Kentucky, the overall top seed in the NCAA Tournament, is the first team in 23 years to be No. 1 in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll from the preseason rankings to the final Top 25.
The Wildcats (34-0) are looking to become the first undefeated men’s national champion since Indiana in 1976. They were a unanimous No. 1 Monday for the seventh straight week and 11th overall this season. Kentucky received all 65 first-place votes from the national media panel to match Duke in 1992 as the last team to run the table at the top.
Villanova and Wisconsin, two of the other No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, were second and third in the poll. The Wildcats moved up two places, the Badgers three. Duke, the fourth No. 1 seed, dropped two spots to No. 4. Arizona stayed at No. 5.
Virginia, which dropped from third, was sixth followed in the top 10 by Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas. Michigan State, at No. 23, and VCU, at 25th, moved into the rankings this week, replacing Davidson and Butler.
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ final 2014-15 college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 15, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:
| Record | Pts | Prv | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Kentucky (65) | 34-0 | 1,625 | 1 |
| 2. Villanova | 32-2 | 1,522 | 4 |
| 3. Wisconsin | 31-3 | 1,460 | 6 |
| 4. Duke | 29-4 | 1,406 | 2 |
| 5. Arizona | 31-3 | 1,405 | 5 |
| 6. Virginia | 29-3 | 1,333 | 3 |
| 7. Gonzaga | 32-2 | 1,229 | 7 |
| 8. Notre Dame | 29-5 | 1,178 | 11 |
| 9. Iowa St. | 25-8 | 1,043 | 13 |
| 10. Kansas | 26-8 | 995 | 9 |
| 11. N. Iowa | 30-3 | 979 | 10 |
| 12. Maryland | 27-6 | 935 | 8 |
| 13. Oklahoma | 22-10 | 740 | 15 |
| 14. Wichita St. | 28-4 | 737 | 12 |
| 15. North Carolina | 24-11 | 703 | 19 |
| 16. Baylor | 24-9 | 680 | 16 |
| 17. Louisville | 24-8 | 614 | 14 |
| 18. SMU | 27-6 | 485 | 20 |
| 19. Utah | 24-8 | 455 | 17 |
| 20. West Virginia | 23-9 | 398 | 18 |
| 21. Arkansas | 26-8 | 373 | 21 |
| 22. Georgetown | 21-10 | 177 | 23 |
| 23. Michigan St. | 23-11 | 159 | — |
| 24. Butler | 22-10 | 142 | 22 |
| 25. VCU | 26-9 | 109 | — |
Others receiving votes: Oregon 91, Providence 62, Xavier 18, Davidson 16, Ohio St. 12, Stephen F. Austin 12, Wyoming 6, Boise St. 5, LSU 5, BYU 3, Valparaiso 3, Harvard 2, Murray St. 2, Wofford 2, Colorado St. 1, Dayton 1, Iowa 1, Purdue 1.