1951–52 NCAA men's basketball rankings

November 2025 August 2023 1951 image Kansas The 1951–52 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 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Final Dec. 10ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game Random House 608–609 2009 978-0-345-51392-2 Dec. 17 Dec. 25 Jan. 1 Jan. 8 Jan. 15 Jan. 22 Jan. 29 Feb. 5 Feb. 12 Feb. 19 Feb. 26 Mar. 4 Kentucky (1–0) St. John's (3–0) Illinois (1–0) 1951 men Saint Louis Billikens Saint Louis (1–0) 1951 men Kansas State Wildcats Kansas State (3–0) Washington (1–1) 1951 men Seton Hall Pirates Seton Hall (4–0) Kansas (2–0) La Salle (4–0) 1951 men NC State Wolfpack NC State (3–0) Indiana (3–0) Duke (4–0) 1951 men Oklahoma A&M Aggies Oklahoma A&M (1–0) 1951 men Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notre Dame (3–0) 1951 men Villanova Wildcats Villanova (2–0) 1951 men Stanford Indians Stanford (3–0) 1951 men Louisville Cardinals Louisville (3–0) 1951 men Vanderbilt Commodores Vanderbilt (3–0) 1951 men Eastern Kentucky Colonels Eastern Kentucky (4–0) 1951 men NYU Violets NYU (7–0) St. John's (5–0) u Kentucky (2–1) d Illinois (2–0) Saint Louis (3–1) Kansas State (5–1) Indiana (4–0) u Kansas (5–0) u Washington (5–1) d NC State (4–1) u Seton Hall (5–0) d NYU (10–0) u La Salle (5–0) d Oklahoma A&M (4–0) 1951 men Wyoming Cowboys Wyoming (4–1) npr 1951 men Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota (2–2) npr 1951 men Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Western Kentucky (6–0) npr 1951 men Holy Cross Crusaders Holy Cross (3–0) npr Villanova (3–0) d Duke (5–1) d Notre Dame (4–0) d Stanford Louisville Vanderbilt Eastern Kentucky Kentucky (4–1) u Illinois (5–0) u Washington (7–1) u Kansas (7–0) u Indiana (5–0) u NYU (11–0) u St. John's (6–1) d Kansas State (6–2) d Notre Dame (6–0) u Seton Hall (6–0) Western Kentucky (8–0) u Saint Louis (4–2) d Stanford (9–1) npr Villanova (5–0) u 1951 men Utah Utes Utah (9–1) npr UCLA (5–2) npr La Salle (6–0) d 1951 men Murray State Racers Murray State (10–0) npr NC State (5–2) d 1951 men Syracuse Orangemen Syracuse (5–0) npr Oklahoma A&M (5–1) Wyoming (6–2) Minnesota Holy Cross Duke Kansas (10–0) u Illinois (6–0) Washington (10–1) Kentucky (6–2) d Indiana (7–0) NYU (12–0) Saint Louis (7–2) u St. John's (8–1) d Kansas State (8–3) d 1951 men St. Bonaventure Brown Indians St. Bonaventure (6–0) npr Seton Hall (7–0) d Iowa (7–0) npr La Salle (7–0) u Notre Dame (7–1) d 1951 men Oklahoma City Chiefs Oklahoma City (7–1) npr Murray State (10–0) u NC State (8–2) u Utah (11–2) d Syracuse (5–0) u 1951 men Michigan State Spartans Michigan State (6–0) npr Western Kentucky Stanford (11–1) Villanova UCLA (7–4) Kansas (11–0) Illinois (8–0) Kentucky (8–2) u Indiana (8–0) u Saint Louis (9–2) u Washington (10–2) d Kansas State (9–3) u St. Bonaventure (7–0) u Seton Hall (10–0) u Iowa (8–0) u 1951 men West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia (8–1) npr St. John's (9–1) d NYU (13–1) d Syracuse (6–0) u Louisville (9–2) npr 1951 men Duquesne Dukes Duquesne (8–0) npr 1951 men Siena Saints Siena (12–2) npr Oklahoma City (7–2) d Michigan State (6–0) u 1951 men Dayton Flyers Dayton (10–2) npr La Salle Notre Dame Murray State NC State Utah Kansas (12–0) Illinois (10–0) Kentucky (10–2) Iowa (10–0) u Saint Louis (10–3) St. Bonaventure (10–0) u Duquesne (10–0) u Washington (12–2) d Kansas State (10–3) d West Virginia (9–1) u Siena (12–2) u Seton Hall (12–1) d Louisville (11–2) u Indiana (8–2) d La Salle (10–1) npr 1951 men TCU Horned Frogs TCU (14–1) npr NC State (11–3) npr Oklahoma City (9–3) Dayton (12–2) u Holy Cross (8–1) npr St. John's (10–2) NYU (15–1) Syracuse Michigan State Illinois (11–0) u Kansas (13–0) d Kentucky (12–2) Iowa (12–0) St. Bonaventure (10–0) u Washington (14–2) u Kansas State (12–3) u Saint Louis (11–4) d West Virginia (11–1) u Duquesne (11–0) d Holy Cross (11–2) u TCU (14–1) u Seton Hall (14–1) d Louisville (14–2) d St. John's (12–2) npr Dayton (14–2) u Utah (16–4) npr La Salle (12–1) d Siena (12–3) d Indiana (9–3) d NC State (11–5) Oklahoma City Kentucky (14–2) u Kansas State (13–3) u Illinois (11–1) d Kansas (13–1) d St. Bonaventure (12–4) Saint Louis (12–4) u Duquesne (11–0) u Iowa (12–1) d Washington (15–3) d West Virginia (12–1) d Seton Hall (15–1) u Louisville (15–2) u Indiana (10–3) u Dayton (16–2) u St. John's (13–2) Oklahoma City (10–4) npr Holy Cross (11–2) d Siena (13–3) u 1951 men DePaul Blue Demons DePaul (15–4) npr 1951 men Fordham Rams Fordham (12–2) npr TCU Utah La Salle Kentucky (18–2) Kansas State (13–3) Illinois (13–1) St. Bonaventure (13–0) u Duquesne (15–0) u Kansas (14–2) d Saint Louis (15–5) d Washington (17–3) u Iowa (13–1) d St. John's (13–2) u Dayton (17–2) u West Virginia (14–2) d Louisville (16–2) d 1951 men Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State (13–1) npr Oklahoma City (13–4) u Oklahoma A&M (12–4) npr Seton Hall (17–1) d Indiana (10–4) d La Salle (14–2) npr Western Kentucky (15–3) npr Holy Cross Siena DePaul Fordham Kentucky (21–2) Kansas State (15–3) Duquesne (16–0) u St. Bonaventure (16–0) Iowa (14–1) u Illinois (13–2) d Saint Louis (16–6) Washington (19–3) Kansas (15–2) d St. John's (17–2) Dayton (18–2) Seton Hall (18–1) u Oklahoma City (13–4) u West Virginia (15–2) d Louisville (17–3) d Siena (14–3) npr Penn State (15–1) d DePaul (18–4) npr Holy Cross (14–2) npr Indiana (10–4) d Oklahoma A&M La Salle Western Kentucky Kentucky (22–2) Kansas State (16–3) Duquesne (17–0) Iowa (16–1) u Illinois (15–2) u Washington (21–3) u Kansas (17–2) u St. John's (18–2) u Saint Louis (17–6) d St. Bonaventure (17–2) d Dayton (21–2) West Virginia (19–2) u Penn State (17–1) u Seton Hall (21–1) d Louisville (18–4) Seattle (26–5) npr Holy Cross (17–2) u Siena (16–3) d Wyoming (21–4) npr La Salle (18–4) npr Oklahoma City DePaul Indiana (12–5) Kentucky (24–2) Illinois (17–2) u Kansas State (16–3) d Duquesne (19–1) d Saint Louis (19–6) u Washington (22–4) Iowa (18–2) d Kansas (19–2) d St. John's (20–3) d West Virginia (21–2) u Dayton (23–2) St. Bonaventure (18–3) d Louisville (19–4) u Seton Hall (22–2) Duke (20–5) npr Wyoming (23–5) u Holy Cross (19–2) Western Kentucky (23–4) npr Villanova (16–7) npr Siena (18–4) d Penn State Seattle La Salle (18–5) Kentucky (28–2) Illinois (19–2) Kansas State (18–4) Duquesne (21–1) Saint Louis (20–7) Washington (24–4) Iowa (19–3) Kansas (20–2) West Virginia (22–3) u St. John's (21–3) d Dayton (24–2) Duke (22–5) u Holy Cross (21–3) u Seton Hall (25–2) St. Bonaventure (19–3) d Wyoming (23–6) Louisville (20–5) d Seattle (29–7) npr UCLA (17–9) npr 1951 men Texas State Bobcats Texas State (24–0) npr Western Kentucky (24–4) Villanova (17–8) Siena (19–5) UP Poll 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final Dec. 6 Dec. 10 Dec. 17 Dec. 25 Jan. 1 Jan. 8 Jan. 15 Jan. 22 Jan. 29 Feb. 5 Feb. 12 Feb. 19 Feb. 26 Mar. 4 Mar. 11 Kentucky (0–0) Illinois (0–0) Washington (1–1) 1951 men Oklahoma A&M Aggies Oklahoma A&M (0–0) 1951 men St. John's Redmen St. John's (0–0) 1951 men Saint Louis Billikens Saint Louis (0–0) 1951 men NC State Wolfpack NC State (3–0) Kansas (1–0) 1951 men Wyoming Cowboys Wyoming (1–0) 1951 men Kansas State Wildcats Kansas State (2–0) Indiana (1–0) 1951 men BYU Cougars BYU (1–2) UCLA (1–0) 1951 men Dayton Flyers Dayton (3–0) 1951 men Seton Hall Pirates Seton Hall (3–0) La Salle (3–0) 1951 men Villanova Wildcats Villanova (0–0) 1951 men Columbia Lions Columbia (2–0) 1951 men Holy Cross Crusaders Holy Cross (0–0) 1951 men Texas A&M Aggies Texas A&M (0–1) Kentucky (1–0) Illinois (1–0) St. John's (3–0) u Washington (1–1) d Kansas State (3–0) u Saint Louis (1–0) Oklahoma A&M (1–0) d Kansas (2–0) NC State (3–0) d Wyoming (3–0) d Indiana (2–0) La Salle (4–0) u Villanova (2–0) u 1951 men Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notre Dame (3–0) т tnpr 1951 men Louisville Cardinals Louisville (3–0) т npr UCLA (1–2) d Seton Hall (4–0) d 1951 men NYU Violets NYU (7–0) т tnpr 1951 men Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Western Kentucky (4–0) т npr Dayton (4–0) d BYU Columbia Holy Cross Texas A&M Illinois (2–0) u St. John's (5–0) u Kentucky (2–1) d Kansas (5–0) u Washington (5–1) d Saint Louis (3–1) Kansas State (5–1) d Indiana (4–0) u Oklahoma A&M (4–0) d NC State (4–1) d 1951 men Utah Utes Utah (7–1) npr Notre Dame (4–0) u Wyoming (4–1) d NYU (10–0) u Seton Hall (5–0) u Western Kentucky (6–0) u La Salle (5–0) т td 1951 men Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota (2–2) т npr Villanova (3–0) d Iowa (3–0) npr Louisville UCLA Dayton Illinois (5–0) Kentucky (4–1) u Kansas (7–0) u Washington (7–1) u Indiana (5–0) u Kansas State (6–2) u NYU (11–0) u St. John's (6–1) d Saint Louis (4–2) d Utah (9–1) u Oklahoma A&M (5–1) d Notre Dame (6–0) 1951 men Stanford Indians Stanford (9–1) npr Iowa (3–0) u 1951 men Syracuse Orangemen Syracuse (5–0) npr NC State (5–2) d Seton Hall (6–0) td Western Kentucky (8–0) d Wyoming (6–2) d La Salle (6–0)1951 men St. Bonaventure Brown Indians St. Bonaventure (4–0) d Minnesota Villanova Illinois (6–0) Kentucky (6–2) Kansas (10–0) Indiana (7–0) u Washington (10–1) d Saint Louis (7–2) u NYU (12–0) Kansas State (8–3) d St. John's (8–1) d NC State (8–2) u Utah (11–2) d Villanova (5–1) npr Iowa (7–0) u Seton Hall (7–0) u Notre Dame (7–1) d St. Bonaventure (6–0) u 1951 men Oklahoma City Chiefs Oklahoma City (7–1) npr Minnesota (4–3) т tnpr 1951 men Duquesne Dukes Duquesne (5–0) т tnpr Louisville (7–1) т1951 men Arkansas Razorbacks Arkansas (5–1) т npr Oklahoma A&M Stanford (11–1) Syracuse Western Kentucky Wyoming La Salle Illinois (8–0) Kansas (11–0) u Kentucky (8–2) d Indiana (8–0) Saint Louis (9–2) u Washington (10–2) d Kansas State (9–3) u St. John's (9–1) u NYU (13–1) d Iowa (8–0) u NC State (9–3) d St. Bonaventure (7–0) u Louisville (9–2) u Utah (13–3) d Syracuse (6–0) npr Seton Hall (10–0) d Minnesota (5–4) u Notre Dame (7–3) d Oklahoma A&M (8–2) npr West Virginia (8–1) npr Villanova Oklahoma City Duquesne Arkansas Illinois (10–0) Kansas (12–0) Kentucky (10–2) Washington (12–2) u Saint Louis (10–3) Iowa (10–0) u Kansas State (10–3) Indiana (8–2) d St. Bonaventure (9–0) u Duquesne (10–0) npr St. John's (10–2) d NC State (11–3) d Seton Hall (12–1) u Oklahoma A&M (10–2) u NYU (15–1) d La Salle (10–1) npr Louisville (11–2) d Wyoming (12–3) npr 1951 men TCU Horned Frogs TCU (14–1) npr West Virginia (9–1) Utah Minnesota Notre Dame Illinois (11–0) Kansas (13–0) Kentucky (12–2) Iowa (12–0) u Washington (14–2) d Kansas State (12–3) u Saint Louis (11–4) d St. Bonaventure (10–0) u Duquesne (11–0) u Indiana (9–3) d Oklahoma A&M (11–2) u Holy Cross (11–2) npr Louisville (14–2) u TCU (14–1) u Seton Hall (14–1) d St. John's (12–2) d West Virginia (11–5) т tu NC State (11–5) т d NYU (16–1) т td Villanova (9–3) т npr La Salle Wyoming Illinois (11–1) Kentucky (14–2) u Kansas State (13–3) u Kansas (13–1) d St. Bonaventure (12–0) tu Saint Louis (12–4) u Washington (15–3) d Iowa (12–1) d Duquesne (11–0) Indiana (10–3) Seton Hall (15–1) u West Virginia (12–1) u NC State (13–5) u Louisville (14–2) т td 1951 men DePaul Blue Demons DePaul (15–4) т npr Oklahoma City (10–4) npr Wyoming (16–4) npr St. John's (13–2) d La Salle (13–2) т tnpr Notre Dame (11–4) т npr Oklahoma A&M Holy Cross TCU NYU Villanova Kentucky (18–2) u Illinois (13–1) d Kansas State (13–3) Saint Louis (15–5) u St. Bonaventure (13–0) Kansas (14–2) d Washington (17–3) Duquesne (15–0) u Iowa (13–1) d Oklahoma A&M (12–4) npr Seton Hall (17–1) d St. John's (13–2) т tu Louisville (16–2) т u West Virginia (14–2) d Wyoming (19–4) u NC State (16–7) d DePaul (16–4) d Oklahoma City (12–4) d Indiana (10–4) d Dayton (17–2) тWestern Kentucky (15–3) т npr La Salle Notre Dame Kentucky (21–2) Kansas State (15–3) u Illinois (13–2) d Iowa (14–1) u St. Bonaventure (16–0) Duquesne (16–0) u Saint Louis (16–6) d Kansas (15–2) d Washington (19–3) d St. John's (17–2) u Indiana (10–4) u Wyoming (20–4) u Dayton (18–2) u Seton Hall (18–1) d Louisville (17–3) d NC State (16–7) Oklahoma City (13–4) tu West Virginia (15–2) d NYU (17–1) npr DePaul (18–4) d Oklahoma A&M Western Kentucky Kentucky (22–2) Kansas State (16–3) Illinois (15–2) Duquesne (17–0) u Iowa (16–1) d Washington (21–3) u Kansas (17–2) u Saint Louis (17–6) d St. John's (18–2) u St. Bonaventure (17–2) d Wyoming (21–4) u Seton Hall (21–1) u West Virginia (19–2) u Dayton (21–2) т td Louisville (18–4) т t Indiana (12–5) т d TCU (17–3) npr NC State (17–8) d NYU (18–1) Villanova (14–7) npr Oklahoma City DePaul Kentucky (24–2) Illinois (17–2) u Kansas State (16–3) d Duquesne (19–1) Kansas (19–2) u Saint Louis (19–6) u Washington (22–4) d St. John's (20–3) u Iowa (18–2) d Wyoming (23–5) u St. Bonaventure (18–3) d West Virginia (21–2) u Seton Hall (22–2) d Indiana (13–6) Louisville (19–4) d Dayton (23–2) d Western Kentucky (23–4) npr La Salle (18–5) npr Minnesota (15–6) т tnpr NYU (19–1) т d TCU NC State Villanova Kentucky (28–2) Illinois (19–2) Kansas State (18–4) Kansas (20–2) u Duquesne (21–1) d Saint Louis (20–7) Washington (24–4) Iowa (19–3) u St. John's (21–3) d Wyoming (23–6) St. Bonaventure (19–3) Seton Hall (25–2) u Louisville (20–5) u Dayton (24–2) т tu TCU (21–3) т npr Western Kentucky (24–4) т t Villanova (17–8) т npr West Virginia (22–3) т td Holy Cross (21–3) т npr Indiana (15–6) d La Salle Minnesota NYU Kentucky (28–2) Illinois (19–3) Kansas (21–2) u Duquesne (21–1) u Washington (25–6) u Kansas State (18–5) d Saint Louis (21–7) d Iowa (19–3) St. John's (22–3) Wyoming (27–6) St. Bonaventure (19–5) Seton Hall (25–3) TCU (21–3) u West Virginia (23–4) u Holy Cross (24–3) u Western Kentucky (26–4) La Salle (21–5) npr Dayton (25–2) d Louisville (21–5) т td UCLA (19–10) тIndiana (16–6) т npr Villanova References Rankings Category:College men's basketball rankings in the United States