown with a victory, having beaten North Carolina in their first meeting earlier this month.
These games are poised to influence the rankings further as the season progresses.
