AP Records - Best Ranking for Preseason Unranked Team

There have been 905 polls over 50 seasons. The record is 2, held by Kansas State (2023-2024).

All record types
Best Ranking for Preseason Unranked Team
PlaceSeasonTeamBest ranking
1.2023-2024Kansas State2
2.1976-1977St. Joseph's3
1992-1993Ohio State3
2009-2010Nebraska3
2022-2023Utah3
2023-2024NC State3
7.1998-1999Colorado State4
8.1976-1977Tennessee5
1978-1979Cheyney5
2001-2002Wisconsin5
2013-2014West Virginia5
12.1991-1992Miami6
1995-1996Old Dominion6
2000-2001Florida6
2021-2022LSU6
2024-2025TCU6
17.1997-1998Washington7
2001-2002South Carolina7
2009-2010West Virginia7
2010-2011DePaul7
2011-2012Delaware7
2014-2015Florida State7
23.1976-1977NC State8
1977-1978Valdosta State8
1985-1986Rutgers8
1990-1991Western Kentucky8
1997-1998NC State8
2006-2007George Washington8
2009-2010Texas A&M8
2011-2012Ohio State8
2022-2023UCLA8
2023-2024Oregon State8
2025-2026Ohio State8
34.1984-1985Auburn9
1987-1988Maryland9
1988-1989Colorado9
1988-1989Purdue9
1996-1997LSU9
1998-1999Virginia Tech9
2001-2002Kansas State9
2003-2004Houston9
2008-2009Florida9
2011-2012Green Bay9
2014-2015Arizona State9
2016-2017Duke9
2022-2023Duke9
47.1978-1979UNLV10
1981-1982Memphis10
1982-1983Missouri10
1991-1992Missouri State10
1996-1997Clemson10
1998-1999Clemson10
2007-2008Old Dominion10
2009-2010Oklahoma State10
2010-2011Miami10
2011-2012Texas Tech10
2013-2014NC State10
2015-2016UCLA10
2020-2021Georgia10
2022-2023Villanova10
61.1976-1977LSU11
1979-1980Kansas State11
1979-1980Kentucky11
1981-1982Villanova11
1983-1984Alabama11
1983-1984Virginia11
1984-1985Washington11
1984-1985Western Kentucky11
1985-1986Oklahoma11
1986-1987NC State11
1986-1987Vanderbilt11
1988-1989Stephen F. Austin11
1991-1992Houston11
1991-1992Northwestern11
1991-1992West Virginia11
1997-1998Florida International11
1997-1998Utah11
2002-2003Villanova11
2012-2013Dayton11
2012-2013North Carolina11
2012-2013UCLA11
2013-2014Arizona State11
2014-2015Mississippi State11
2018-2019Kentucky11
2019-2020Arizona11
2019-2020Gonzaga11
2019-2020Northwestern11
2024-2025Tennessee11
2025-2026West Virginia11
90.1977-1978Penn State12
1979-1980Detroit12
1979-1980San Francisco12
1981-1982Illinois12
1984-1985Kentucky12
1989-1990Hawaii12
1991-1992Hawaii12
1991-1992Texas Tech12
1997-1998Nebraska12
1998-1999Penn State12
1999-2000Mississippi State12
2000-2001Texas12
2000-2001Xavier12
2001-2002Texas12
2003-2004DePaul12
2007-2008Utah12
2009-2010Georgetown12
2012-2013Texas12
2018-2019Gonzaga12
2018-2019Minnesota12
2020-2021South Florida12
2021-2022Oklahoma12
112.1976-1977Texas13
1977-1978Memphis13
1977-1978Missouri13
1981-1982Arizona State13
1981-1982Colorado13
1982-1983UCLA13
1983-1984Louisiana-Monroe13
1984-1985Texas Tech13
1989-1990Northwestern13
1991-1992Kansas13
1997-1998Missouri State13
1999-2000Tulane13
2000-2001Utah13
2002-2003South Carolina13
2003-2004Vanderbilt13
2006-2007Louisville13
2007-2008Oklahoma State13
2009-2010Iowa State13
2010-2011Green Bay13
2011-2012Nebraska13
2014-2015Princeton13
2018-2019Iowa State13
2020-2021Tennessee13
2021-2022Georgia13
2024-2025Georgia Tech13
137.1976-1977Mississippi14
1976-1977Southeastern Louisiana14
1978-1979Long Beach State14
1979-1980Delta State14
1981-1982Kansas State14
1982-1983Auburn14
1983-1984Clemson14
1983-1984North Carolina14
1986-1987Southern Illinois14
1987-1988James Madison14
1987-1988Montana14
1988-1989South Carolina14
1990-1991Stephen F. Austin14
1993-1994Seton Hall14
1994-1995Arkansas14
1994-1995Duke14
1995-1996Clemson14
1997-1998Clemson14
2001-2002Minnesota14
2003-2004Baylor14
2004-2005Iowa State14
2007-2008Auburn14
2008-2009Kansas State14
2008-2009Pittsburgh14
2012-2013South Carolina14
2014-2015Georgia14
2018-2019Rutgers14
2018-2019Utah14
2021-2022Notre Dame14
2023-2024Gonzaga14
167.1976-1977Memphis15
1977-1978Kansas15
1978-1979Memphis15
1978-1979South Carolina15
1980-1981Illinois State15
1980-1981Minnesota15
1980-1981Virginia15
1983-1984St. John's15
1986-1987Illinois15
1990-1991Providence15
1992-1993Nebraska15
1992-1993Vermont15
1993-1994Washington15
1996-1997Illinois15
1998-1999Oregon15
2000-2001Clemson15
2004-2005Temple15
2007-2008Kansas State15
2007-2008Wyoming15
2009-2010Pittsburgh15
2009-2010St. John's15
2011-2012Georgia Tech15
2016-2017Colorado15
2016-2017NC State15
2016-2017Virginia Tech15
2018-2019Michigan State15
2021-2022BYU15
2021-2022Duke15
2021-2022Florida15
2022-2023Gonzaga15
2024-2025Michigan State15
2025-2026Minnesota15
199.1977-1978Ohio State16
1978-1979Northwestern16
1979-1980Clemson16
1979-1980Mercer16
1981-1982Auburn16
1984-1985St. Joseph's16
1984-1985UNLV16
1987-1988UNLV16
1987-1988Wake Forest16
1988-1989UNLV16
1992-1993DePaul16
1993-1994Florida International16
1995-1996Auburn16
1995-1996Florida16
1997-1998Hawaii16
1999-2000Virginia16
2000-2001Colorado16
2000-2001Iowa16
2001-2002Boston College16
2001-2002North Carolina16
2001-2002Virginia Tech16
2002-2003Green Bay16
2003-2004Virginia Tech16
2004-2005UCLA16
2005-2006New Mexico16
2006-2007Bowling Green16
2006-2007Marquette16
2006-2007Middle Tennessee16
2008-2009Iowa State16
2008-2009South Dakota State16
2009-2010Kentucky16
2011-2012St. Bonaventure16
2013-2014Vanderbilt16
2015-2016California16
2015-2016DePaul16
2015-2016Florida16
2015-2016Miami16
2021-2022North Carolina16
2025-2026Texas Tech16
238.1976-1977Kentucky17
1976-1977Michigan State17
1977-1978UNLV17
1979-1980USC17
1979-1980Villanova17
1980-1981Auburn17
1980-1981Colorado17
1980-1981East Carolina17
1980-1981Jackson State17
1982-1983LSU17
1982-1983Oregon State17
1983-1984Western Kentucky17
1985-1986Duke17
1985-1986Houston17
1985-1986James Madison17
1986-1987Villanova17
1986-1987Washington17
1987-1988Stephen F. Austin17
1989-1990Northern Illinois17
1989-1990Southern Mississippi17
1991-1992Alabama17
1992-1993Clemson17
1992-1993UNLV17
1993-1994Boise State17
1993-1994Montana17
1993-1994Rutgers17
1995-1996Northwestern17
1998-1999Auburn17
1998-1999LSU17
1998-1999Ohio State17
1999-2000Oklahoma17
2001-2002Auburn17
2003-2004Miami17
2003-2004Michigan State17
2005-2006Boston College17
2005-2006Louisiana Tech17
2006-2007NC State17
2009-2010Gonzaga17
2009-2010Green Bay17
2012-2013Kansas17
2013-2014Florida State17
2014-2015Chattanooga17
2015-2016Oklahoma State17
2017-2018Georgia17
2019-2020Iowa17
2019-2020South Dakota17
2019-2020Tennessee17
2019-2020West Virginia17
2020-2021Texas17
2020-2021West Virginia17
2022-2023Arkansas17
2023-2024Duke17
2023-2024Oklahoma17
2023-2024Syracuse17
2024-2025Iowa17
2024-2025Oklahoma State17
294.1976-1977Indiana State18
1977-1978Cal Poly Pomona18
1979-1980Central Missouri18
1980-1981Oregon State18
1981-1982Mississippi18
1982-1983North Carolina18
1984-1985Memphis18
1984-1985UCLA18
1985-1986Southern Illinois18
1986-1987Oregon18
1987-1988New Mexico State18
1988-1989La Salle18
1989-1990Penn State18
1989-1990Providence18
1990-1991Northern Illinois18
1993-1994Northwestern18
1993-1994Southern Mississippi18
1996-1997George Washington18
1998-1999Tulane18
2001-2002LSU18
2002-2003Arizona18
2002-2003Rutgers18
2003-2004Boston College18
2004-2005Iowa18
2005-2006BYU18
2005-2006Virginia Tech18
2007-2008UTEP18
2012-2013Colorado18
2012-2013Florida State18
2017-2018Arizona State18
2017-2018Iowa18
2017-2018Villanova18
2023-2024Marquette18
2024-2025California18