1996-97 Season: Final Regular Season AP Women's Top 25 Poll
Updated August 28, 2020 |
Infoplease Staff
Taken before start of NCAA tournament.
The sportswriters & broadcasters poll: first place votes in parentheses; records through Monday, March 9, 1997; total points (based on 25 for 1st, 24 for 2nd, etc.); record in NCAA tourney and team lost to; head coach (career years and record including 1997 postseason), and preseason ranking. Teams in bold type went on to reach NCAA Final Four.
| Mar. 10 Record | Points | NCAA Recap | Head Coach | Preseason Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UConn (38) | 30-0 | 1020 | 3-1 (Tennessee) | Geno Auriemma (12 yrs: 294-86) | 5 |
| 2 | Old Dominion (2) | 29-1 | 980 | 5-1 (Tennessee) | Wendy Larry (13 yrs: 272-119) | 7 |
| 3 | Stanford (1) | 30-1 | 951 | 4-1 (Old Dominion) | Tara VanDerveer (18 yrs: 437-115) | 1 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 27-2 | 899 | 2-1 (G. Washington) | Sylvia Hatchell (22 yrs: 486-198) | 23 |
| 5 | Louisiana Tech | 29-3 | 854 | 2-1 (Florida) | Leon Barmore (15 yrs: 428-67) | 14 |
| 6 | Georgia | 22-5 | 765 | 3-1 (Stanford) | Andy Landers (22 yrs: 524-151) | 3 |
| 7 | Florida | 21-8 | 752 | 3-1 (Old Dominion) | Carol Ross (7 yrs: 142-68) | 21 |
| 8 | Alabama | 23-6 | 741 | 2-1 (Notre Dame) | Rick Moody (8 yrs: 175-71) | 2 |
| 9 | LSU | 23-4 | 645 | 2-1 (Old Dominion) | Sue Gunter (27 yrs: 547-245) | 29 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 23-10 | 638 | 6-0 | Pat Summitt (23 yrs: 625-144) | 4 |
| 11 | Kansas | 24-5 | 588 | 1-1 (Vanderbilt) | Marian Washington (24 yrs: 457-258) | 12 |
| 12 | Virginia | 21-7 | 516 | 2-1 (Stanford) | Debbie Ryan (20 yrs: 462-155) | 10 |
| 13 | Auburn | 21-9 | 506 | 1-1 (La. Tech) | Joe Ciampi (20 yrs: 471-140) | 25 |
| 14 | Texas | 21-7 | 498 | 1-1 (Notre Dame) | Jody Conradt (28 yrs: 697-195) | 19 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 27-6 | 442 | 4-1 (Tennessee) | Muffet McGraw (15 yrs: 301-136) | 20 |
| 16 | Illinois | 22-7 | 325 | 2-1 (UConn) | Theresa Grentz (23 yrs: 498-178) | 39t |
| 17 | Texas Tech | 19-8 | 304 | 1-1 (Stanford) | Marsha Sharp (15 yrs: 350-120) | 11 |
| 18 | Colorado | 21-8 | 246 | 2-1 (Tennessee) | Ceal Barry (18 yrs: 372-181) | 17 |
| 19 | Stephen F. Austin | 27-4 | 218 | 1-1 (Colorado) | Royce Chadwick (8 yrs: 157-85) | 24 |
| 20 | Vanderbilt | 18-10 | 212 | 2-1 (Georgia) | Jim Foster (19 yrs: 396-172) | 9 |
| 21 | Clemson | 19-10 | 200 | 0-1 (Marquette) | Jim Davis (11 yrs: 227-110) | 26 |
| 22 | George Washington | 25-5 | 189 | 3-1 (Notre Dame) | Joe McKeown (11 yrs: 253-86) | 28 |
| 23 | Tulane | 26-4 | 183 | 1-1 (G. Washington) | Lisa Stockton (6 yrs: 130-52) | 43 |
| 24 | Michigan St. | 21-7 | 133 | 1-1 (N. Carolina) | Karen Langeland (21 yrs: 329-248) | 37 |
| 25 | W. Kentucky | 22-8 | 112 | 0-1 (Arizona) | Paul Sanderford (15 yrs: 365-120) | 8 |
Others receiving votes: 26. Duke (18-10, 74 pts); 27. Iowa (17-11, 60); 28. St. Joseph's-PA (25-4, 51); 29. Oregon (21-6, 32); 30. Portland (27-2, 22); 31. Drake (23-7, 15), Kentucky (8-19, 15) and San Diego St. (23-6, 15); 34. Toledo (27-3, 12); 35. Arkansas (18-10, 11), N.C. State (19-11, 11) and USC (19-8, 11); 38. Purdue (16-10, 10); 39. Louisville (20-8, 9) and Marquette (20-9, 9), 41. San Francisco (25-5, 8) and Washington (17-10, 8); 43. Memphis (22-6, 7); 44. Utah (24-5, 6); 43. DePaul (20-8, 5), 44. Kansas St. (19-11, 4), Maryland (18-9, 4) and Nebraska (19-9, 4); 47. UC-Santa Barbara (24-5, 2); 48. Arizona (22-7, 1), E. Kentucky (24-5, 1) and Northwestern (17-10, 1).
NCAA Women's Division I Tournament Seeds
| WEST | MIDWEST | MIDEAST | EAST | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford (30-1) | 1 | UConn (30-0) | 1 | Old Dominion (29-1) | 1 | N. Carolina (27-2) |
| 2 | Georgia (22-5) | 2 | Colorado (21-8) | 2 | La. Tech (29-3) | 2 | Alabama (23-6) |
| 3 | Kansas (24-5) | 3 | Tennessee (23-10) | 3 | Florida (21-8) | 3 | Texas (21-7) |
| 4 | Virginia (21-7) | 4 | Illinois (22-7) | 4 | LSU (23-4) | 4 | Tulane (26-4) |
| 5 | Utah (24-5) | 5 | Duke (18-10) | 5 | Clemson (19-10) | 5 | G. Washington (25-5) |
| 6 | Vanderbilt (18-10) | 6 | Oregon (21-6) | 6 | USC (19-8) | 6 | Notre Dame (27-6) |
| 7 | Arizona (22-7) | 7 | S.F. Austin (27-4) | 7 | Auburn (21-9) | 7 | St. Joseph's (25-4) |
| 8 | Texas Tech (19-8) | 8 | N.C. State (19-11) | 8 | Purdue (16-10) | 8 | Michigan St. (21-7) |
| 9 | Montana (25-3) | 9 | Iowa (17-11) | 9 | Maryland (18-9) | 9 | Portland (27-3) |
| 10 | W. Kentucky (22-8) | 10 | Toledo (27-3) | 10 | Louisville (20-8) | 10 | Kansas St. (19-11) |
| 11 | Washington (17-10) | 11 | San Diego St. (23-6) | 11 | San Francisco (25-5) | 11 | Memphis (22-6) |
| 12 | Iowa St. (17-11) | 12 | DePaul (20-8) | 12 | Marquette (20-9) | 12 | Northwestern (17-10) |
| 13 | Troy St. (23-6) | 13 | Drake (23-7) | 13 | Maine (22-7) | 13 | UC-Santa Barb. (24-5) |
| 14 | Detroit (23-6) | 14 | Grambling (24-5) | 14 | Florida Int'l. (21-8) | 14 | SW Texas St. (17-11) |
| 15 | E. Kentucky (24-5) | 15 | Marshall (18-11) | 15 | St. Peters (25-3) | 15 | St. Francis-PA (21-8) |
| 16 | Howard (21-5) | 16 | Lehigh (15-14) | 16 | Liberty (22-7) | 16 | Harvard (20-6) |
| Other Men's 1997 Tournaments | 1996-97 Season | NCAA Women's Division I Leaders |
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