UConn’s head coach, Geno Auriemma, has reached a significant milestone by tying with Tara VanDerveer for the most appearances with a single school in the women’s basketball AP Top 25 rankings. The UConn Huskies are currently placed seventh in the latest poll.
Auriemma has directed the program to an impressive 627 appearances in the rankings during his remarkable 40-year tenure. This achievement equals VanDerveer’s record from her time at Stanford prior to her retirement. VanDerveer also had a respectable 27 rankings with Ohio State during her coaching period there. She holds the overall record for the most appearances in the poll by any coach.
Earlier this season, Auriemma surpassed VanDerveer’s NCAA record for all-time career victories and currently boasts a total of 1,224 wins, which includes a recent triumph over Providence.
In a week where many teams were only able to play once, the top three positions in the ranking remained unchanged with UCLA, South Carolina, and Notre Dame leading the way. These three teams, all of which had decisive victories, won their games by an average of nearly 41 points. Thus far, the teams had not been active over the previous week until Friday, allowing them to prepare for the challenging three-month push towards the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA secured 30 out of 32 first-place votes from a panel of national media. South Carolina and Notre Dame each earned one first-place vote. Following this trio were USC, Texas, and LSU. Maryland claimed the eighth spot after defeating Michigan State, improving their record to remain unbeaten with a 72-66 victory.
Completing the top ten were Oklahoma and Ohio State. The Sooners have a challenging week ahead as they prepare to face rival Texas and No. 15 Tennessee on the road, marking Oklahoma’s first away game in the SEC, which could turn out to be a high-scoring encounter.
In terms of movement within the rankings, Michigan State slipped two positions to No. 21 after losing to Maryland. This outcome allowed Alabama and California to move up one spot each. Meanwhile, Michigan’s defeat against USC caused them to drop one rank to 24th while Iowa climbed to 23rd.
South Carolina continued its dominance at home, extending its winning streak to 65 games with a recent win over Wofford. The Gamecocks need just four more victories to break into the top five for the longest home winning streaks in history. Notably, Baylor, UConn, and Tennessee hold a tie at 69 wins, making them the fourth-longest in Division I history. The Huskies have the top two records with streaks of 99 and 98 games, while Stanford follows in third with 82 consecutive wins at home.
In terms of conference representation, the Southeastern Conference ended 2024 with eight teams in the Top 25 for the second week in a row, leading all conferences. The Big Ten followed closely with seven teams, while the ACC showcased six, the Big 12 had three, and the Big East contributed one team to the rankings.
