# 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

he 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings consisted of two human polls, the ap poll and the Coaches Poll along with 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

The final writers' poll was released on Monday, March 9.
| | Preseason | Week 1 Dec. 1 | Week 2 Dec. 8 | Week 3 Dec. 15 | Week 4 Dec. 22 | Week 5 Dec. 29 | Week 6 Jan. 5 | Week 7 Jan. 12 | Week 8 Jan. 19 | Week 9 Jan. 26 | Week 10 Feb. 2 | Week 11 Feb. 9 | Week 12 Feb. 16 | Week 13 Feb. 23 | Week 14 Mar. 2 | Final Mar. 9 | |
| 1. | Kentucky | DePaul (2–0) | DePaul (3–0) | DePaul (5–0) | DePaul (8–0) | DePaul (10–0) | DePaul (12–0) | Oregon State (12–0) | Oregon State (13–0) | Oregon State (15–0) т | Virginia (18–0) | Virginia (20–0) | Virginia (22–0) | Oregon State (23–0) | Oregon State (25–0) | DePaul (27–1) (55) | 1. |
| 2. | DePaul | Kentucky (1–0) | Kentucky (3–0) | Kentucky (4–0) | Kentucky (6–0) | Oregon State (8–0) | Oregon State (9–0) | Virginia (11–0) | Virginia (13–0) | Virginia (16–0) т | Oregon State (17–0) | Oregon State (19–0) | Oregon State (21–0) | LSU (26–1) | DePaul (25–1) | Oregon State (26–1) (5) | 2. |
| 3. | Louisville | UCLA (2–0) | UCLA (3–0) | UCLA (5–0) | UCLA (6–0) | Virginia (6–0) | Virginia (8–0) | Kentucky (10–1) | DePaul (15–1) | DePaul (16–1) | DePaul (18–1) | DePaul (21–1) | DePaul (22–1) | Virginia (23–1) | LSU (27–2) | Arizona State (24–3) | 3. |
| 4. | Maryland | Maryland (1–0) | Maryland (4–0) | Oregon State (5–0) | Oregon State (5–0) | Notre Dame (6–1) | Kentucky (8–1) | DePaul (13–1) | Wake Forest (14–0) | LSU (17–1) | LSU (19–1) | LSU (21–1) | LSU (23–1) | DePaul (24–1) | Virginia (24–3) | LSU (28–3) | 4. |
| 5. | Indiana | Indiana (2–0) | Oregon State (3–0) | Virginia (5–0) | Virginia (5–0) | Kentucky (6–1) | Notre Dame (7–1) | Wake Forest (12–0) | LSU (14–1) | Arizona State (14–2) | Arizona State (15–2) | Arizona State (18–2) | Wake Forest (21–2) | Arizona State (20–3) | Arizona State (22–3) | Virginia (25–3) | 5. |
| 6. | UCLA | Oregon State (1–0) | Virginia (4–0) | Notre Dame (4–1) | North Carolina (7–1) | North Carolina (9–1) | Wake Forest (10–0) | LSU (12–1) | Kentucky (11–2) | Wake Forest (15–1) | Kentucky (15–3) | Utah (20–1) | UCLA (16–4) | Notre Dame (20–4) | Notre Dame (22–4) | North Carolina (25–7) | 6. |
| 7. | Oregon State | Virginia (3–0) | Indiana (2–1) | Ohio State (2–1) | Wake Forest (8–0) | UCLA (6–1) | UCLA (7–1) | Notre Dame (8–2) | Arizona State (13–2) | Kentucky (13–3) | Utah (18–1) | Wake Forest (19–2) | Arizona State (19–3) | Utah (23–2) | Kentucky (22–4) | Notre Dame (22–5) | 7. |
| 8. | Virginia | Louisville (0–1) | Ohio State (2–1) | North Carolina (6–1) | Notre Dame (4–1) | Wake Forest (8–0) | Maryland (10–1) | UCLA (8–2) | Tennessee (12–2) | Notre Dame (12–3) | Wake Forest (17–2) | UCLA (14–4) | Tennessee (18–4) | Iowa (19–4) | Iowa (21–4) | Kentucky (22–5) | 8. |
| 9. | Ohio State | Ohio State (1–0) | Notre Dame (3–1) | Maryland (5–1) | Maryland (6–1) | Maryland (8–1) | LSU (10–1) | Michigan (10–1) | Iowa (11–2) | Utah (17–1) | Notre Dame (14–3) | Tennessee (16–4) | Utah (21–2) | Kentucky (20–4) | Utah (24–3) | Indiana (21–9) | 9. |
| 10. | Notre Dame | North Carolina (3–0) | North Carolina (5–1) | LSU (4–1) | LSU (6–1) | LSU (8–1) | Michigan (9–0) | Maryland (11–2) | Maryland (12–3) | UCLA (11–3) | Tennessee (15–3) | North Carolina (18–5) | Kentucky (18–4) | Tennessee (19–5) | Tennessee (20–6) | UCLA (20–6) | 10. |
| 11. | Missouri | Arkansas (2–1) | LSU (3–1) | Indiana (5–2) | Arizona State (6–0) | Texas A&M (7–1) | Iowa (8–1) | Tennessee (10–2) | South Alabama (15–1) | Tennessee (13–3) | North Carolina (16–4) | Kentucky (16–4) | Notre Dame (18–4) | North Carolina (21–6) | Wake Forest (22–5) | Wake Forest (22–6) | 11. |
| 12. | LSU | Iowa (2–0) | Texas A&M (2–0) | Wake Forest (6–0) | Texas A&M (7–0) | Michigan (7–0) | Illinois (8–1) | Arizona State (11–2) | UCLA (9–3) | North Carolina (14–4) | UCLA (12–4) | Notre Dame (16–4) | Iowa (17–4) | Wake Forest (21–4) | North Carolina (22–7) | Louisville (21–8) (1) | 12. |
| 13. | North Carolina | Notre Dame (0–1) | Wake Forest (4–0) | Texas A&M (5–0) | Michigan (7–0) | Arizona State (8–1) | Tennessee (9–1) | South Alabama (13–1) | Notre Dame (9–3) | Iowa (12–3) | Maryland (15–4) | Michigan (16–3) | North Carolina (19–6) | UCLA (17–5) | UCLA (18–6) | Iowa (21–6) | 13. |
| 14. | Iowa | Texas A&M (1–0) | Missouri (4–1) | Arizona State (5–0) | Iowa (6–1) | Iowa (6–1) | Arizona State (8–2) | Iowa (9–2) | Utah (15–1) | Maryland (13–4) | Michigan (14–3) | Iowa (15–4) | Wichita State (19–2) | Illinois (18–5) | Indiana (19–9) | Utah (24–4) | 14. |
| 15. | Texas A&M | LSU (2–1) | Arizona State (3–0) | Michigan (6–0) | Indiana (5–3) | Indiana (7–4) | South Alabama (10–1) | BYU (12–2) | Illinois (11–2) | BYU (15–3) | Iowa (13–4) | BYU (17–4) | Illinois (16–5) | BYU (20–5) | Arkansas (22–6) | Tennessee (20–7) | 15. |
| 16. | Georgetown | St. John's (2–0) | Iowa (3–1) | Iowa (5–1) | South Alabama (8–0) | Illinois (7–1) | North Carolina (9–3) | Utah (13–1) | Michigan (11–2) | South Alabama (16–2) | BYU (15–4) | Wichita State (18–2) | Indiana (16–8) | Indiana (17–9) | Illinois (19–6) | BYU (22–6) | 16. |
| 17. | St. John's | Missouri (2–1) | Arkansas (3–2) | Illinois (4–0) | Arkansas (6–2) | South Alabama (8–1) | BYU (10–2) | North Carolina (10–4) | North Carolina (12–4) | Michigan (12–3) | Indiana (13–7) | Illinois (14–5) | BYU (18–5) | Maryland (17–7) | Louisville (19–8) | Wyoming (23–5) | 17. |
| 18. | BYU | Syracuse (1–0) | Michigan (3–0) | BYU (4–1) | Illinois (5–1) | Tennessee (8–1) | Utah (11–1) | Illinois (9–2) | BYU (13–3) | Kansas (14–2) | Illinois (13–4) | South Alabama (19–3) | Michigan (16–5) | Arkansas (20–6) | BYU (21–6) | Maryland (20–9) | 18. |
| 19. | Syracuse | BYU (1–1) | BYU (2–1) | Arkansas (4–2) | Utah (7–0) | BYU (8–2) | Minnesota (9–1) | Clemson (12–2) | Clemson (13–3) | Minnesota (11–4) | Wichita State (16–2) | Maryland (15–6) | Lamar (20–2) | Wichita State (20–4) | Wyoming (21–5) | Illinois (20–7) | 19. |
| 20. | Arkansas | Georgetown (1–2) | Syracuse (2–1) | Louisville (1–3) | BYU (6–2) | Utah (9–1) | Clemson (11–1) | Minnesota (9–2) | Connecticut (12–1) | Connecticut (13–2) | South Alabama (17–3) | Indiana (14–8) | Maryland (16–7) | Louisville (17–8) | Maryland (18–8) | Arkansas (22–7) | 20. |
| | Preseason | Week 1 Dec. 1 | Week 2 Dec. 8 | Week 3 Dec. 15 | Week 4 Dec. 22 | Week 5 Dec. 29 | Week 6 Jan. 5 | Week 7 Jan. 12 | Week 8 Jan. 19 | Week 9 Jan. 26 | Week 10 Feb. 2 | Week 11 Feb. 9 | Week 12 Feb. 16 | Week 13 Feb. 23 | Week 14 Mar. 2 | Final Mar. 9 | |
| | | None | Dropped: LouisvilleSt. John'sGeorgetown (3–2) | Dropped: Missouri (5–2)Syracuse | Dropped: Ohio StateLouisville | Dropped: Arkansas | Dropped: Texas A&MIndiana | None | Dropped: Minnesota | Dropped: IllinoisClemson | Dropped: KansasMinnesotaConnecticut (15–3) | None | Dropped: South Alabama | Dropped: MichiganLamar | Dropped: Wichita State | None | |

## UPI Poll

The final coaches' poll was released on Monday, March 9.
| | Preseason | Week 2 Dec. 8 | Week 3 Dec. 15 | Week 4 Dec. 22 | Week 5 Dec. 29 | Week 6 Jan. 5 | Week 7 Jan. 12 | Week 8 Jan. 19 | Week 9 Jan. 26 | Week 10 Feb. 2 | Week 11 Feb. 9 | Week 12 Feb. 16 | Week 13 Feb. 23 | Week 14 Mar. 2 | Final Mar. 9 | |
| 1. | Kentucky | Kentucky (3–0) | Kentucky (4–0) | Kentucky (6–0) | DePaul (10–0) | DePaul (12–0) | Oregon State (12–0) | Oregon State (13–0) | Oregon State (15–0) | Oregon State (17–0) | Oregon State (19–0) | Oregon State (21–0) | Oregon State (23–0) | Oregon State (25–0) | DePaul (27–1) (35) | 1. |
| 2. | DePaul | DePaul (3–0) | DePaul (5–0) | DePaul (8–0) | Oregon State (8–0) | Oregon State (9–0) | Virginia (11–0) | Virginia (13–0) | Virginia (16–0) | Virginia (18–0) | Virginia (20–0) | Virginia (22–0) | DePaul (24–1) | DePaul (25–1) | Oregon State (26–1) (6) | 2. |
| 3. | Louisville | UCLA (3–0) | UCLA (5–0) | UCLA (6–0) | Kentucky (6–1) | Kentucky (8–1) | DePaul (13–1) | DePaul (15–1) | DePaul (16–1) | DePaul (18–1) | DePaul (21–1) | DePaul (22–1) | Virginia (23–1) | LSU (27–2) | Virginia (25–3) | 3. |
| 4. | Indiana | Maryland (4–0) | Oregon State (5–0) | Oregon State (5–0) | Virginia (6–0) | Virginia (8–0) | Kentucky (10–1) | Wake Forest (14–0) | LSU (17–1) | LSU (19–1) | LSU (21–1) | LSU (23–1) | LSU (26–1) | Virginia (24–2) | LSU (28–3) | 4. |
| 5. | Maryland | Oregon State (3–0) | Virginia (5–0) | Virginia (5–0) | Notre Dame (6–1) | Notre Dame (7–1) | Wake Forest (12–0) | LSU (14–1) | Kentucky (13–3) | Arizona State (15–2) | Arizona State (18–2) | Wake Forest (21–2) | Arizona State (20–3) | Arizona State (22–3) | Arizona State (24–3) (1) | 5. |
| 6. | Oregon State | Indiana (2–1) | North Carolina (6–1) | Arizona State (6–0) | North Carolina (9–1) | UCLA (7–1) | LSU (12–1) | Kentucky (11–2) | Wake Forest (15–1) | Kentucky (15–3) | Utah (20–1) | UCLA (16–4) | Notre Dame (20–4) | Iowa (21–4) | North Carolina (25–7) | 6. |
| 7. | Virginia | Virginia (4–0) | Indiana (5–2) | North Carolina (7–1) | UCLA (6–1) | Wake Forest (10–0) | Maryland (11–2) | Maryland (12–3) | Arizona State (14–2) | Utah (18–1) | Wake Forest (19–2) | Utah (21–2) | Utah (23–2) | Notre Dame (22–4) | Indiana (21–9) | 7. |
| 8. | UCLA | North Carolina (5–1) | Wake Forest (6–0) | Wake Forest (8–0) | Wake Forest (8–0) | Maryland (10–1) | Michigan (10–1) | Iowa (11–2) | Utah (17–1) | Wake Forest (17–2) | Tennessee (16–4) | Arizona State (19–3) | Iowa (19–4) | Kentucky (22–4) | Kentucky (22–5) | 8. |
| 9. | Ohio State | Ohio State (2–1) | Maryland (5–1) | Maryland (6–1) | Maryland (8–1) | Michigan (9–0) | UCLA (8–2) | Arizona State (13–2) | Notre Dame (12–3) | Notre Dame (14–3) | North Carolina (18–5) | Tennessee (18–4) | Kentucky (20–4) | Utah (24–3) | Notre Dame (22–5) | 9. |
| 10. | Missouri | Wake Forest (4–0) | Ohio State (2–1) | Texas A&M (7–0) | Arizona State (8–1) | LSU (10–1) | Notre Dame (8–2) | South Alabama (15–1) | UCLA (11–3) | North Carolina (16–4) | UCLA (14–4) | Kentucky (18–4) | North Carolina (21–6) | Wake Forest (22–5) | Utah (24–4) | 10. |
| 11. | North Carolina | LSU (3–1) | Notre Dame (4–1) | Notre Dame (4–1) | LSU (8–1) | Iowa (8–1) | South Alabama (13–1) | Utah (15–1) | North Carolina (14–4) | Maryland (15–4) | Kentucky (16–4) | Notre Dame (18–4) | Wake Forest (21–4) | North Carolina (22–7) | UCLA (20–6) | 11. |
| 12. | Notre Dame | Texas A&M (2–0) | LSU (4–1) | LSU (6–1) | Texas A&M (7–1) | Tennessee (9–1) | Tennessee (10–2) | Tennessee (12–2) | Iowa (12–3) | Tennessee (15–3) | Michigan (16–3) | Iowa (17–4) | Tennessee (19–5) | Tennessee (20–6) | Iowa (21–6) | 12. |
| 13. | LSU | Notre Dame (3–1) | Arizona State (5–0) | Michigan (7–0) | Michigan (7–0) | North Carolina (9–3) | BYU (12–2) | Notre Dame (9–3) | Maryland (13–4) | Indiana (13–7) | Iowa (15–4) | North Carolina (19–6) | UCLA (17–5) | Indiana (19–9) | Louisville (21–8) | 13. |
| 14. | Texas A&M | Missouri (4–1) | Texas A&M (5–0) | Iowa (6–1) | Indiana (7–4) | Minnesota (9–1) | Arizona State (11–2) | UCLA (9–3) | South Alabama (16–2) | UCLA (12–4) | Notre Dame (16–4) | Indiana (16–8) | Illinois (18–5) | UCLA (18–6) | Wake Forest (22–6) | 14. |
| 15. | Iowa | Iowa (3–1) | Iowa (5–1) | Utah (7–0) | Iowa (6–1) | South Alabama (10–1) | Utah (13–1) | Illinois (11–2) | Tennessee (13–3) | Michigan (14–3) | Indiana (14–8) | Wichita State (19–2) | Indiana (17–9) | Arkansas (22–6) | Tennessee (20–7) | 15. |
| 16. | Georgetown | Michigan (3–0) | Illinois (4–0) | Indiana (5–3) | Illinois (7–1) | Illinois (8–1) | Iowa (9–2) | Michigan (11–2) | BYU (15–3) | Iowa (13–4) | Maryland (15–6) | Idaho (20–3) | Arkansas (20–6) | Wyoming (21–6) | Wyoming (23–5) | 16. |
| 17. | BYU | BYU (2–1) | Michigan (6–0) | South Alabama (8–0) | South Alabama (8–1) | Arizona State (8–2) | North Carolina (10–4) | Connecticut (12–1) | Indiana (11–7) | South Alabama (17–3) | BYU (17–4) | Arkansas (18–6) | Idaho (22–3) | Illinois (19–6) | BYU (22–6) | 17. |
| 18. | Kansas State | Georgetown (2–1) | Louisville (1–3) | BYU (6–2) | Tennessee (8–1) | BYU (10–2) | Connecticut (10–0) | North Carolina (12–4) | Kansas (14–2) | Connecticut (15–3) | South Alabama (19–3) | Illinois (16–5) | Wichita State (20–4) | Louisville (19–8) | Illinois (20–7) | 18. |
| 19. | St. John's | Minnesota (3–0) | BYU (4–1) | Tennessee (6–1) | BYU (8–2) | Utah (11–1) | Indiana (9–5) | Indiana (10–6) | Connecticut (13–2) | BYU (15–4) | Wichita State (18–2) | BYU (18–5) т | BYU (20–5) | BYU (21–6) | Kansas (19–7) | 19. |
| 20. | Syracuse т Arizona State т | Arizona State (3–0) | Missouri (5–2) | Arkansas (6–2) | Utah (9–1) | Clemson (11–1) | Minnesota (9–2) | Kansas (12–2) | Michigan (12–3) | Wichita State (16–2) | Idaho (19–3) | Kansas State (17–5) т | Maryland (17–7) | Missouri (21–8) | Maryland (20–9) | 20. |
| | Preseason | Week 2 Dec. 8 | Week 3 Dec. 15 | Week 4 Dec. 22 | Week 5 Dec. 29 | Week 6 Jan. 5 | Week 7 Jan. 12 | Week 8 Jan. 19 | Week 9 Jan. 26 | Week 10 Feb. 2 | Week 11 Feb. 9 | Week 12 Feb. 16 | Week 13 Feb. 23 | Week 14 Mar. 2 | Final Mar. 9 | |
| | | Dropped: Louisville (0–3)Kansas StateSt. John'sSyracuse (2–1) | Dropped: Georgetown | Dropped: Ohio StateIllinois (5–1)Louisville (1–4)Missouri | Dropped: Arkansas | Dropped: IndianaTexas A&M | Dropped: Illinois (9–2)Clemson (12–2) | Dropped: BYU (13–3)Minnesota | Dropped: Illinois | Dropped: Kansas | Dropped: Connecticut | Dropped: Michigan (16–5)Maryland (16–7)South Alabama | Dropped: Kansas State | Dropped: IdahoWichita State (21–5)Maryland (18–8) | Dropped: Arkansas (22–7)Missouri (22–9) | |