UNI Earns Highest Rankings In History; Iowa State Falls In National Basketball Polls

It's a historic week for the UNI men's basketball team. The Panthers set a new standard again this week in the top 25 polls by earning the highest ever ranking in each poll.

UNI moved up to No. 12 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, both of which were released on Monday (February 9, 2015). The previous high of No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll was set at the close of the 2009-10 season.

Prior to the 2014-15 season, UNI was ranked 10 times in the coaches poll and seven times in the Associated Press survey. The Panthers have been ranked nine times this season in the coaches poll and eight times in the AP poll.

UNI (22-2) moved up one spot in this week's Associated Press survey, after being ranked at No. 14 last week. The Panthers jumped over Iowa State (17-5), which fell from No. 11 to No. 14 following last week's loss at Kansas. The Cyclones are also ranked No. 14 in the coaches poll -- two spots behind UNI.

The Panthers return to action Wednesday night, hosting Illinois State at the McLeod Center. As a ranked team, UNI has been unbeatable at the McLeod Center over the years. The Panthers are 13-0 playing at home as a Top 25 team in the Coaches poll and 9-0 in the McLeod Center as a ranked team in the AP poll.

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Feb. 8, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week's ranking:

Others receiving votes: Iowa 38, Providence 26, Texas 25, Stephen F. Austin 22, Cincinnati 21, Murray State 20, Indiana 13, Rhode Island 12, Georgetown 9, Texas A&M 7, Temple 6, Mississippi 3, Old Dominion 3, Harvard 2, San Diego State 2, Xavier 2, Valparaiso 1.