Nova Joined Blue-Ribbon Programs Ranked Number 1 Atop AP National Poll

Different shades of blue comprise uniform colors of the five blue-blood programs spending the most weeks ranked #1 in major-college history - UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas. Villanova, another school donning blue, was ranked atop the AP national poll most of February this season until the Wildcats were declawed at Xavier. Number 1 stint was the first time Nova ever was perched on such a regular-season pedestal although the Wildcats won the 1985 NCAA Tournament title.

Maryland seemed to be the most likely heir apparent to succeed Villanova as #1 until the Terrapins dropped a couple of contests against second-division Big Ten Conference opponents. Thus the Terps, NCAA titlist in 2002, remained on the list of seven schools capturing an NCAA crown at some point in their history but never earning a regular-season top ranking, joining Oregon (1939 champion), Wyoming (1943), Utah (1944), CCNY (1950), California (1959) and Texas-El Paso (1966).