Texas tops AP women's poll, 1st time in 21 years

Texas is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll for the first time in 21 years and the third different team to hold the top spot in the past three weeks.

The Longhorns moved atop the poll Monday after previous No. 1 Notre Dame lost in double overtime to NC State. UCLA had been No. 1 the 12 weeks prior to the Irish's brief stint.

"I'm so happy for my kids, they've earned where they are today," Texas coach Vic Schaefer said in a phone interview hours before his team faced Georgia late Monday.

It is only the fifth time since 2001 that three different schools have been No. 1 in a three-week span. Add in South Carolina being No. 1 to start the season and there have been four teams atop the rankings this season, just the sixth time that has happened since the poll began in 1976. It has never happened with five schools.

"There's so much parity in the game right now," Schaefer said.

Texas, which last held the top spot in the poll on Feb. 16, 2004, received 19 first-place votes from a 31-member national media panel. The Longhorns have spent 48 weeks atop the poll in their illustrious history dating to their first appearance at No. 1 in 1980.

"So much respect and admiration for [former] coach [Jody] Conradt and the tradition of our program and I certainly understand the standard we hope we can live up to," Schaefer said.

Notre Dame fell to third after its 19-game winning streak was snapped while UCLA moved up a spot to second. The Bruins, who edged Iowa 67-65 on two late free throws Sunday, garnered 11 top votes. USC was fourth receiving one first-place ballot. UConn was fifth.

South Carolina, LSU and North Carolina were next. North Carolina State jumped up four places to ninth after its big win over the Irish.

The Wolfpack were followed by North Carolina and TCU to round out the top 10.

Ins and outs

Florida State and Louisville re-entered the rankings this week at No. 24 and 25. The Seminoles beat Pittsburgh and then-No. 20 Georgia Tech. The Cardinals knocked off then-No. 11 Duke before losing to North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets and Illinois both fell out of the Top 25.

Conference breakdown

The Southeastern Conference has seven ranked teams. The ACC has six while the Big Ten and Big 12 each have five. The Big East has two.

Games of the week

No. 22 Creighton at No. 5 UConn, Thursday. First place in the Big East will be on the line when the Bluejays visit the Huskies.

No. 8 North Carolina at No. 16 Duke, Thursday. The two ACC rivals will play for the second time this season with a potential double-bye into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament at stake.

No. 10 TCU at No. 17 Baylor, Sunday. First place in the Big 12 Conference could be at stake as the Horned Frogs visit the Bears.