The 2024/25 NCAA basketball regular season has officially concluded, and the Associated Press (AP) has released its final Top 25 rankings on Monday, reflecting the dramatic changes from the exhilarating finale of the weekend.
Despite not unseating co-SEC champion No. 1 Texas, the newly crowned Big Ten champion USC made waves with a series sweep over crosstown rival UCLA. This achievement catapulted the Trojans to their highest ranking in nearly four decades, moving them up to No. 2 on the list.
After the announcement of the rankings, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb expressed, “A goal was to come here and bring USC back to what it once was.”
As USC rose, UCLA experienced a dramatic fall, dropping to No. 4, while Big East champion UConn ascended to the No. 3 position.
AP Poll Rankings Take a Hit from Tough Losses
Notre Dame faced a tough stretch, suffering two consecutive losses that cost them their claim to the ACC regular-season title. Consequently, they slipped three spots to No. 6, just behind the defending NCAA champions, No. 5 South Carolina. Their ACC rival, NC State, claimed the tournament’s No. 1 seed by defeating the Irish and now sits at No. 7 in the rankings.
In addition, a spate of unexpected losses affected the latest AP update, with LSU dropping two spots to No. 9 following defeats to No. 19 Alabama and unranked Ole Miss. This paved the way for first-time Big 12 champions TCU to ascend to the No. 8 position.
Similarly, No. 14 North Carolina, No. 18 Tennessee, and No. 20 Kansas State all experienced significant declines, each falling at least six spots in light of late-game setbacks.
A bright spot in the week was No. 11 Duke, who surged five positions after closing their regular season with two notable wins against ranked opponents, UNC and No. 22 Florida State.
Mid-major powerhouse South Dakota State made their mark by securing the No. 25 spot in the AP rankings after completing a third consecutive undefeated conference season. The Summit League champions ended the 2024/25 season with only three losses—against No. 1 Texas, No. 11 Duke, and Georgia Tech, who spent a significant portion of the season in the AP rankings.
As the top-ranked teams advance into this week’s conference tournament play, they have one final opportunity to impress the NCAA tournament committee ahead of Selection Sunday, scheduled for March 16th.
AP College Basketball Top 25: Week 18
1. Texas (29-2, SEC)
2. USC (26-2, Big Ten)
3. UConn (28-3, Big East)
4. UCLA (27-2, Big Ten)
5. South Carolina (27-3, SEC)
6. Notre Dame (25-4, ACC)
7. NC State (24-5, ACC)
8. TCU (28-3, Big 12)
9. LSU (27-4, SEC)
10. Oklahoma (23-6, SEC)
11. Duke (23-7, ACC)
12. Kentucky (22-6, SEC)
13. Ohio State (24-5, Big Ten)
14. North Carolina (25-6, ACC)
15. Maryland (23-6, Big Ten)
16. West Virginia (23-6, Big 12)
17. Baylor (25-6, Big 12)
18. Tennessee (21-8, SEC)
19. Alabama (23-7, SEC)
20. Kansas State (25-6, Big 12)
21. Oklahoma State (24-5, Big 12)
22. Florida State (23-7, ACC)
23. Creighton (24-5, Big East)
24. Michigan State (21-8, Big Ten)
25. South Dakota State (26-3, Summit League
