The Final Regular Season AP Women's Top 25 Poll for College Basketball's 1997-98 Season

Updated September 27, 2017 | Infoplease Staff

Taken before start of NCAA tournament.

The sportswriters & broadcasters poll: first place votes in parentheses; records through Sunday, March 10, 1998; 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 Tennessee (40) 33-0 1000 6-0 Pat Summitt (24 yrs: 664-143) 1
2 Old Dominion 27-2 944 2-1 (N.C. State) Wendy Larry (14 yrs: 301-122) 3
3 Connecticut 31-2 912 3-1 (N.C. State) Geno Auriemma (13 yrs: 328-89) 6
4 Louisiana Tech 26-3 870 5-1 (Tennessee) Leon Barmore (16 yrs: 459-71) 2
5 Stanford 21-5 852 0-1 (Harvard) Tara VanDerveer (19 yrs: 458-121) 4
6 Texas Tech 25-4 817 1-1 (Notre Dame) Marsha Sharp (16 yrs: 375-125) 8
7 North Carolina 23-6 743 3-1 (Tennessee) Sylvia Hatchell (23 yrs: 512-205) 5
8 Duke 21-7 681 3-1 (Arkansas) Gail Goestenkors (6 yrs: 119-61) 19
9 Arizona 21-6 651 2-1 (Connecticut) Joan Bonvicini (19 yrs: 441-158) 15
10 North Carolina St. 21-6 601 4-1 (Louisiana Tech) Kay Yow (27 yrs: 552-221) 32t
11 Alabama 22-9 574 2-1 (Louisiana Tech) Rick Moody (9 yrs: 199-81) 11
12 Florida International 28-1 538 1-1 (North Carolina) Cindy Russo (21 yrs: 440-165) NR
13 Florida 21-8 536 2-1 (Duke) Carol Ross (8 yrs: 165-77) 9
14 Clemson 24-7 398 1-1 (Louisiana Tech) Jim Davis (12 yrs: 252-118) 40
15 Western Kentucky 25-8 382 1-1 (Tennessee) Steve Small (1 yr: 26-9) 16
16 Illinois 18-9 366 2-1 (North Carolina) Theresa Grentz (24 yrs: 518-188) 7
17 Virginia 18-9 287 1-1 (Arizona) Debbie Ryan (21 yrs: 481-165) NR
18 Vanderbilt 20-8 280 0-1 (Cal-Santa Barbara) Jim Foster (20 yrs: 416-181) 10
19 Stephen F. Austin 25-3 258 0-1 (Western Ky.) Royce Chadwick (9 yrs: 201-89) 17
20 Hawaii 24-3 232 0-1 (Arkansas) Vince Goo (11 yrs: 224-97) NR
21 Purdue 20-9 148 3-1 (Louisiana Tech) Carolyn Peck (1 yr: 23-10) 35
22 Drake 25-4 128 0-1 (Colorado St.) Lisa Bluder (14 yrs: 312-125) 38t
23 Iowa 17-10 115 1-1 (Kansas) Angie Lee (3 yrs: 63-27) 12
24 Iowa St. 24-7 107 1-1 (Rutgers) Bill Fennelly (10 yrs: 225-83) 42t
25 UCLA 19-8 88 1-1 (Alabama) Kathy Olivier (5 yrs: 71-66) 31
Others receiving votes: 26. Utah (21-5) 86 pts; 27. Memphis (22-7) 70; 28. Rutgers (20-9) 61; 29. Kansas (21-8) 46; 30. New Mexico (26-6) 37; 31. Wisconsin (21-9) 32; 32. Nebraska (22-9) 26; 33. SW Missouri St. (24-5) 22; 34. Liberty (28-0) 21; 35. Arkansas (18-10) 18; 36. Georgia (17-10) and Washington (18-9) 14; 38. Marquette (22-6) and Oregon (17-9) 8; 40. Virginia Tech (21-9) 6; 41. Kent (23-6) and UC-Santa Barbara (26-5) 5; 43. Colorado St. (23-5) 4; 44. Notre Dame (20-9) 4; 45. Tulane (21-6) 2; 46. Indiana (19-10), Rice (21-8), Wisconsin-GB (21-8) and Youngstown St. (27-2) 1.

NCAA Women's Division I Tournament Seeds

  WEST   MIDWEST   MIDEAST   EAST
1 Stanford (21-5) 1 Texas Tech (25-4) 1 Tennessee (33-0) 1 Old Dominion (27-2)
2 Duke (21-7) 2 Alabama (22-9) 2 North Carolina (24-6) 2 Connecticut (31-2)
3 Florida (21-8) 3 Louisiana Tech (26-3) 3 Illinois (18-9) 3 Arizona (21-6)
4 Iowa (17-10) 4 Purdue (20-9) 4 Iowa St. (24-7) 4 N.C. State (21-6)
5 Kansas (21-8) 5 Drake (25-4) 5 Rutgers (20-9) 5 Memphis (22-7)
6 Wisconsin (21-9) 6 Clemson (24-7) 6 Vanderbilt (20-8) 6 Virginia (18-9)
7 Utah (21-5) 7 UCLA (19-8) 7 Fla. International (28-1) 7 Georgia (17-10)
8 Hawaii (24-3) 8 SW Missouri St. (24-5) 8 Western Ky. (25-8) 8 New Mexico (26-6)
9 Arkansas (18-10) 9 Notre Dame (20-9) 9 Stephen F. Austin (25-3) 9 Nebraska (22-9)
10 Louisville (19-11) 10 Michigan (19-9) 10 Marquette (22-6) 10 George Washington (19-9)
11 Virginia Tech (21-9) 11 Miami-FL (19-9) 11 UC-Santa Barbara (26-5) 11 SMU (21-7)
12 Tulane (21-6) 12 Colorado St. (23-5) 12 Oregon (17-9) 12 Youngstown St. (27-2)
13 Massachusetts (19-10) 13 Washington (18-9) 13 Kent (23-6) 13 Maine (21-8)
14 Montana (24-5) 14 Holy Cross (18-9) 14 Wisconsin-GB (21-8) 14 Santa Clara (23-7)
15 Mid. Tennessee (18-11) 15 N.C. Greensboro (21-8) 15 Howard (23-6) 15 Fairfield (20-9)
16 Harvard (22-4) 16 Grambling (23-6) 16 Liberty (28-0) 16 St. Francis (22-7)

 

 

 

Other Men's 1998 Tournaments 1997-98 Season NCAA Championship Game

 

 
1997-98 Season
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