1971–72 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings

The 1971–72 NCAA University Division 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.

1971–72 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings
Season	1971–72
NCAA Tournament	1972
Preseason #1	UCLA
NCAA Tournament Champions	UCLA
NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings ← 1970–71 1972–73 →

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

	Preseason  [1][2]	Week 1 Dec. 6[1][3]	Week 2 Dec. 13[1][4]	Week 3 Dec. 20[1][5]	Week 4 Dec. 27[1][6]	Week 5 Jan. 3[1][7]	Week 6 Jan. 10[1][8]	Week 7 Jan. 17[1][9]	Week 8 Jan. 24[1][10]	Week 9 Jan. 31[1][11]	Week 10 Feb. 7[1][12]	Week 11 Feb. 14[1][13]	Week 12 Feb. 21[14][15]	Week 13 Feb. 28[14][16]	Week 14 Mar. 6[14][17]	Final Mar. 13[14][18]
1.	UCLA	UCLA (2–0)	UCLA (4–0)	UCLA (4–0)	UCLA (6–0)	UCLA (8–0)	UCLA (10–0)	UCLA (12–0)	UCLA (14–0)	UCLA (16–0)	UCLA (17–0)	UCLA (19–0)	UCLA (20–0)	UCLA (23–0)	UCLA (25–0)	UCLA (26–0)	1.
2.	North Carolina															North Carolina (23–4)	2.
3.	USC															Penn (23–2)	3.
4.	Marquette															Louisville (24–3)	4.
5.	Ohio State															Long Beach State (23–3)	5.
6.	Maryland															South Carolina (22–4)	6.
7.	Houston															Marquette (24–2)	7.
8.	Long Beach State															UL-Lafayette (24–3)	8.
9.	Louisville															BYU (21–5)	9.
10.	Kentucky															Florida State (24–5)	10.
11.	Jacksonville															Minnesota (17–6)	11.
12.	South Carolina															Marshall (23–4)	12.
13.	Michigan															Memphis State (21–6)	13.
14.	Kansas															Maryland (23–5)	14.
15.	Penn															Villanova (19–6)	15.
16.	New Mexico															Oral Roberts (25–1)	16.
17.	St. John's															Indiana (17–7)	17.
18.	Villanova															Kentucky (20–6)	18.
19.	BYU															Ohio State (18–6)	19.
20.	Oklahoma															Virginia (21–6)	20.
	Preseason  [1][19]	Week 1 Dec. 6[1][20]	Week 2 Dec. 13[1][21]	Week 3 Dec. 20[1][22]	Week 4 Dec. 27[1][23]	Week 5 Jan. 3[1][24]	Week 6 Jan. 10[1][25]	Week 7 Jan. 17[1][26]	Week 8 Jan. 24[1][27]	Week 9 Jan. 31[1][28]	Week 10 Feb. 7[1][29]	Week 11 Feb. 14[1][30]	Week 12 Feb. 21[14][31]	Week 13 Feb. 28[14][32]	Week 14 Mar. 6[14][33]	Final Mar. 13[14][34]
		None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	Dropped: Hawaii Missouri (21–5) Houston

Coaches Poll

	Preseason  [1]	Week 1 Dec. 7[1]	Week 2 Dec. 14[1]	Week 3 Dec. 21[1]	Week 4 Dec. 28[1]	Week 5 Jan. 4[1]	Week 6 Jan. 11[1]	Week 7 Jan. 18[1]	Week 8 Jan. 25[1]	Week 9 Feb. 1[1]	Week 10 Feb. 8[1]	Week 11 Feb. 15[1]	Week 12 Feb. 22[14]	Week 13 Feb. 29[14]	Week 14 Mar. 7[14]	Final Mar. 14[14]
1.	UCLA															UCLA (26–0)	1.
2.	Marquette															North Carolina (23–4)	2.
3.	USC															Penn (23–2)	3.
4.	North Carolina															Louisville (24–3)	4.
5.	Ohio State															South Carolina (22–4)	5.
6.	Houston															Long Beach State (23–3)	6.
7.	Maryland															Marquette (24–2)	7.
8.	Louisville															UL-Lafayette (24–3)	8.
9.	Long Beach State															BYU (21–5)	9.
10.	Kentucky															Florida State (24–5)	10.
11.	Jacksonville															Maryland (23–5)	11.
12.	New Mexico State															Minnesota (17–6)	12.
13.	South Carolina															Memphis State (21–6)	13.
14.	BYU															Kentucky (20–6)	14.
15.	St. John's															Villanova (19–6)	15.
16.	Kansas															Kansas State (18–8)	16.
17.	Villanova															UTEP (20–6)	17.
18.	Michigan															Marshall (23–4)	18.
19.	Harvard															Missouri (21–5) т	19.
20.	Pacific															Weber State (17–9) т	20.
	Preseason  [1]	Week 1 Dec. 7[1]	Week 2 Dec. 14[1]	Week 3 Dec. 21[1]	Week 4 Dec. 28[1]	Week 5 Jan. 4[1]	Week 6 Jan. 11[1]	Week 7 Jan. 18[1]	Week 8 Jan. 25[1]	Week 9 Feb. 1[1]	Week 10 Feb. 8[1]	Week 11 Feb. 15[1]	Week 12 Feb. 22[14]	Week 13 Feb. 29[14]	Week 14 Mar. 7[14]	Final Mar. 14[14]
		None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None

References

1. ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 787. ISBN 0-345-51392-4.
2. "1972 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
3. "December 6, 1971 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
4. "December 13, 1971 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
5. "December 20, 1971 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
6. "December 27, 1971 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
7. "January 3, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
8. "January 10, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
9. "January 17, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
10. "January 24, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
11. "January 31, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
12. "February 7, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
13. "February 14, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
14. ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 788. ISBN 0-345-51392-4.
15. "February 21, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
16. "February 28, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
17. "March 6, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
18. "1972 Final AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
19. "1972 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
20. "December 6, 1971 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
21. "December 13, 1971 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
22. "December 20, 1971 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
23. "December 27, 1971 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
24. "January 3, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
25. "January 10, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
26. "January 17, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
27. "January 24, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
28. "January 31, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
29. "February 7, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
30. "February 14, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
31. "February 21, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
32. "February 28, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
33. "March 6, 1972 AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
34. "1972 Final AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.