The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 21, 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) | 12-0 | 1,625 | 1 |
| 2. Duke | 10-0 | 1,548 | 2 |
| 3. Arizona | 12-0 | 1,502 | 3 |
| 4. Louisville | 10-0 | 1,344 | 4 |
| 5. Virginia | 11-0 | 1,336 | 6 |
| 6. Wisconsin | 10-1 | 1,322 | 5 |
| 7. Villanova | 11-0 | 1,214 | 7 |
| 8. Gonzaga | 11-1 | 1,170 | 8 |
| 9. Texas | 10-1 | 1,149 | 9 |
| 10. Kansas | 9-1 | 1,096 | 10 |
| 11. Wichita St. | 8-1 | 966 | 11 |
| 12. Iowa St. | 9-1 | 821 | 13 |
| 13. Washington | 10-0 | 798 | 16 |
| 14. Utah | 8-2 | 796 | 14 |
| 15. Maryland | 11-1 | 678 | 17 |
| 16. Notre Dame | 11-1 | 536 | 21 |
| 17. St. John’s | 9-1 | 517 | 20 |
| 18. West Virginia | 10-1 | 464 | 22 |
| 19. Oklahoma | 7-3 | 436 | 15 |
| 20. North Carolina | 8-3 | 414 | 24 |
| 21. Ohio St. | 9-2 | 411 | 12 |
| 22. Baylor | 9-1 | 203 | — |
| 23. N. Iowa | 10-1 | 162 | — |
| 24. Colorado St. | 11-0 | 144 | — |
| 25. TCU | 11-0 | 120 | — |
Others receiving votes: Georgetown 85, San Diego St. 72, VCU 70, California 32, Miami 27, Arkansas 22, Indiana 11, LSU 7, Old Dominion 7, Florida 4, Penn St. 4, Oklahoma St. 3, Seton Hall 3, Butler 2, Minnesota 2, Davidson 1, Valparaiso 1.