1955–56 NCAA men's basketball rankings

1955–56 NCAA men's basketball rankings
Season1955–56
NCAA Tournament1956
Preseason No. 1
San Francisco
NCAA Tournament ChampionsSan Francisco
NCAA men's basketball rankings
← 1954–55 1956–57 →

The 1955–56 NCAA men's basketball rankings was made up of two human polls, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.

Legend

  Increase in ranking
  Decrease in ranking
  New to rankings from previous week
Italics   Number of first place votes
(#–#)   Win–loss record
т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

AP Poll

Week 1
Dec. 5[1][2]		Week 2
Dec. 12[1][3]		Week 3
Dec. 19[1][4]		Week 4
Dec. 26[1][5]		Week 5
Jan. 2[1]		Week 6
Jan. 9[1]		Week 7
Jan. 16[1]		Week 8
Jan. 23[1]		Week 9
Jan. 30[1]		Week 10
Feb. 6[1]		Week 11
Feb. 13[1]		Week 12
Feb. 20[6]		Week 13
Feb. 27[6]		Week 14
Mar. 5[6][7]		Final
Mar. 12[6][8]
1.San Francisco (2–0)San Francisco (3–0)San Francisco (5–0)San Francisco (7–0)San Francisco (10–0)San Francisco (11–0)San Francisco (13–0)San Francisco (13–0)San Francisco (14–0)San Francisco (15–0)San Francisco (18–0)San Francisco (20–0)San Francisco (21–0)San Francisco (24–0)San Francisco (25–0)1.
2.Kentucky (1–0)NC State (4–0)NC State (7–0)Dayton (8–0)NC State (11–0)Dayton (11–0)Dayton (12–0)Dayton (14–0)Dayton (14–1)Dayton (16–1)Dayton (18–1)Illinois (16–1)Illinois (17–2)NC State (24–3)NC State (24–3)2.
3.NC State (2–0)Utah (3–0)Utah (5–0)NC State (8–0)Dayton (9–0)NC State (11–1)NC State (12–1)Kentucky (10–2)Vanderbilt (14–1)Vanderbilt (15–1)Illinois (14–1)Louisville (21–2)Dayton (22–2)Dayton (23–3)Dayton (23–3)3.
4.Iowa (1–0)Iowa (2–0)Dayton (6–0)North Carolina (5–0)Vanderbilt (7–1)Vanderbilt (8–2)Kentucky (9–2)NC State (13–2)NC State (14–2)NC State (16–2)Louisville (19–2)Dayton (20–2)Alabama (18–3)Alabama (20–3)Iowa (17–5)4.
5.Utah (1–0)Alabama (4–0)BYU (6–0)Vanderbilt (6–1)North Carolina (7–1)Kentucky (7–2)Vanderbilt (12–1)Illinois (10–1)Louisville (16–1)Louisville (18–1)NC State (18–2)Vanderbilt (18–2)NC State (21–3)Iowa (16–5)Alabama (21–3)5.
6.Alabama (2–0)Duquesne (3–0)North Carolina (6–0)Iowa (3–1)Kentucky (6–2)Duke (9–2)Illinois (10–1)Temple (11–0)Illinois (11–1)Illinois (12–1)Vanderbilt (16–2)NC State (19–3)Louisville (22–3)Louisville (26–3)Louisville (26–3)6.
7.Dayton (2–0)Dayton (4–0)Holy Cross (5–0)Utah (5–2)George Washington (9–1)Ohio State (8–1)Duke (12–2)Vanderbilt (13–1)Temple (13–0)Kentucky (13–3)Kentucky (15–3)Alabama (16–3)Vanderbilt (19–3)Illinois (18–3)SMU (22–2)7.
8.Illinois (0–0)BYU (4–0)Vanderbilt (4–0)Duke (6–0)Iowa State (9–1)Illinois (7–1)Temple (10–0)North Carolina (13–2)Kentucky (10–3)Duke (13–3)Alabama (14–3)Kentucky (16–4)North Carolina (17–4)SMU (22–2)UCLA (19–5)8.
9.Duquesne (1–0)Vanderbilt (4–0)Kentucky (4–1)Illinois (5–1)Illinois (6–1)North Carolina (8–2)North Carolina (12–2)Louisville (15–1)North Carolina (13–2)Temple (14–1)Temple (17–1)North Carolina (16–3)SMU (21–2)Kentucky (19–5)Kentucky (19–5)9.
10.BYU (2–0)Holy Cross (3–0)Iowa (3–1)Oklahoma City (6–0)Ohio State (7–1)Temple (8–0)Louisville (13–1)Duke (12–2)Duke (12–2)Alabama (12–3)North Carolina (15–3)Temple (19–1)Iowa (14–5)UCLA (19–5)Illinois (18–4)10.
11.Holy Cross (1–0)Temple (3–0)George Washington (6–0)Louisville (7–0)Duke (8–1)Holy Cross (9–2)Ohio State (9–2)Holy Cross (13–2)Saint Louis (12–2)Saint Louis (14–2)Duke (15–4)Duke (16–5)Duke (18–6)Vanderbilt (19–4)Oklahoma City (18–6)11.
12.Oklahoma City (2–0)Kentucky (1–1)Temple (5–0)George Washington (6–1)Memphis State (7–0)Indiana (8–1)Holy Cross (11–2)Alabama (10–3)Alabama (11–3)North Carolina (13–3)SMU (17–2)SMU (19–2)Kentucky (17–5)Holy Cross (22–4)Vanderbilt (19–4)12.
13.George Washington (1–0)George Washington (3–0)Marquette (5–1)Kentucky (5–2)Indiana (6–1)Louisville (10–1)Alabama (9–3)Iowa (6–5)St. Francis Brooklyn (13–0)Holy Cross (16–2)St. Francis Brooklyn (16–0)Iowa (12–5)UCLA (17–5)Temple (21–3)North Carolina (18–5)13.
14.Marquette (1–0) тCincinnati (3–0)Duke (5–0)Holy Cross (5–1)Holy Cross (7–2)George Washington (9–3)Oklahoma City (10–2)Cincinnati (12–3)Holy Cross (13–2)Oklahoma City (15–4)Oklahoma City (16–4)Houston (18–3)Temple (20–3)West Virginia (21–8)Holy Cross (22–4)14.
15.West Virginia (1–0) тWest Virginia (3–0)Oklahoma City (4–0)Ohio State (6–1)Tulsa (10–1)Iowa State (8–2)Memphis State (11–1)St. Francis Brooklyn (11–0)Oklahoma City (13–4)SMU (16–2)Iowa (10–5)UCLA (15–5)Holy Cross (21–4)North Carolina (18–5)Temple (23–3)15.
16.UCLA (0–2) тNorth Carolina (3–0)Alabama (4–2)Michigan State (4–0)Temple (6–0)Oklahoma City (9–1)Utah (11–3)Oklahoma City (12–4)Memphis State (13–2)St. Francis Brooklyn (15–0)Holy Cross (17–3)St. Francis Brooklyn (18–1)Oklahoma City (17–6)Oklahoma City (18–6)Wake Forest (19–9)16.
17.Ohio State (1–1) тSaint Louis (3–0)Illinois (3–1)Rice (8–0) тAlabama (6–3)Memphis State (9–1)Saint Louis (10–2)Saint Louis (11–2)SMU (14–2)Iowa (8–5)Saint Louis (14–4)Holy Cross (19–4)Kansas State (15–6)Houston (19–5)Duke (19–7)17.
18.La Salle (1–1)Kansas (3–0)Indiana (3–1) тTemple (5–0) тRice (9–1)Wake Forest (8–5)UCLA (8–5)SMU (13–2)Marshall (13–2)UCLA (11–5)Houston (17–3)Oklahoma City (16–5)Houston (19–4)Wake Forest (19–9)Utah (21–5)18.
19.Stanford (2–0)Indiana (2–0)Memphis State (5–0) тAlabama (5–2)West Virginia (7–2)Alabama (7–3)SMU (13–2)Memphis State (12–2)Iowa (7–5)George Washington (12–4)Memphis State (17–3)George Washington (17–5)Saint Louis (17–5)Duke (19–7)Oklahoma A&M (18–8)19.
20.Minnesota (1–0)Oklahoma City (2–0)Duquesne (4–2)BYU (6–2)Michigan State (5–1) т
Cincinnati (7–2) т		Cincinnati (8–2) т
Utah (8–3) т		Iowa (5–5) т
Oklahoma A&M (11–3) т		Oklahoma A&M (11–2)UCLA (9–5)Cincinnati (13–3)UCLA (13–5)Iowa State (16–3)Wake Forest (17–8)Utah (21–5)West Virginia (21–8)20.
Week 1
Dec. 5[1][2]		Week 2
Dec. 12[1][3]		Week 3
Dec. 19[1][4]		Week 4
Dec. 26[1][5]		Week 5
Jan. 2[1]		Week 6
Jan. 9[1]		Week 7
Jan. 16[1]		Week 8
Jan. 23[1]		Week 9
Jan. 30[1]		Week 10
Feb. 6[1]		Week 11
Feb. 13[1]		Week 12
Feb. 20[6]		Week 13
Feb. 27[6]		Week 14
Mar. 5[6][7]		Final
Mar. 12[6][8]
Dropped:
  • Illinois (1–1)
  • Marquette (1–1)
  • UCLA (2–2)
  • Ohio State (1–1)
  • La Salle (1–1)
  • Stanford (1–1)
  • Minnesota (1–1)
Dropped:
  • Saint Louis (4–1)
  • Cincinnati (3–2)
  • West Virginia (3–2)
  • Kansas (3–2)
Dropped:
  • Marquette (5–2)
  • Indiana (5–1)
  • Memphis State (5–0)
Dropped:
  • Iowa (3–4)
  • Oklahoma City (7–1)
  • Louisville (8–1)
  • BYU (7–3)
Dropped:
  • Rice
  • Michigan State (6–2)
Dropped:
  • Iowa State (9–3)
  • George Washington (9–4)
Dropped:
  • Utah (12–3)
  • UCLA (8–5)
Dropped:
  • Cincinnati (12–3)
Dropped:
  • Memphis State (14–3)
  • Marshall (14–3)
Dropped:
  • George Washington (13–5)
  • Cincinnati (14–4)
Dropped:
  • Memphis State (18–4)
Dropped:
  • Iowa State (17–4)
Dropped:
  • Kansas State (15–8)
  • Saint Louis (17–6)
Dropped:
  • Houston (19–6)

UP Poll

Preseason
 [1]		Week 2
Dec. 6[1]		Week 3
Dec. 13[1]		Week 4
Dec. 20[1]		Week 5
Dec. 27[1]		Week 6
Jan. 3[1]		Week 7
Jan. 10[1]		Week 8
Jan. 17[1]		Week 9
Jan. 24[1]		Week 10
Jan. 31[1]		Week 11
Feb. 7[1]		Week 12
Feb. 14[1]		Week 13
Feb. 21[6]		Week 14
Feb. 28[6]		Final
Mar. 6[6]
1.San FranciscoSan Francisco (2–0)San Francisco (3–0)San Francisco (5–0)San Francisco (7–0)San Francisco (10–0)San Francisco (11–0)San Francisco (13–0)San Francisco (13–0)San Francisco (14–0)San Francisco (15–0)San Francisco (18–0)San Francisco (20–0)San Francisco (21–0)San Francisco (24–0)1.
2.KentuckyKentucky (1–0)NC State (4–0)Utah (5–0)Dayton (8–0)Dayton (9–0)Dayton (11–0)Dayton (12–0)Dayton (14–0)Dayton (14–1)Dayton (16–1)Dayton (18–1)Illinois (16–1)Dayton (22–2)NC State (24–3)2.
3.UtahNC State (2–0)Utah (3–0)NC State (7–0)NC State (8–0)NC State (11–0)NC State (11–1)NC State (12–1)Illinois (10–1)Illinois (11–1)Illinois (12–1)Illinois (14–1)Dayton (20–2)Illinois (17–2)Dayton (23–3)3.
4.NC StateUtah (1–0)Iowa (2–0)Dayton (6–0)North Carolina (5–0)North Carolina (7–1)Kentucky (7–2)Illinois (10–1)Kentucky (10–2)NC State (14–2)NC State (16–2)NC State (18–2)Louisville (21–2)NC State (21–3)Iowa (16–5)4.
5.IowaIowa (1–0)Alabama (4–0)BYU (6–0)Iowa (3–1)Illinois (6–1)Illinois (7–1)Kentucky (9–2)NC State (13–2)Vanderbilt (14–1)Louisville (18–1)Louisville (19–2)NC State (19–3)Louisville (22–3)Alabama (20–3)5.
6.DaytonDayton (2–0)Duquesne (3–0)Iowa (3–1)Utah (5–2)Kentucky (6–2)Indiana (8–1)Vanderbilt (12–1)North Carolina (13–2)Louisville (16–1)Vanderbilt (15–1)Vanderbilt (16–2)Vanderbilt (18–2)Alabama (18–3)SMU (22–2)6.
7.Illinois тIllinois (0–0)Dayton (4–0)Holy Cross (5–0)Holy Cross (5–1)Iowa State (8–1)SMU (12–2)Duke (12–2) тTemple (11–0)Temple (13–0)Kentucky (13–3)Kentucky (15–3)SMU (19–2)SMU (21–2)Louisville (26–3)7.
8.UCLADuquesne (1–0)BYU (4–0)North Carolina (6–0)Illinois (5–1) тUtah (6–3)Vanderbilt (8–2) тSMU (13–2) тVanderbilt (13–1)North Carolina (13–2)Temple (14–1)SMU (17–2)Temple (19–1)North Carolina (17–4)Illinois (18–3)8.
9.DuquesneHoly Cross (1–0)Vanderbilt (4–0)Kentucky (4–1)Louisville (7–0) тHoly Cross (7–2)Duke (9–2) тTemple (10–0)SMU (13–2)Kentucky (10–3)SMU (16–2)Temple (17–1)North Carolina (16–3)Iowa (14–5)UCLA (19–5)9.
10.George WashingtonBYU (2–0)Holy Cross (3–0)Marquette (5–1)Marquette (5–2)George Washington (9–1) тNorth Carolina (8–2)Louisville (13–1)Louisville (15–1)SMU (14–2)Duke (13–3)North Carolina (15–3)Kentucky (16–4)UCLA (17–5)Vanderbilt (19–4)10.
11.Holy CrossGeorge Washington (1–0)Temple (3–0)George Washington (6–0)BYU (6–2)SMU (10–2) тHoly Cross (9–2)North Carolina (12–2)Duke (12–2)Duke (12–2)Saint Louis (14–2)Alabama (14–3)Alabama (16–3)Vanderbilt (19–3)North Carolina (18–5)11.
12.MarquetteIndiana (1–0)Kentucky (1–1)SMU (6–1)Kentucky (5–2)Louisville (9–1)Utah (8–3)Utah (11–3)Utah (12–3)Iowa (7–5)North Carolina (13–3)UCLA (13–5)Iowa (12–5)Temple (20–3)Kentucky (19–5)12.
13.FordhamSaint Louis (1–0)George Washington (3–0)Illinois (3–1) тVanderbilt (6–1)Rice (9–1)Louisville (10–1)Holy Cross (11–2)Holy Cross (13–2) тUCLA (9–5)UCLA (11–5)Iowa (10–5)UCLA (15–5)Kentucky (17–5)Utah (21–5)13.
14.WashingtonUCLA (0–2)Cincinnati (3–0)Saint Louis (4–1) тRice (8–0)Indiana (6–1) тTemple (8–0)UCLA (8–5)Iowa (6–5) тSaint Louis (12–2)Alabama (12–3) тDuke (15–4)Houston (18–3)Utah (19–5)Temple (21–3)14.
15.AlabamaMarquette (1–0)West Virginia (3–0)Louisville (6–0)Duke (6–0)UCLA (4–5) тOhio State (8–1)Ohio State (9–2)UCLA (8–5)Holy Cross (13–2)Holy Cross (16–2) тSaint Louis (14–4)Holy Cross (19–4) тDuke (18–6) тHoly Cross (22–4)15.
16.Indiana тStanford (2–0)North Carolina (3–0)Temple (5–0) тSaint Louis (6–2)Iowa (3–4)Iowa State (8–2)BYU (11–3)Cincinnati (12–3)Utah (14–3)Iowa (8–5)Holy Cross (17–3)Utah (17–5) тSaint Louis (17–5) тOklahoma City (18–6)16.
17.Saint Louis тKansas (0–0)Saint Louis (3–0)Duquesne (4–2) тIndiana (5–1)Tulsa (10–1)UCLA (6–5)Iowa State (9–3) тSaint Louis (11–2)Alabama (11–3)BYU (13–5)BYU (14–6) тSt. Francis Brooklyn (18–1)Cincinnati (16–5) тSaint Louis (17–6)17.
18.Oregon State тAlabama (2–0)Kansas (3–0)Ohio State (5–1) тAlabama (5–2)Duke (8–1)Marquette (8–4) тStanford (10–1) тAlabama (10–3) тSt. Francis Brooklyn (13–0)St. Francis Brooklyn (15–0)Utah (16–5) тIowa State (16–3)Houston (19–4)Duke (19–7)18.
19.SMU тSeton Hall (2–0)Indiana (2–0)Vanderbilt (4–0)George Washington (6–1) тTemple (6–0)Saint Louis (8–2) тSaint Louis (10–2) тMarquette (10–4) тBYU (11–5)Utah (14–5)Houston (17–3)Cincinnati (15–4) тKansas State (15–6)Canisius (17–6)19.
20.KansasLouisville (1–0)Oklahoma City (2–1)Indiana (3–1)SMU (7–1) тStanford (6–0)Michigan (5–4)Marquette (10–4) тStanford (11–2)Canisius (9–5) т
Cincinnati (12–3) т		Stanford (13–2)Cincinnati (14–4) т
Iowa State (15–3) т
Xavier (12–7) т		Xavier (13–9) тHoly Cross (21–4) т
Ohio State (15–5) т		Seattle (17–9)20.
Preseason
 [1]		Week 2
Dec. 6[1]		Week 3
Dec. 13[1]		Week 4
Dec. 20[1]		Week 5
Dec. 27[1]		Week 6
Jan. 3[1]		Week 7
Jan. 10[1]		Week 8
Jan. 17[1]		Week 9
Jan. 24[1]		Week 10
Jan. 31[1]		Week 11
Feb. 7[1]		Week 12
Feb. 14[1]		Week 13
Feb. 21[6]		Week 14
Feb. 28[6]		Final
Mar. 6[6]
Dropped:
  • Fordham
  • Washington
  • Oregon State
  • SMU
Dropped:
  • Illinois (1–1)
  • UCLA (2–2)
  • Marquette (1–1)
  • Stanford (1–1)
  • Louisville
Dropped:
  • Alabama
  • Cincinnati
  • West Virginia (3–2)
  • Kansas
  • Oklahoma City
Dropped:
  • Temple (5–0)
  • Duquesne
  • Ohio State (6–1)
Dropped:
  • Marquette
  • BYU
  • Vanderbilt
  • Saint Louis
  • Alabama
Dropped:
  • George Washington
  • Rice
  • Iowa (4–5)
  • Tulsa
  • Stanford
Dropped:
  • Indiana
  • Michigan
Dropped:
  • Ohio State
  • BYU
  • Iowa State
Dropped:
  • Marquette
  • Stanford
Dropped:
  • Canisius
  • Cincinnati
Dropped:
  • St. Francis Brooklyn
  • Stanford
Dropped:
  • Duke
  • Saint Louis
  • BYU
Dropped:
  • Iowa State
  • Xavier
Dropped:
  • Cincinnati (17–6)
  • Houston (19–5)
  • Kansas State (16–7)
  • Ohio State (16–6)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 643. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
  2. ^ "December 5, 1955". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "December 12, 1955". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  4. ^ "December 19, 1955". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "December 26, 1955". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 644. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
  7. ^ "March 5, 1956". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  8. ^ "1956 Final AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 9, 2020.