List of AP all-time Top 100 college basketball programs
The Associated Press has been ranking the best teams in college basketball since January 1949. Over 68 years and more than 1,100 polls, a total of 200 schools have been ranked and 59 of them have been ranked No. 1 (Saint Louis was the first No. 1).
To determine the all-time Top 100, the AP formula counted poll appearances (one point each) to mark consistency and No. 1 rankings (two points each) to acknowledge elite programs. Keep in mind that AP doesn't release a poll after the NCAA Tournament, so eventual national champions are not factored into these rankings. Instead, this list focuses more on those programs that consistently appear in the poll and/or at the top during the regular seasons.
The poll started with 20 teams ranked each week until it was reduced to just the Top 10 midway through the 1960-1961 season. It then returned to a Top 20 format for the 1968-69 season. The poll expanded to 25 teams starting with the 1989-1990 and it has remained that size since then. The first preseason poll was introduced at the start of the 1961-1962 season.
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1. KENTUCKY (1,111 Points)
Total appearances: 75.37% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No.1 rankings: 124
Best full decade: 1950s, appeared in 89.63% of polls, but 1990s were close with 89.33%.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in 59.59% of polls.
Poll point: The Wildcats have missed appearing at least once in the poll for only three seasons during the 68-year history of the AP poll, the fewest poll-less seasons of any program. Those seasons were 1952-1953, 1988-1989, and 1989-1990.
2. NORTH CAROLINA (1,098 Points)
Total appearances: 76.68% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 25, 1953
No.1 rankings: 110
Best full decade: 1980s, appeared in 98.19% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in 42.96% of polls.
Poll point: The Tar Heels have appeared in more AP polls than any other program. UNC also has made the poll at least once each season since 1966-1967, the longest streak of any program at 51 years. What's even more impressive is the streak started back when the poll only had 10 teams.
3. DUKE (1,032 Points)
Total appearances: 67.6% of all polls
First appearance: Dec. 10, 1951
No.1 rankings: 129
Best full decade: 2000s, appeared in 98.95% of polls, but on pace to top that in the 2010s.
Worst full decade: 1970s, appeared in 17.86% of polls.
Poll point: Coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils have been ranked more times than any other team under the same coach. He has led them to nearly 80 percent of the program's poll appearances. To top that off, Duke has been left out of only four weekly polls since the start of the 1996-1997 season, the highest percentage of any program over that span.
4. UCLA (957 Points)
Total appearances: 60.17% of all polls
First appearance: March 8, 1949
No.1 rankings: 134, most of any program.
Best full decade: 1970s, appeared in 100% of polls, only program with a perfect percentage over an entire decade.
Worst full decade: 1980s, appeared in 39.76% of polls.
Poll point: The Bruins didn't miss a single poll for 221 weeks, starting with the preseason 1966-1967 poll and ending with the fifth poll of the 1979-1980 season, the longest consecutive streak of any program.
5. KANSAS (857 Points)
Total appearances: 63.49% of all polls
First appearance: March 7, 1950
No.1 rankings: 65
Best full decade: 1990s, appeared in 91.57% of polls, but also hasn't missed a poll yet in the 2010s.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in 30.14% of polls.
Poll point: The Jayhawks have appeared in every poll since Feb. 2, 2009, the nation's longest active streak. Since taking over as KU's head coach in 2003, Bill Self's teams have appeared in the poll more than 90 percent of the time.
6. INDIANA (662 Points)
Total appearances: 48.38% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 5, 1950
No.1 rankings: 54
Best full decade: 1990s, appeared in 71.35% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in 15.75% of polls.
Poll point: The Hoosiers' longest stretch of consecutive weeks in the poll was 73, running from the 1990-1991 to 1994-1995 seasons.
7. LOUISVILLE (627 Points)
Total appearances: 54.41% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 17, 1950
No.1 rankings: 2
Best full decade: 1970s, appeared in 75.60% of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in 26.03% of polls.
Poll point: While appearing in more than half of the polls to date, the Cardinals only reached No. 1 twice - on March 16, 2009, and Jan. 14, 2013. In fact, Louisville was ranked in 520 polls before landing a No. 1, the longest drought of any team that has appeared in the poll.
8. ARIZONA (594 Points)
Total appearances: 45.41% of all polls
First appearance: Feb. 7, 1950
No.1 rankings: 37
Best full decade: 1990s, appeared in 99.44% of polls, missing only one weekly poll during the decade.
Worst full decade: 1960s, didn't appear in a single poll.
Poll point: The Wildcats didn't appear in a single AP poll over a 22-season period that started with 1951-52 and ended when ranked again in the 1973-1974 season, the longest poll drought of any team in the All-Time Top 10.
9. SYRACUSE (581 Points)
Total appearances: 47.77% of all polls
First appearance: Dec. 25, 1951
No.1 rankings: 17
Best full decade: 1990s, appeared in 76.97% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in only 2.05% of polls..
Poll point: The Orangemen appeared in the AP poll only 17 times before Jim Boeheim was promoted to head coach in 1976. Since then, Syracuse has appeared more than 500 times and at least once every season since 1982-1983.
10. CINCINNATI (500 Points)
Total appearances: 35.81% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No.1 rankings: 45
Best full decade: 1990s, appeared in 61.25% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1980s, didn't appear in a single poll during the decade.
Poll point: The Bearcats are the top ''mid-major'' appearing more times than any other program not currently in a Power 5 conference.
11. ILLINOIS (479 Points)
Total appearances: 38.86% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No.1 rankings: 17
Best full decade: 1950s, appeared in 65.93% of polls, but 2000s was a close second, making 65.79% of polls
Worst full decade: 1970s, appeared in 10.12% of polls.
Poll point: The Illini's most successful run was from 2000-2001 to 2005-2006, when the team missed only eight weekly polls and the program collected most of its No. 1 rankings.
12. OHIO STATE (453 Points)
Total appearances: 33.1% of all polls
First appearance: Feb. 8, 1949
No.1 rankings: 37
Best full decade: 1960s, appeared in 45.21% of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.
Worst full decade: 1950s, appeared in 17.04% of polls.
Poll point: Nearly 40 percent of the Buckeyes' poll appearances have come since Thad Matta's arrival as head coach in 2004.
13. MICHIGAN STATE (434 Points)
Total appearances: 35.98% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 1, 1952
No.1 rankings: 11
Best full decade: 2000s, appeared in 71.58% of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in 2.74% of polls.
Poll point: Two-thirds of the Spartans' total poll appearances have come since Tom Izzo was promoted to head coach in 1995. Before Izzo, their appearances were spotty at best.
14. MICHIGAN (423 Points)
Total appearances: 33.1% of all polls
First appearance: Preseason 1963-1964 poll
No.1 rankings: 22
Best full decade: 1990s, appeared in 65.73% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s, didn't appear in a single poll during the decade.
Poll point: Since its first poll appearance, Michigan each decade gradually grew its percentage of poll appearances before a seven-year drought that started with the 1998-1999 season and then was followed by only eight poll appearances between 2005-2006 and 2010-2011.
15. GEORGETOWN (421 Points)
Total appearances: 34.67% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 13, 1953
No.1 rankings: 12
Best full decade: 1980s, appeared in 83.13% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s, didn't appear in a single poll during the decade.
Poll point: After making their first appearance in the Jan. 13, 1953, poll, the Hoyas didn't appear again for 25 seasons. Not until January 1978. After that, they were ranked at least once for the next 19 seasons, all under John Thompson's coaching tenure.
16. CONNECTICUT (402 Points)
Total appearances: 30.04% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 26, 1954
No.1 rankings: 29
Best full decade: 2000s, appeared in 75.79% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s and 1970s, didn't appear in a single poll during those two decades.
Poll point: After making their first two appearances during the 1953-1954 season, the Huskies only appeared two more times in the poll (both in 1980-1981) over the next 35 years. Since 1988-1989, coach Jim Calhoun's third season, they've been ranked at least once every season except one.
17. MARYLAND (400 Points)
Total appearances: 34.93% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 29, 1954
No.1 rankings: 0
Best full decade: 2000s, appeared in 75.79% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in only one poll.
Poll point: The Terrapins have the claim of being ranked the most without ever being No. 1. In six different seasons, including four straight in the mid-1970s, Maryland reached No. 2 at least once, but just hasn't managed to get enough votes to take the top spot.
18. NOTRE DAME (382 Points)
Total appearances: 32.49% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 31, 1950
No.1 rankings: 5
Best full decade: 1970s, appeared in 72.62% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1990s, appeared in only two polls.
Poll point: The Irish haven't had a season where they've appeared in every week's poll since 1985-1986, the longest drought of its kind among the teams in the All-Time Top 25.
19. VILLANOVA (372 Points)
Total appearances: 30.57% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No.1 rankings: 11
Best full decade: 1960s, appeared in 29.45% of polls, but will top this in the 2010s as it already has appeared in more than two-thirds of the polls so far this decade.
Worst full decade: 1970s, appeared in 13.69% of polls.
Poll point: For every decade of the poll, Villanova consistently appeared in about 25 percent of the polls outside of its worst decade, the 1970s, and obviously it's higher percentage of appearances in recent seasons. Eight of the program's 11 appearances at No. 1 came in 2016-2017.
20. OKLAHOMA (371 Points)
Total appearances: 31% of all polls
First appearance: Feb. 15, 1949
No.1 rankings: 8
Best full decade: 2000s, appeared in 66.84% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s, didn't appear in a single poll during the decade.
Poll point: The Sooners' first season to have appeared in every week's poll didn't come until 1984-1985. Since then, OU repeated the feat eight times, with the most recent being the 2015-2016 season.
21. MARQUETTE (366 Points)
Total appearances: 31.44% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 18, 1955
No.1 rankings: 3, twice during 1970-1971 and once in 1977-1978.
Best full decade: 1970s, appeared in every poll except one or 99.4% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1980s, appeared in 3.01% of polls.
Poll point: The Golden Eagles were certainly golden in the `70s when they appeared in the poll for 166 consecutive weeks and recorded nearly half of their poll appearances in history as well as all three times at No. 1. Only two seasons since then have they been ranked in every week's poll - 2002-2003 and 2011-2012.
21. NORTH CAROLINA STATE (366 Points)
Total appearances: 29.69% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 25, 1949
No.1 rankings: 13
Best full decade: 1950s, appeared in 80% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s, appeared in 2.05% of polls.
Poll point: The Wolf Pack's dominance came in the first 11 seasons of the poll, from 1949-1959, when they recorded one-third of the program's poll appearances, led by coach Everett Case. Their last season to appear in each week's poll was 1988-1989.
23. IOWA (343 Points)
Total appearances: 29.78% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 1, 1952
No.1 rankings: 1
Best full decade: 1980s, appeared in 68.67% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1970s, appeared in 8.33% of polls.
Poll point: The Hawkeyes have been ranked No. 1 only once. That came in the Jan. 20, 1987, poll during the first season with Tom Davis as head coach. He would lead the team to 51 consecutive poll appearances over his first three seasons, the longest poll streak in school history.
24. PURDUE (339 Points)
Total appearances: 29.61% of all polls
First appearance: Jan. 11, 1955
No.1 rankings: 0
Best full decade: 1980s, appeared in 53.37% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s, appeared in 3.7% of polls.
Poll point: The Boilermakers come and go. Since 1980, they've appeared in all the weekly polls for at least one season per decade while also missing the poll altogether at least three other seasons per decade. They are second to only Maryland for the most poll appearances without being No. 1. They've reached No. 2 in 10 polls.
25. UNLV (321 Points)
Total appearances: 22.45% of all polls
First appearance: Preseason 1973-1974 poll
No.1 rankings: 32
Best full decade: 1980s, appeared in 65.06% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s and 1960s, didn't appear in any polls both decades.
Poll point: The Runnin' Rebels made their poll debut on the eve of Jerry Tarkanian's first season at UNLV. The towel-biting coach would lead the program to all 32 of its No. 1 rankings and 207 poll appearances, more than 80% of the school's total, over the next 19 seasons.
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26-100
Memphis (307 points)
St. John's (306 points)
Florida (306 points)
Missouri (300 points)
Alabama (297 points)
Arkansas (289 points)
Virginia (283 points)
Wake Forest (281 points)
Oklahoma State (271 points)
Pittsburgh (264 points)
Texas (255 points)
Wisconsin (250 points)
Tennessee (243 points)
Utah (239 points)
Stanford (232 points)
Gonzaga (230 points)
West Virginia (229 points)
Minnesota (226 points)
Kansas State (224 points)
Georgia Tech (213 points)
Vanderbilt (204 points)
LSU (198 points)
San Francisco (191 points)
DePaul (186 points)
USC (174 points)
Temple (169 points)
Washington (154 points)
Xavier (153 points)
Iowa State (153 points)
New Mexico (149 points)
Houston (148 points)
Providence (143 points)
Mississippi State (140 points)
Wichita State (140 points)
Bradley (138 points)
Oregon State (138 points)
South Carolina (135 points)
BYU (129 points)
Florida State (127 points)
Clemson (125 points)
Oregon (123 points)
Butler (121 points)
Massachusetts (118 points)
Saint Louis (115 points)
La Salle (115 points)
Baylor (113 points)
Seton Hall (112 points)
Western Kentucky (111 points)
Boston College (110 points)
Texas A&M (105 points)
Dayton (98 points)
California (97 points)
Duquesne (95 points)
Arizona State (94 points)
Auburn (90 points)
Holy Cross (89 points)
Creighton (83 points)
St. Bonaventure (82 points)
Tulsa (82 points)
Penn (78 points)
SMU (77 points)
Miami (FL) (75 points)
George Washington (74 points)
Davidson (71 points)
Oklahoma City (69 points)
Saint Joseph's (68 points)
Georgia (66 points)
San Diego State (66 points)
Seattle (65 points)
New Mexico State (64 points)
Long Beach State (60 points)
UTEP (60 points)
Loyola Chicago (57 points)
Virginia Tech (50 points)
Jacksonville (49 points)
Mississippi (49 points)
