Nov. 25, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M women's basketball team climbed two spots to a program-best No. 5 national ranking in the latest USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday.
It marked the Aggies' first-ever top 5 appearance in any national poll during the regular season. A&M's previous school-record high was No. 7 in last week's Coaches Poll. The Aggies have now appeared in the top 10 of the Coaches Poll for four-straight weeks dating back to a No. 8 final national ranking on April 7, 2008.
Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair has now led two schools to the top 5. Blair previously coached the 1991-92 NCAA Sweet 16 squad at Stephen F. Austin to a No. 4 national ranking in the final Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
Four Big 12 Conference schools are currently ranked in the top 10 with the Aggies including No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 7 Baylor and No. 9 Texas. It tied a league record and marked the first time to have four in the top 10 since the 2001-02 season. The Pac-10 and Big East Conferences are the next closest with two schools each.
USA TODAY/ESPN COACHES TOP 25 POLL
1. Connecticut (3-0)
2. North Carolina (5-0)
3. California (3-0)
4. Oklahoma (3-1)
5. Texas A&M (3-0)
6. Stanford (3-1)
7. Baylor (4-0)
8. Louisville (3-0)
9. Texas (5-0)
10. Notre Dame (3-0)
11. Rutgers (2-2)
12. Tennessee (3-1)
13. Duke (3-1)
14. Maryland (3-1)
15. Virginia (3-1)
16. Auburn (4-0)
17. Vanderbilt (4-1)
18. Oklahoma State (2-1)
19. Arizona State (2-1)
20. Old Dominion (3-1)
21. Ohio State (3-1)
22. Iowa State (3-0)
23. Purdue (3-0)
24. TCU (4-0)
25. Xavier (2-2)