See where the Arizona Wildcats rank on AP's all-time top 25
- Updated
Twenty years ago Friday night, the Arizona Wildcats secured their first NCAA Championship with an overtime victory over Kentucky — but the UA has been a basketball powerhouse for much longer.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Twenty years ago Friday night, the Arizona Wildcats secured their first NCAA Championship with an overtime victory over Kentucky.
The UA has been a basketball powerhouse for much longer.
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; 59 of them, including Arizona, have been ranked 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. Here’s the list:Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 75.37 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No. 1 rankings:Â 124
Best full decade:Â 1950s, appeared in 89.63 percent of polls, but 1990s were close with 89.33 percent.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 76.68 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 25, 1953
No. 1 rankings:Â 110
Best full decade:Â 1980s, appeared in 98.19 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 67.6 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Dec. 10, 1951
No. 1 rankings:Â 129
Best full decade:Â 2000s, appeared in 98.95 percent of polls, but on pace to top that in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 60.17 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â March 8, 1949
No. 1 rankings:Â 134, most of any program.
Best full decade:Â 1970s, appeared in 100 percent of polls, only program with a perfect percentage over an entire decade.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 63.49 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â March 7, 1950
No. 1 rankings:Â 65
Best full decade: 1990s, appeared in 91.57 percent of polls, but also hasn’t missed a poll yet in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 48.38 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 5, 1950
No. 1 rankings:Â 54
Best full decade:Â 1990s, appeared in 71.35 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 54.41 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 17, 1950
No. 1 rankings:Â 2
Best full decade:Â 1970s, appeared in 75.60 percent of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 45.41 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Feb. 7, 1950
No. 1 rankings:Â 37
Best full decade:Â 1990s, appeared in 99.44 percent of polls, missing only one weekly poll during the decade.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 47.77 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Dec. 25, 1951
No. 1 rankings:Â 17
Best full decade:Â 1990s, appeared in 76.97 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 35.81 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No. 1 rankings:Â 45
Best full decade:Â 1990s, appeared in 61.25 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 38.86 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No. 1 rankings:Â 17
Best full decade:Â 1950s, appeared in 65.93 percent of polls, but 2000s was a close second, making 65.79 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 33.1 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Feb. 8, 1949
No. 1 rankings:Â 37
Best full decade:Â 1960s, appeared in 45.21 percent of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 35.98 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 1, 1952
No. 1 rankings:Â 11
Best full decade:Â 2000s, appeared in 71.58 percent of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 33.1 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Preseason 1963-1964 poll
No. 1 rankings:Â 22
Best full decade:Â 1990s, appeared in 65.73 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 34.67 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 13, 1953
No. 1 rankings:Â 12
Best full decade:Â 1980s, appeared in 83.13 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 30.04 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 26, 1954
No. 1 rankings:Â 29
Best full decade:Â 2000s, appeared in 75.79 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 34.93 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 29, 1954
No. 1 rankings:Â 0
Best full decade:Â 2000s, appeared in 75.79 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 32.49 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 31, 1950
No. 1 rankings:Â 5
Best full decade:Â 1970s, appeared in 72.62 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 30.57 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No. 1 rankings:Â 11
Best full decade:Â 1960s, appeared in 29.45 percent 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.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 31 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Feb. 15, 1949
No. 1 rankings:Â 8
Best full decade:Â 2000s, appeared in 66.84 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 31.44 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1955
No. 1 rankings:Â 3, twice during 1970-1971 and once in 1977-1978.
Best full decade:Â 1970s, appeared in every poll except one or 99.4 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 29.69 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 25, 1949
No. 1 rankings:Â 13
Best full decade:Â 1950s, appeared in 80 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 29.78 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 1, 1952
No. 1 rankings:Â 1
Best full decade:Â 1980s, appeared in 68.67 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 29.61 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 11, 1955
No. 1 rankings:Â 0
Best full decade:Â 1980s, appeared in 53.37 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
- Updated
Total appearances:Â 22.45 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Preseason 1973-1974 poll
No. 1 rankings:Â 32
Best full decade:Â 1980s, appeared in 65.06 percent of polls.
More like this...
- The Associated Press
Twenty years ago Friday night, the Arizona Wildcats secured their first NCAA Championship with an overtime victory over Kentucky.
The UA has been a basketball powerhouse for much longer.
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; 59 of them, including Arizona, have been ranked 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. Here’s the list:Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 75.37 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No. 1 rankings:Â 124
Best full decade:Â 1950s, appeared in 89.63 percent of polls, but 1990s were close with 89.33 percent.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 60.17 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â March 8, 1949
No. 1 rankings:Â 134, most of any program.
Best full decade:Â 1970s, appeared in 100 percent of polls, only program with a perfect percentage over an entire decade.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 63.49 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â March 7, 1950
No. 1 rankings:Â 65
Best full decade: 1990s, appeared in 91.57 percent of polls, but also hasn’t missed a poll yet in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 54.41 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 17, 1950
No. 1 rankings:Â 2
Best full decade:Â 1970s, appeared in 75.60 percent of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 45.41 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Feb. 7, 1950
No. 1 rankings:Â 37
Best full decade:Â 1990s, appeared in 99.44 percent of polls, missing only one weekly poll during the decade.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 38.86 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No. 1 rankings:Â 17
Best full decade:Â 1950s, appeared in 65.93 percent of polls, but 2000s was a close second, making 65.79 percent of polls.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 33.1 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Feb. 8, 1949
No. 1 rankings:Â 37
Best full decade:Â 1960s, appeared in 45.21 percent of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 35.98 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 1, 1952
No. 1 rankings:Â 11
Best full decade:Â 2000s, appeared in 71.58 percent of polls, but so far on pace to top that in the 2010s.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 30.57 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1949 (first-ever poll)
No. 1 rankings:Â 11
Best full decade:Â 1960s, appeared in 29.45 percent 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.Â
- The Associated Press
Total appearances:Â 31.44 percent of all polls
First appearance:Â Jan. 18, 1955
No. 1 rankings:Â 3, twice during 1970-1971 and once in 1977-1978.
Best full decade:Â 1970s, appeared in every poll except one or 99.4 percent of polls.Â
More like this...
Tags
Most Popular
-
Arizona's Medicaid, AHCCCS, undergoes huge changes
-
Vacant Tucson stores could transform into new housing -
This mother-daughter duo is taking on Tucson one breakfast burrito at a time
-
Pima County official: Nanos angry she gave FBI info in Guthrie case
-
Tucson's west side faces months-long street closure
