Guru's AP Poll Trivia: UConn Turns 100 in Elite Categories for the Decade

By Mel Greenberg

Connecticut reach a perfect 100 total appearances this week for rankings in both the Top 5 and Top 10 of the Associated Press women’s basketball poll in this decade.

All-time Connecticut is second to Tennessee in both categories though in total appearances the Huskies are further down the line because the Lady Vols had a head start of over a decade before Geno Auriemma came aboard and made them into a national force.

Overall, Tennessee, which has missed only 14 polls under the legendary Pat Summitt and Holly Warlick since its Nov. 1976 launch, has made the Top 5 460 times to UConn’s 344.

In the Top 10, Tennessee has 593 appearances to the Huskies’ 389. Obviously, if we would make 2000 the start of measurement, Connecticut has had the more dominant elite appearances.

They also own the top two current consecutive poll streaks, which the Guru will get to in a bit.

In other poll trivia, Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw is nearing former Auburn coach Joe Ciampi – both are in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame – to take 15th place all-time in coaching appearances in the poll.

This week North Carolina tied Penn State for total rankings in 8th place with 405 appearances while Rutgers, which had been higher at one point, moved back up a bit, tying Purdue for 12th place with 363 appearances.

Significant Current Poll Streaks

Here are the best current streaks of significant numbers by teams in the AP Women’s Poll thru the vote of 1/19/15 , which is this week’s poll.

1. Tennessee 526 weeks. Began Feb. 17, 1985 after 10-wk drought and runs across 30 seasons.
2. Connecticut 404 weeks. Began Preseason 93/94 and runs across 22 seasons
3. Duke 333 weeks. Began Preseason 97/98 and runs across 18 seasons.
4. Stanford 250 weeks. Began 01/02 and runs across 14 seasons.
5. Baylor 214 weeks. Began week 9 Jan. 5, 2004 and runs across 12 seasons.
6. Notre Dame 147 weeks. Began Preseason 07/08 and runs across 8 seasons.
7. Texas A&M 107 weeks. Began 11/16/09 2nd week and runs across 6 seasons.
8. Maryland 89 weeks. Began preseason 10/11 and runs across 5 seasons.
9. North Carolina 49 weeks. Began 11/19/12 3rd week and runs across 3 seasons.







- Posted using BlogPress from the Guru's iPad