1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

November 2025 August 2023 1978 NCAA 70s logo.svg Duke Michigan State The 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings was made up of two human polls, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various other preseason polls. 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 November 2025 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Final   Nov. 28 Dec. 4 Dec. 11 Dec. 18 Dec. 25 Jan. 3 Jan. 8 Jan. 15 Jan. 22 Jan. 29 Feb. 5 Feb. 12 Feb. 19 Feb. 26 Mar. 5 Mar. 12 Duke UCLA Notre Dame Louisville Kansas Texas Michigan State Michigan Syracuse Indiana Kentucky 1978 men NC State Wolfpack NC State USC LSU Rutgers North Carolina San Francisco Marquette Alabama 1978 none UNLV Runnin' Rebels UNLV Duke (1–0) UCLA (3–0) Notre Dame (0–0) Kansas (0–0) u Louisville (3–1) d NC State (3–0) u Michigan State (0–0) Michigan (0–0) Syracuse (1–0) Kentucky (0–0) u LSU (1–0) u USC (0–0) u Texas (0–1) d North Carolina (0–0) u San Francisco (1–0) u Rutgers (0–0) d Marquette (0–0) u UNLV (1–0) u Maryland (1–0) npr Indiana (1–2) d Alabama (1–1) Duke (4–0) UCLA (3–0) Notre Dame (2–0) Michigan State (1–0) u Kansas (3–0) d Michigan (2–0) u Louisville (3–1) d NC State (4–1) d Syracuse (4–0) Kentucky (2–0) USC (2–0) u LSU (4–0) d Texas (3–1) North Carolina (3–1) UNLV (3–0) u Marquette (2–0) u San Francisco (3–1) d Rutgers (2–1) d Maryland (2–2) Georgetown (3–0) npr Indiana (2–2) Duke (5–0) Notre Dame (4–0) u Michigan State (2–0) u Louisville (5–1) u UCLA (3–1) d Kentucky (3–0) u NC State (6–1) u Kansas (4–1) d Michigan (3–1) d Syracuse (5–0) d LSU (5–0) u USC (3–0) d North Carolina (4–1) u Marquette (4–0) u UNLV (3–0) Georgetown (5–0) u Texas (4–2) d Illinois (6–0) npr San Francisco (5–2) d Indiana State (6–0) npr Rutgers (3–2) Maryland (3–2) Duke (6–0) Notre Dame (4–0) UCLA (4–1) u NC State (7–1) u Michigan State (3–1) d North Carolina (5–1) u Kansas (5–1) u Syracuse (6–0) u Michigan (4–1) LSU (6–0) u Kentucky (3–1) d Louisville (6–2) d Marquette (5–0) u Georgetown (6–0) u Illinois (7–0) u Indiana State (8–0) u 1978 men Texas A&M Aggies Texas A&M (8–1) npr UNLV (5–1) d Texas (5–2) d USC (6–2) d San Francisco (6–3) Duke (6–0) Notre Dame (4–0) UCLA (6–1) Michigan State (4–1) u North Carolina (6–1) u Illinois (9–0) u LSU (7–0) u Michigan (4–1) u NC State (7–2) d Louisville (7–2) u Indiana State (8–0) u Texas A&M (9–2) u Kentucky (4–2) d UNLV (8–1) u Georgetown (7–1) d Marquette (6–1) d 1978 men Long Beach State 49ers Long Beach State (7–0) npr Kansas (5–3) d Syracuse (6–2) d Arkansas (6–0) npr Texas (5–2) USC (6–3) Michigan State (7–1) u Notre Dame (5–1) North Carolina (8–1) u Illinois (12–0) u Duke (6–2) d UCLA (7–2) d LSU (8–0) NC State (8–2) u Kentucky (5–2) u Texas A&M (11–2) u Indiana State (9–0) Georgetown (9–1) u Michigan (6–2) d Arkansas (7–0) u Long Beach State (8–0) u Louisville (8–3) d Marquette (8–1) d 1978 men Mississippi State Bulldogs Mississippi State (8–0) npr Kansas (8–3) d Maryland (10–3) npr UNLV (8–3) Syracuse (8–2) Michigan State (9–1) Notre Dame (6–1) North Carolina (10–1) Illinois (14–0) LSU (10–0) u UCLA (9–2) Duke (9–2) d NC State (11–2) Indiana State (11–0) u Arkansas (9–0) u Texas A&M (11–2) d Louisville (10–3) u Marquette (10–1) u Georgetown (10–2) d Kansas (8–3) u Michigan (7–3) d Kentucky (9–4) d Temple (11–0) npr Long Beach State (8–2) d Syracuse (9–2) npr Mississippi State (8–2) Maryland (10–3) Notre Dame (8–1) u North Carolina (12–2) u UCLA (11–2) u Illinois (15–1) Indiana State (14–0) u Michigan State (9–3) d Louisville (12–3) u Duke (10–3) d LSU (12–2) d Georgetown (12–2) u Arkansas (10–2) d Syracuse (12–2) u Marquette (11–2) NC State (11–4) d Texas A&M (13–3) d 1978 men Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State (9–1) npr Temple (12–1) u Alabama (10–4) npr Maryland (11–4) npr Kansas (9–4) d Michigan (7–5) Kentucky (10–5) Long Beach State (9–4) Notre Dame (11–1) North Carolina (14–2) Indiana State (14–0) u Michigan State (11–3) u Louisville (15–3) u UCLA (12–3) d Duke (12–3) u Illinois (16–2) d LSU (13–2) Ohio State (11–4) u Georgetown (14–2) d Syracuse (14–2) Marquette (13–2) Texas A&M (15–3) u Arkansas (11–3) d Temple (12–1) u Texas (11–4) npr Alabama (11–4) 1978 men Vanderbilt Commodores Vanderbilt (12–2) npr NC State (11–6) d Maryland (11–6) Kansas (10–5) Notre Dame (12–2) Indiana State (18–0) u Duke (14–3) u North Carolina (15–3) d UCLA (14–3) u Louisville (17–3) u Ohio State (13–4) u Syracuse (18–2) u Georgetown (16–2) u LSU (15–3) d Texas (15–4) u Marquette (14–3) u Alabama (13–4) u Illinois (16–4) d Michigan State (11–5) d Texas A&M (17–4) d Maryland (14–5) npr Temple (15–3) d Arkansas (13–4) d Vanderbilt (14–3) d NC State (13–6) Notre Dame (15–2) Indiana State (20–0) Duke (16–3) UCLA (16–3) u Louisville (19–3) u North Carolina (16–4) d Syracuse (18–2) u LSU (19–3) u Marquette (16–3) u Michigan State (14–5) u Texas A&M (20–4) u Texas (16–5) d Ohio State (13–6) d Arkansas (15–4) u Iowa (15–4) npr Alabama (13–5) d Vanderbilt (15–4) u Georgetown (16–4) d Temple (17–3) d Illinois (17–5) d Maryland (15–6) Indiana State (23–0) u UCLA (18–3) u Notre Dame (17–3) d North Carolina (18–4) u Duke (17–4) d LSU (20–3) u Syracuse (20–2) Michigan State (16–5) u Louisville (21–4) d Marquette (17–4) d Arkansas (18–4) u Texas (18–5) Purdue (19–5) npr Iowa (16–5) u Temple (19–3) u Georgetown (18–4) u Ohio State (16–7) d Detroit (18–4) npr Vanderbilt (16–5) d Alabama (15–7) d Texas A&M (20–6) UCLA (20–3) u Indiana State (24–0) d Notre Dame (19–3) North Carolina (20–4) LSU (21–3) u Duke (19–5) d Michigan State (18–5) u Syracuse (21–2) d Marquette (19–4) u Arkansas (20–4) u Texas (20–5) u Iowa (18–5) u Louisville (22–6) d Ohio State (16–7) u Temple (20–3) Detroit (20–4) u Georgetown (20–4) d Purdue (20–6) d Vanderbilt (18–6) DePaul (18–4) npr Alabama (16–8) Indiana State (24–0) Notre Dame (22–3) u UCLA (21–4) d Michigan State (20–5) u Duke (20–6) u Syracuse (24–2) u North Carolina (21–5) d LSU (22–4) d Arkansas (21–4) u Marquette (19–5) d Iowa (19–6) u Temple (22–3) u Louisville (23–6) Texas (20–6) d DePaul (20–4) u Georgetown (22–4) u Ohio State (17–8) d Detroit (21–5) d Purdue (21–7) d San Francisco (21–6) npr Vanderbilt (18–8) Indiana State (29–0) UCLA (23–4) u North Carolina (23–5) u Michigan State (21–6) Notre Dame (22–5) d Duke (22–7) d Arkansas (23–4) u DePaul (22–4) u LSU (22–5) d Syracuse (25–3) d Georgetown (24–4) u Marquette (21–6) d Temple (25–3) d Iowa (20–7) d Texas (21–7) d Purdue (23–7) u Detroit (22–5) u Louisville (23–7) d San Francisco (21–6) u Tennessee (20–11) npr Ohio State (17–10) Indiana State (30–0) UCLA (24–4) Michigan State (22–6) u Notre Dame (23–5) u Arkansas (24–4) u DePaul (23–5) u LSU (23–5) u Syracuse (26–3) u North Carolina (23–6) d Marquette (22–6) u Duke (22–8) d San Francisco (22–6) u Louisville (24–7) u Penn (23–5) npr Purdue (24–7) u Oklahoma (21–9) npr St. John's (20–10) npr Rutgers (22–8) npr Toledo (22–7) npr Iowa (20–8) d Georgetown (24–5) Temple (25–3) Texas (21–7) Detroit (22–5) Tennessee (20–11) UPI Poll 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Final PreESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game Random House 856–857 2009 978-0-345-51392-2 Dec. 12 Dec. 19 Dec. 26 Jan. 3 Jan. 9 Jan. 16 Jan. 23 Jan. 30 Feb. 6 Feb. 13 Feb. 20 Feb. 27 Mar. 6 Duke UCLA Notre Dame Michigan State Kansas т t Louisville т Texas Michigan 1978 men NC State Wolfpack NC State USC Indiana North Carolina Syracuse Kentucky Alabama San Francisco LSU Rutgers 1978 men Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Marquette Duke (5–0) Notre Dame (4–0) u Michigan State (2–0) u Louisville (5–1) u UCLA (3–1) d Kentucky (3–0) u NC State (6–1) u Kansas (4–1) d Michigan (3–1) d LSU (5–0) u Syracuse (5–0) u North Carolina (4–1) USC (3–0) d Marquette (4–0) u Georgetown (5–0) npr Indiana State (6–0) npr Texas (4–2) d 1978 men Long Beach State 49ers Long Beach State (4–0) npr Illinois (6–0) npr Arkansas (2–0) npr Indiana (3–3) Alabama (3–2) San Francisco (3–2) Rutgers (2–2) Minnesota (2–2) Duke (6–0) Notre Dame (4–0) UCLA (4–1) Michigan State (3–1) d NC State (7–1) u North Carolina (5–1) u Michigan (4–1) u Kansas (5–1) Syracuse (6–0) u LSU (6–0) Louisville (6–2) d Kentucky (3–1) d Marquette (5–0) u Georgetown (6–0) u Indiana State (8–0) u Illinois (7–0) u Long Beach State (6–0) u 1978 men Texas A&M Aggies Texas A&M (8–1) npr Texas (5–2) d Arkansas (4–0) USC (6–2) Duke (6–0) Notre Dame (4–0) UCLA (6–1) Michigan State (4–1) Illinois (9–0) u North Carolina (6–1) Michigan (4–1) LSU (7–0) u Louisville (7–2) u Texas A&M (9–2) u Indiana State (8–0) u Georgetown (7–1) u Long Beach State (7–0) u Kansas (5–3) d Kentucky (4–2) d Washington State (7–0) npr Marquette (6–1) d Syracuse (6–2) d Maryland (7–2) npr Texas (5–2) d NC State (7–2) Arkansas (6–0) Michigan State (7–1) u Notre Dame (5–1) Illinois (12–0) u North Carolina (8–1) u UCLA (7–2) d LSU (8–0) u Duke (6–2) d Kentucky (5–2) u Indiana State (9–0) u NC State (8–2) npr Long Beach State (8–0) u Michigan (6–2) d 1978 men Mississippi State Bulldogs Mississippi State (8–0) npr Texas A&M (11–2) d Arkansas (7–0) npr Louisville (8–3) d Kansas (8–3) d Georgetown (9–1) d Marquette (8–1) d Maryland (9–2) d Washington State (9–1) Syracuse (8–2) Texas (6–3) Michigan State (9–1) Notre Dame (6–1) Illinois (14–0) North Carolina (10–1) LSU (10–0) u UCLA (9–2) d Duke (9–2) NC State (11–2) u Indiana State (11–0) Arkansas (9–0) u Marquette (10–1) u Texas A&M (11–2) u Louisville (10–3) u Kansas (8–3) u Temple (11–0) npr Georgetown (10–2) u Long Beach State (8–2) d Syracuse (9–2) npr USC (6–3) npr Michigan (7–3) d Kentucky (9–4) Mississippi State (8–2) Maryland (10–3) Notre Dame (8–1) u Illinois (15–1) u North Carolina (12–2) u UCLA (11–2) u Indiana State (14–0) u Michigan State (9–3) d Louisville (12–3) u LSU (12–2) d Duke (10–3) d Marquette (11–2) u 1978 men Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State (9–4) npr Temple (12–1) u Arkansas (10–2) d Georgetown (12–2) u Syracuse (12–2) u Alabama (10–4) npr Texas A&M (13–3) d NC State (11–4) d Kansas (9–4) d USC (9–4) d Long Beach State (9–4) Michigan (7–5) Notre Dame (11–1) North Carolina (14–2) u Indiana State (14–0) u Michigan State (11–3) u Louisville (15–3) u Duke (12–3) u UCLA (12–3) d Illinois (16–2) d Ohio State (11–4) u LSU (13–2) d Marquette (13–2) d Georgetown (14–2) u Syracuse (14–2) u Texas A&M (15–3) u Temple (12–1) d Texas (11–4) npr 1978 men Vanderbilt Commodores Vanderbilt (12–2) npr Arkansas (11–3) d NC State (11–6) d Alabama (11–4) d Kansas (9–6) USC (10–6) Notre Dame (12–2) Indiana State (18–0) u UCLA (14–3) u Duke (14–3) u Louisville (17–3) North Carolina (15–3) d Ohio State (13–4) u Syracuse (18–2) u Marquette (14–3) u Georgetown (16–2) u Texas (15–4) u LSU (15–3) d Michigan State (11–5) d Texas A&M (17–4) Alabama (13–4) u Vanderbilt (14–3) u Illinois (16–4) d Temple (15–3) d Weber State (19–4) npr Purdue (15–5) npr Arkansas (13–4) NC State (13–6) Notre Dame (15–2) Indiana State (20–0) UCLA (16–3) Duke (16–3) Louisville (19–3) North Carolina (16–4) LSU (19–3) u Marquette (16–3) u Michigan State (14–5) u Syracuse (18–2) d Texas A&M (20–4) u Ohio State (13–6) d Iowa (15–4) npr Arkansas (15–4) npr Texas (16–5) d Vanderbilt (15–4) u Temple (17–3) u Purdue (17–5) u Georgetown (16–4) т td USC (13–6) т npr Alabama (13–5) Illinois (17–5) Weber State (20–4) UCLA (18–3) u Indiana State (23–0) Notre Dame (17–3) d North Carolina (18–4) u LSU (20–3) u Duke (17–4) d Syracuse (20–2) u Michigan State (16–5) u Louisville (21–4) d Marquette (17–4) d Arkansas (18–4) u Texas (18–5) u Purdue (19–5) u Temple (19–3) u Iowa (16–5) d Georgetown (18–4) u Vanderbilt (16–5) d Ohio State (16–7) т td Texas A&M (20–6) т Detroit (18–4) npr USC (13–8) UCLA (20–3) Indiana State (24–0) Notre Dame (19–3) North Carolina (20–4) LSU (21–3) Syracuse (21–2) u Duke (19–5) d Michigan State (18–5) Marquette (19–4) u Texas (20–5) u Iowa (18–5) u Arkansas (20–4) d Ohio State (16–7) u Louisville (22–6) d Temple (20–3) d Georgetown (20–4) Purdue (20–6) d Detroit (20–4) u Vanderbilt (18–6) d DePaul (18–4) npr Texas A&M (21–7) Indiana State (24–0) u Notre Dame (22–3) u UCLA (21–4) d Michigan State (20–5) u Syracuse (24–2) u Duke (20–6) u North Carolina (21–5) d LSU (22–4) d Arkansas (21–4) u Iowa (19–6) u DePaul (20–4) u Marquette (19–5) d Temple (22–3) u Texas (20–6) d Georgetown (22–4) u Louisville (23–6) d Ohio State (17–8) d Purdue (21–7) d San Francisco (21–6) npr Detroit (21–5) d Vanderbilt (18–8) Indiana State (29–0) UCLA (23–4) u North Carolina (23–5) u Michigan State (21–6) Notre Dame (22–5) d Arkansas (23–4) u Duke (22–7) d DePaul (22–4) u LSU (22–5) d Syracuse (25–3) d Iowa (20–7) d Georgetown (24–4) u Marquette (21–6) d Purdue (23–7) u Texas (21–7) d Temple (25–3) d San Francisco (21–6) u Tennessee (20–11) npr Louisville (23–7) d Detroit (22–5) Ohio State (17–10) References Rankings Category:College men's basketball rankings in the United States