1953–54 NCAA men's basketball rankings

1953–54 NCAA men's basketball rankings
1953–54 NCAA men's basketball rankings
Season	1953–54
NCAA Tournament	1954
Preseason No. 1	Indiana
NCAA Tournament Champions	La Salle
NCAA men's basketball rankings
← 1952–53	1954–55 →

The 1953–54 NCAA men's basketball rankings was made up of two human polls, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.

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]	Week 1 Dec. 15^[1]	Week 2 Dec. 22^[1]	Week 3 Dec. 29^[1]	Week 4 Jan. 5^[1]	Week 5 Jan. 12^[1]	Week 6 Jan. 19^[1]	Week 7 Jan. 26^[1]	Week 8 Feb. 2^[1]	Week 9 Feb. 9^[1]	Week 10 Feb. 16^[1]	Week 11 Feb. 23^[1]	Week 12 Mar. 2^[2]	Week 13 Mar. 9^[2]	Final Mar. 16^[3]
1.	Indiana	Indiana (3–0)	Indiana (6–0)	Kentucky (6–0)	Kentucky (7–0)	Kentucky (9–0)	Kentucky (11–0)	Kentucky (12–0)	Kentucky (13–0)	Kentucky (16–0)	Duquesne (19–0)	Duquesne (21–0)	Kentucky (23–0)	Kentucky (24–0)	Kentucky (25–0)	1.
2.	Kentucky	Kentucky (2–0)	Kentucky (5–0)	Duquesne (8–0)	Duquesne (11–0)	Duquesne (13–0)	Duquesne (15–0)	Duquesne (15–0)	Duquesne (17–0)	Duquesne (18–0)	Kentucky (18–0)	Kentucky (21–0)	Indiana (18–3)	Indiana (19–3)	La Salle (26–4)	2.
3.	Duquesne	Duquesne (4–0)	Duquesne (7–0)	Indiana (6–1)	Indiana (7–1)	Indiana (9–1)	Indiana (12–1)	Indiana (12–1)	Indiana (12–1)	Indiana (14–1)	Indiana (15–2)	Indiana (17–2)	Western Kentucky (28–1)	Duquesne (24–2)	Holy Cross (26–2)	3.
4.	Oklahoma A&M	Illinois (4–0)	Illinois (5–1)	Oregon State (6–1)	Oklahoma A&M (12–1)	Oklahoma A&M (13–1)	Western Kentucky (16–0)	Oklahoma A&M (16–1)	Western Kentucky (19–0)	Oklahoma A&M (18–1)	Western Kentucky (23–1)	Western Kentucky (25–1)	Duquesne (22–2)	Western Kentucky (28–1)	Indiana (20–4)	4.
5.	Kansas	LSU (3–0)	Oklahoma A&M (8–1)	Oklahoma A&M (9–1)	Western Kentucky (12–0)	Western Kentucky (14–0)	Oklahoma A&M (15–1)	Western Kentucky (18–0)	Oklahoma A&M (17–1)	Western Kentucky (21–1)	Oklahoma A&M (20–2)	Oklahoma A&M (21–2)	Notre Dame (19–2)	Oklahoma A&M (23–4)	Duquesne (26–3)	5.
6.	La Salle	Minnesota (3–0)	Western Kentucky (9–0)	Minnesota (7–0)	Minnesota (8–1)	Holy Cross (10–0)	Notre Dame (9–2)	Notre Dame (10–2)	Seattle (20–1)	Notre Dame (12–2)	Notre Dame (13–2)	Notre Dame (16–2)	Oklahoma A&M (21–4)	Notre Dame (20–2)	Notre Dame (22–3)	6.
7.	NC State	Oklahoma A&M (4–1)	Fordham (6–0)	Western Kentucky (9–0)	Holy Cross (8–0)	George Washington (10–0)	Oklahoma City (11–1)	Holy Cross (13–1)	Notre Dame (10–2)	La Salle (17–3)	Seattle (24–1)	Holy Cross (20–1)	LSU (19–2)	George Washington (23–2)	Bradley (19–13)	7.
8.	Kansas State	NC State (3–1)	Minnesota (5–0)	Illinois (5–1)	Duke (9–3)	Oklahoma City (9–1)	Holy Cross (12–1)	Minnesota (10–2)	Duke (13–4)	Seattle (23–1)	George Washington (16–1)	George Washington (18–1)	La Salle (21–4)	LSU (20–2)	Western Kentucky (29–3)	8.
9.	Illinois	Fordham (4–0)	NC State (6–1)	NC State (7–1)	Oklahoma City (8–1)	Duke (12–3)	Minnesota (9–2)	Oklahoma City (11–2)	La Salle (15–3)	Holy Cross (16–1)	Holy Cross (17–1)	Seattle (24–1)	George Washington (20–2)	Holy Cross (23–2)	Penn State (18–6)	9.
10.	LSU	Western Kentucky (6–0)	Holy Cross (3–0)	Fordham (6–0)	Oregon State (7–3)	Minnesota (8–2)	George Washington (11–1)	George Washington (12–1)	Holy Cross (14–1)	George Washington (13–1)	Iowa (14–3)	Duke (19–5)	Seattle (26–1)	NC State (24–6)	Oklahoma A&M (24–5)	10.
11.	Western Kentucky	Oregon State (6–1)	Rice (6–0)	Oklahoma City (6–0)	Rice (10–0)	Kansas (6–2)	Wichita (15–1)	Seattle (16–1)	George Washington (12–1)	Maryland (17–4)	Maryland (20–4)	Maryland (21–5)	Duke (21–5)	Seattle (26–1)	USC (20–11)	11.
12.	Minnesota	Oklahoma City (4–0)	Oregon State (6–1)	Holy Cross (5–0)	Niagara (8–2) т	Wichita (14–1)	LSU (11–2)	La Salle (15–3)	Minnesota (12–2)	Minnesota (13–2)	La Salle (18–4)	LSU (17–2)	Wichita (25–3)	La Salle (21–4)	George Washington (23–3)	12.
13.	Oregon State	Duke (3–1)	UCLA (6–1)	La Salle (7–2)	George Washington (6–0) т	Niagara (12–1)	Duke (12–4)	Maryland (13–4)	Maryland (15–4)	Oklahoma City (12–4)	LSU (15–2)	La Salle (20–4)	Holy Cross (22–2)	Kansas (16–4)	Iowa (17–5)	13.
14.	Wyoming	Holy Cross (2–0)	LSU (4–1)	UCLA (8–1)	Dayton (9–2)	Seattle (11–1)	Maryland (13–4)	California (14–2)	Wichita (19–2)	California (16–2)	Duke (16–5)	Wichita (23–3)	Dayton (24–6)	Maryland (23–7)	LSU (20–5)	14.
15.	Dayton	California (3–1)	Oklahoma City (5–0)	Seattle (8–1)	Illinois (6–2)	Rice (10–2)	California (14–2)	LSU (11–2)	California (16–2)	Duke (14–5)	Wichita (22–3)	Oklahoma City (14–5)	Kansas (15–4)	Dayton (25–6)	Duke (22–6)	15.
16.	Santa Clara	Notre Dame (3–1)	La Salle (6–1) т	Rice (7–0)	Kansas (4–2)	LSU (10–2)	Seattle (14–1)	Kansas (8–3) т	Oklahoma City (11–4)	Navy (14–4)	Oklahoma City (13–5)	Dayton (22–5)	Iowa (16–5)	Iowa (17–5)	Niagara (24–6)	16.
17.	California	UCLA (3–0)	Dayton (6–1) т	Idaho (5–0)	Seattle (9–1)	Dayton (11–2)	Kansas (8–3)	Wichita (16–2) т	LSU (13–2)	LSU (14–2)	Dayton (20–5)	Kansas (13–4)	Maryland (22–6)	Oregon State (18–10)	Seattle (26–2)	17.
18.	Saint Louis	Niagara (4–1)	Wisconsin (5–1)	LSU (5–1)	Navy (7–2)	Colorado State (11–1)	Niagara (10–3)	Connecticut (14–0)	Bradley (11–5)	Wichita (20–3)	Minnesota (14–4)	Colorado State (20–4)	NC State (19–6)	Duke (22–6)	Kansas (16–5)	18.
19.	Holy Cross т	Siena (3–1)	Notre Dame (4–1)	BYU (8–0)	Vanderbilt (7–1)	Illinois (8–3)	La Salle (14–3)	Dayton (14–4)	Kansas (8–3)	NC State (15–5)	Colorado State (17–4)	UCLA (18–5)	Connecticut (21–2)	Colorado State (22–5)	Illinois (17–5)	19.
20.	Oklahoma City т	La Salle (3–1)	Idaho (5–0) т Vanderbilt (5–0) т	Wyoming (6–1) т Vanderbilt (5–1) т	NC State (9–3)	Idaho (8–3)	Illinois (9–4)	Duke (12–4)	Louisville (14–5)	Kansas (9–4)	Navy (15–5)	Illinois (16–4) т Iowa (16–5) т	Louisville (21–6)	Wichita (27–4)	Maryland (28–7)	20.
	Preseason ^[1]	Week 1 Dec. 15^[1]	Week 2 Dec. 22^[1]	Week 3 Dec. 29^[1]	Week 4 Jan. 5^[1]	Week 5 Jan. 12^[1]	Week 6 Jan. 19^[1]	Week 7 Jan. 26^[1]	Week 8 Feb. 2^[1]	Week 9 Feb. 9^[1]	Week 10 Feb. 16^[1]	Week 11 Feb. 23^[1]	Week 12 Mar. 2^[2]	Week 13 Mar. 9^[2]	Final Mar. 16^[3]
		Dropped: Kansas (0–2) Kansas State (2–1) Wyoming (4–1) Dayton Santa Clara Saint Louis (4–1)	Dropped: Duke California (5–1) Niagara Siena	Dropped: Dayton Wisconsin Notre Dame	Dropped: Fordham La Salle UCLA Idaho LSU BYU Wyoming	Dropped: Oregon State Navy Vanderbilt NC State	Dropped: Rice Dayton Colorado State Idaho	Dropped: Niagara Illinois	Dropped: Connecticut Dayton	Dropped: Bradley Louisville	Dropped: California NC State Kansas	Dropped: Minnesota Navy	Dropped: Oklahoma City Colorado State (22–4) UCLA (18–7) Illinois (16–4)	Dropped: Connecticut Louisville	Dropped: NC State Dayton Oregon State Colorado State Wichita

UP Poll

All UP polls for this season included 20 teams, with the exception of the final poll (released on March 9, 1954) which included only 10 teams.

	Preseason ^[1]	Week 1 Dec. 15^[1]	Week 2 Dec. 22^[1]	Week 3 Dec. 29^[1]	Week 4 Jan. 5^[1]	Week 5 Jan. 12^[1]	Week 6 Jan. 19^[1]	Week 7 Jan. 26^[1]	Week 8 Feb. 2^[1]	Week 9 Feb. 9^[1]	Week 10 Feb. 16^[1]	Week 11 Feb. 23^[1]	Week 12 Mar. 2^[2]	Final Mar. 9^[2]
1.	Indiana	Indiana (3–0)	Indiana (6–0)	Kentucky (6–0)	Kentucky (7–0)	Kentucky (9–0)	Kentucky (11–0)	Kentucky (12–0)	Kentucky (13–0)	Indiana (14–1)	Duquesne (19–0)	Duquesne (21–0)	Kentucky (23–0)	Indiana (19–3)	1.
2.	Kentucky	Kentucky (2–0)	Kentucky (5–0)	Indiana (6–1)	Indiana (7–1)	Indiana (9–1)	Indiana (12–1)	Indiana (12–1)	Indiana (12–1)	Duquesne (18–0)	Kentucky (18–0)	Indiana (17–2)	Indiana (18–3)	Kentucky (24–0)	2.
3.	Duquesne	Duquesne (4–0)	Duquesne (7–0)	Duquesne (8–0)	Duquesne (11–0)	Duquesne (13–0)	Duquesne (15–0)	Duquesne (15–0)	Duquesne (17–0)	Kentucky (16–0)	Indiana (15–2)	Kentucky (21–0)	Duquesne (22–2)	Duquesne (24–2)	3.
4.	Kansas	Illinois (4–0)	Illinois (5–1)	Oregon State (6–1)	Oklahoma A&M (12–1)	Oklahoma A&M (13–1)	Oklahoma A&M (15–1)	Oklahoma A&M (16–1)	Oklahoma A&M (17–1)	Oklahoma A&M (18–1)	Oklahoma A&M (20–2)	Oklahoma A&M (21–2)	Western Kentucky (28–1)	Oklahoma A&M (23–4)	4.
5.	Oklahoma A&M	LSU (3–0)	Minnesota (5–0)	Oklahoma A&M (9–1)	Minnesota (8–1)	Holy Cross (10–0)	Western Kentucky (16–0)	Western Kentucky (18–0)	Western Kentucky (19–0)	Minnesota (13–2)	Western Kentucky (23–1)	Western Kentucky (25–1)	Oklahoma A&M (21–4)	Notre Dame (20–2)	5.
6.	La Salle	Minnesota (3–0)	Oklahoma A&M (8–1)	Minnesota (7–0)	Holy Cross (8–0)	Western Kentucky (14–0)	Minnesota (9–2)	Minnesota (10–2)	Minnesota (12–2)	Western Kentucky (21–1)	Holy Cross (17–1)	Holy Cross (20–1)	Notre Dame (19–2)	Western Kentucky (28–1)	6.
7.	LSU	Oklahoma A&M (4–1)	NC State (6–1)	Illinois (5–1)	Western Kentucky (12–0)	Kansas (6–2)	California (14–2)	California (14–2)	California (16–2)	California (16–2)	Iowa (14–3)	Notre Dame (16–2)	Kansas (15–4)	Kansas (16–4)	7.
8.	NC State	NC State (3–1)	UCLA (6–1)	NC State (7–1)	Kansas (4–2)	Minnesota (8–2)	Kansas (8–3)	Notre Dame (10–2)	Holy Cross (14–1)	Notre Dame (12–2) т	Notre Dame (13–2)	LSU (17–2)	Holy Cross (22–2)	LSU (20–2)	8.
9.	Minnesota	UCLA (3–0)	Fordham (6–0)	Fordham (6–0)	Illinois (6–2)	Duke (12–3) т	Notre Dame (9–2)	Kansas (8–3)	Notre Dame (10–2)	Holy Cross (16–1) т	LSU (15–2)	Kansas (13–4)	LSU (19–2)	Holy Cross (23–2)	9.
10.	California	Fordham (4–0)	La Salle (6–1)	BYU (8–0)	Rice (10–0)	California (12–1) т	LSU (11–2)	Holy Cross (13–1)	Kansas (8–3)	La Salle (17–3)	Kansas (12–4)	La Salle (20–4)	La Salle (21–4)	Iowa (17–5)	10.
11.	Illinois	La Salle (3–1)	Oregon State (6–1)	Western Kentucky (9–0)	Oregon State (7–3)	Niagara (10–2)	Duke (12–4)	La Salle (15–3)	LSU (13–2)	Kansas (9–4)	La Salle (18–4)	UCLA (18–5) т	Iowa (16–5)		11.
12.	Kansas State	California (3–1)	LSU (4–1) т	La Salle (7–2)	LSU (6–2)	LSU (10–2)	Oklahoma City (11–1) т	LSU (11–2)	La Salle (15–3)	LSU (14–2)	Minnesota (14–4)	Illinois (16–4) т	Duke (21–5)		12.
13.	Saint Louis	Kansas (0–2)	California (5–1) т	LSU (5–1)	Duke (9–3)	La Salle (11–3)	Holy Cross (12–1) т	Wyoming (14–3)	Duke (13–4)	Duke (14–5)	Duke (16–5) т	George Washington (18–1)	Colorado State (22–4)		13.
14.	Holy Cross	Notre Dame (3–1)	Western Kentucky (9–0)	UCLA (8–1) т	Niagara (8–2)	Rice (11–1)	Wichita (15–1)	Duke (12–4)	Iowa (11–3) т	Seattle (23–1) т	California (16–4) т	Duke (19–5)	Illinois (16–4)		14.
15.	Oregon State	Oregon State (6–1)	Wisconsin (5–1)	Rice (7–0) т	UCLA (9–2)	Illinois (8–3)	NC State (11–4)	Iowa (10–3)	NC State (12–5) т	Iowa (12–3) т	George Washington (16–1)	Seattle (24–1)	Wichita (25–3)		15.
16.	Dayton	Ohio State (3–0)	Wyoming (6–1)	Holy Cross (5–0)	NC State (9–3) т	NC State (10–3)	Illinois (9–4) т	Oklahoma City (11–2)	Wyoming (15–4)	NC State (15–5)	Seattle (24–1)	Colorado State (20–4)	Seattle (26–1)		16.
17.	Wyoming	Holy Cross (2–0)	Rice (6–0) т	Wyoming (6–1)	La Salle (9–3) т	Notre Dame (7–2)	Oregon State (10–4) т	Oregon State (11–5)	Bradley (11–5)	Colorado State (15–4) т	UCLA (13–5)	Wichita (23–3)	NC State (19–6)		17.
18.	Santa Clara	Western Kentucky (6–0) т	Kansas (1–2) т	California (9–1)	Navy (7–2)	Oklahoma City (9–1)	Niagara (10–3)	Texas (9–4)	Wichita (19–2) т	Oregon State (14–6) т	Colorado State (17–4)	Iowa (16–5) т	Dayton (24–6) т		18.
19.	Notre Dame	Saint Louis (4–1) т	Holy Cross (3–0)	Kansas State (5–2)	Oklahoma City (8–1)	Wyoming (10–3)	La Salle (14–3) т	Bradley (11–4)	Louisville (14–5) т	Fordham (14–2)	Wichita (22–3)	Rice (18–3) т	Minnesota (16–5) т		19.
20.	UCLA	Kansas State (2–1) т Wyoming (4–1) т	Notre Dame (4–1)	Navy (6–0)	California (9–1)	Wichita (14–1) т Oregon State (8–4) т	Wyoming (13–3) т	NC State (12–5)	Illinois (9–4) т	George Washington (13–1)	NC State (16–6)	NC State (16–6)	Oregon State (18–8) т UCLA (18–7) т Minnesota (15–11) т		20.
	Preseason ^[1]	Week 1 Dec. 15^[1]	Week 2 Dec. 22^[1]	Week 3 Dec. 29^[1]	Week 4 Jan. 5^[1]	Week 5 Jan. 12^[1]	Week 6 Jan. 19^[1]	Week 7 Jan. 26^[1]	Week 8 Feb. 2^[1]	Week 9 Feb. 9^[1]	Week 10 Feb. 16^[1]	Week 11 Feb. 23^[1]	Week 12 Mar. 2^[2]	Final Mar. 9^[2]
		Dropped: Dayton Santa Clara	Dropped: Ohio State Saint Louis Kansas State	Dropped: Wisconsin Kansas Notre Dame	Dropped: Fordham BYU Wyoming Kansas State	Dropped: UCLA Navy	None	Dropped: Wichita Illinois Niagara	Dropped: Oklahoma City Oregon State Texas	Dropped: Wyoming Bradley Wichita Louisville Illinois	Dropped: Oregon State Fordham	Dropped: Minnesota California	Dropped: Rice	Dropped: La Salle Duke Colorado State Illinois Wichita Seattle NC State Dayton Minnesota (16–5) Oregon State UCLA Minnesota

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 625. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 626. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
^ Fullerton, Jr., Hugh (March 23, 1954). Written at New York. "Kentucky Beats Out Tourney Winners in Final Cage Poll". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. Associated Press. Retrieved December 25, 2023. Kentucky's unbeaten basketball team, which refrained from tournament competition this year, came out ahead of the two national tournament winners, La Salle and Holy Cross, in the final Associated Press ranking poll of the 1953–54 season today.

[ESPN-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 625. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.

[ESPN2-2] ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 626. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.

[1954APPollBBFinal-3] Fullerton, Jr., Hugh (March 23, 1954). Written at New York. "Kentucky Beats Out Tourney Winners in Final Cage Poll". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. Associated Press. Retrieved December 25, 2023. Kentucky's unbeaten basketball team, which refrained from tournament competition this year, came out ahead of the two national tournament winners, La Salle and Holy Cross, in the final Associated Press ranking poll of the 1953–54 season today.

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