Kansas claims the final number one ranking of the college basketball season

(Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)(NEW YORK) — With the NCAA Tournament cancelled, the final AP Top 25 rankings for the college basketball season were released on Tuesday.

The Big Twelve champion Kansas Jayhawks finished the year atop the poll, getting 63 out of the 65 first-place votes. The Jayhawks went 28-3 before the season abruptly ended. It is the fourth time they’ve finished the year at number one.

“Nobody in America had better season than we did,” Self said. “How do you give credit to that effort and have it be recognized? And I don’t know exactly how we do it. Do we do it within our own fan base? Do we do it within podcasts or whatnot? Whatever we’ve come up with so far pales in comparison to the accolades they deserve.”

The AP does not, however, declare a national champion because there is usually a tournament to determine that. The NCAA Tournament, however, was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gonzaga and Dayton finished at numbers two and three, each garnering one first-place vote. Florida State and Baylor rounded out the top five.

For Dayton, that finish matches the best in program history, equaling the 1955-1956 team.

Duke finished the season at number 11, their first time ending a year outside the top-ten since 2007.

See the full rankings:

1. Kansas (63)    
2. Gonzaga (1)
3. Dayton (1)
4. Florida State
5. Baylor
6. San Diego State
7. Creighton
8. Kentucky
9. Michigan State
10. Villanova
11. Duke
12. Maryland
13. Oregon
14. Louisville
15. Seton Hall
16. Virginia
17. Wisconsin    
18. BYU    
19. Ohio State    
20. Auburn
21. Illinois
22. Houston
23. Butler
24. West Virginia    
25. Iowa

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