Connecticut retained its No. 1 position in The Associated Press women's basketball poll by a wide margin today, and Tennessee continued its climb back toward the top by moving in at No. 2.
Virginia Tech, ranked for just the second time ever, was among three newcomers in the Top 25. Penn State also made its debut this season and UC Santa Barbara returned after a two-week absence.Connecticut (6-0) received 38 of 41 first-place votes from a national media panel to hold the top spot for the third straight week. The Huskies had 1,022 points in the voting after beating Rhode Island 88-42 -- the first time this season they failed to score 100 points.
UConn plays at No. 6 Notre Dame on Tuesday.
Tennessee (6-1), winner of the last three national championships, won three games in the past week and moved up one spot to second. One of those victories came against the previous occupant of that spot, Louisiana Tech, in a rematch of last season's NCAA title game.
The Lady Vols had three first-place votes and 986 points.
Purdue (5-1) climbed one spot to third with 914 points, and Louisiana Tech (5-1) slipped to fourth with 901. Tech bounced back from its 92-73 loss at home to Tennessee to beat Iowa State and Arizona.
Georgia remained fifth and was followed by Notre Dame, North Carolina, UCLA, Alabama and Old Dominion.
Colorado State (10-0), the first Division I team to reach double figures in victories, moved up one place to 11th, Texas Tech climbed two places to 12th.