OMAHA, Neb. — The Creighton men’s basketball team will enter the NCAA Tournament ranked 11th in the nation by the Associated Press and in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Bluejays are also 11th in the NET entering the postseason and 15th in the KPI.
This week marks the final Associated Press poll of the season, and the No. 11 ranking marks the seventh time in program history that Creighton ends the year in the Top 25. The Bluejays were No. 7 in the 2019-20 poll (when COVID-19 canceled the NCAA Tournament), as well as No. 15 (2002-03), No. 16 (2013-14), No. 19 (2011-12 and 2020-21) and No. 22 (2012-13).
It’s the 19th time in 20 polls this season that Creighton has been included in both the AP and Coaches rankings. Creighton’s NET ranking is its best at the end of the regular-season since also being 11th in 2019-20, though that postseason was canceled due to COVID-19.
Creighton lost its lone game last week, falling 78-73 to Providence in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament presented by JEEP.
Creighton’s best AP ranking in program history is seventh, done five times (Jan. 16, 2017, March 10, 2020, March 18, 2020, Jan. 7, 2021 and Nov. 28, 2022). CU owns 29 weeks in the AP Top 10 in its history, with all but one of those recognitions coming during Greg McDermott‘s tenure. Creighton’s best AP rank this year was eighth, done four times.
Including today’s ranking, Creighton has now been ranked by the AP 140 times in program history, with 113 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 173-72 all-time as a ranked team, including a 139-60 figure under McDermott. Creighton has been ranked at least one week in 10 of McDermott’s 14 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
Creighton is one of three BIG EAST Conference schools in the top 25, joining No. 1 Connecticut and No. 8 Marquette. The top five teams in the AP poll are Connecticut, Houston, Purdue, Iowa State and North Carolina.
Creighton is also one of five schools in the country with both its men’s and women’s teams ranked in this week’s AP Top 25, joining Baylor, Connecticut, Gonzaga and South Carolina.
Creighton (23-9) returns to the court on later this week when it opens play in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. Central in Pittsburgh, Pa., against Akron (24-10).
Associated Press Top 25
March 18, 2024
Rk School W-L PTS
1 Connecticut (61) 31-3 1549
2 Houston (1) 30-4 1460
3 Purdue 29-4 1436
4 Iowa State 27-7 1342
5 North Carolina 27-7 1325
6 Tennessee 24-8 1158
7 Auburn 27-7 1096
8 Marquette 25-9 1082
9 Arizona 25-8 1080
10 Illinois 26-8 1040
11 Creighton 23-9 920
12 Kentucky 23-9 866
13 Duke 24-8 834
14 Baylor 23-10 806
15 Saint Mary’s 26-7 568
16 South Carolina 26-7 527
17 Kansas 22-10 445
18 Gonzaga 25-7 413
19 Alabama 21-11 380
20 Utah State 27-6 346
21 BYU 23-10 310
22 Texas Tech 23-10 205
23 Wisconsin 22-13 175
24 San Diego State 24-10 158
25 Washington State 24-9 138
Others receiving votes: New Mexico 134, Florida 120, Nevada 51, NC State 36, James Madison 31, Dayton 27, Drake 26, Oregon 12, Colorado 10, Nebraska 7, Texas 7, Boise State 6, McNeese State 6, Clemson 5, Mississippi State 5, South Florida 3, Colorado State 3, FAU 2.
USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll
March 17, 2024
Rk School W-L PTS
1 UConn (32) 31-3 800
2 Houston 30-4 752
3 Purdue 29-4 740
4 Iowa State 27-7 697
5 North Carolina 27-7 672
6 Tennessee 24-8 595
7 Auburn 27-7 573
8 Marquette 25-9 560
9 Arizona 25-8 544
10 Illinois 26-8 508
11 Creighton 23-9 506
12 Kentucky 23-9 415
13 Baylor 23-10 411
14 Duke 24-8 400
15 Saint Mary’s 26-7 297
16 Gonzaga 25-7 220
17 South Carolina 26-7 218
18 Alabama 21-11 197
19 Utah State 27-6 193
20 Kansas 22-10 188
21 BYU 23-10 182
22 Texas Tech 23-10 134
23 Florida 24-11 130
24 Wisconsin 22-13 110
25 San Diego State 24-10 74
Others receiving votes: New Mexico 68; Washington State 63; James Madison 30; Dayton 30; Nevada 29; Drake 29; Nebraska 12; North Carolina State 11; Colorado 4; Indiana State 2; Boise State 2; Pittsburgh 1; Michigan State 1; McNeese State 1; Grand Canyon 1;
Creighton Men’s Basketball Ranked 11th in Final AP Poll
