Villanova, Gonzaga, lead final poll

The Wildcats (31-3) were a runaway choice Monday, receiving 59 first-place votes from the 65-member media panel.

The Wildcats (31-3) were a runaway choice Monday, receiving 59 first-place votes from the 65-member media panel.

Gonzaga (32-1), which received the other six firstplace votes, and Kansas, two No. 1 seeds for the tournament, were second and third, but the poll and the selection committee disagreed on the fourth No. 1.

Arizona was fourth in the poll, while North Carolina, the fourth No. 1 seed, was ranked fifth.

Kentucky was sixth, followed by Duke, UCLA, Oregon and Louisville.

SMU was 11th, followed by Baylor, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Purdue, Florida State, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Wichita State and Florida.

The last five ranked teams were Butler, Saint Mary’s, Michigan, Virginia and Wisconsin.

This was Villanova’s eighth week as No. 1 this season. Gonzaga was on top of the poll for four weeks while Duke, Kentucky and Kansas were all there for two weeks and Baylor for one. Baylor’s climb was the most impressive considering the Bears weren’t ranked in the preseason poll.

Fifteen teams were ranked the entire season, with Villanova and Kansas the only two who spent the entire season in the top 10.

Kansas ends the season with the longest current streak, 161 polls dating to February 2009. Arizona is next at 97, then Villanova at 73. UCLA holds the record of 221 consecutive polls from 1966-80.

There were seven oneweek wonders. Connecticut, California, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Kansas State, Northwestern and Miami were all in the Top 25 for one week.

Forty-two teams were ranked this season and the Atlantic Coast Conference led the way with nine schools in the Top 25. The Big Ten had eight ranked schools, while the Big 12 had six, Pac-12 five and Big East four.