The spotlight is shining brighter than ever for the UNI basketball team. For the first time in school history, the Panthers have cracked the top 10 in both national polls.

UNI is ranked No. 10 in this week's Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls, both of which were released today (Monday, February 23, 2015). The rating brings a different type of recognition to a team that has steadily climbed in each of the surveys the past seven weeks.

"It's another line in the sand, if you will," UNI Coach Ben Jacobson said when asked about how it feels to be a top 10 team. "When you go from No. 26 to No. 25, it's one spot, but that's a big deal. When you go from No. 11 to No. 10, it's one spot, but that's a big deal. I'm really proud of the guys to be No. 10 this week, no question."

Before this season began, the highest UNI was ever ranked in the Associated Press poll was No. 19 in 2009-10. The Panthers' highest ranking in the coaches poll was No. 13, also five years ago.

UNI's top 10 ranking is the result of a 15-game winning streak and a 26-2 overall record. The Panthers have one home date left on their regular-season schedule, an 8 p.m. game on Wednesday against Evansville. Their final road test is at No. 11 Wichita State at 1 p.m. on Saturday, a showdown that will be televised by ESPN and spotlighted by the network's "College GameDay" show.

UNI is ranked two spots ahead of Iowa State in the Associated Press poll and is three spots higher than the Cyclones in the USA Today coaches survey. Iowa State (20-6) ranked No. 12 by the Associated Press and 13th by the coaches.


The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Feb. 22, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week's ranking:

RecordPtsPrv
1. Kentucky (65)27-01,6251
2. Virginia25-11,5262
3. Gonzaga28-11,4713
4. Duke24-31,4484
5. Wisconsin25-21,3905
6. Villanova25-21,3066
7. Arizona24-31,2287
8. Kansas22-51,1118
9. Notre Dame24-41,10910
10. Northern Iowa26-21,03211
11. Wichita State25-393013
12. Iowa State20-688714
13. Utah21-58769
14. Maryland22-569516
15. North Carolina19-865515
16. Oklahoma19-862217
17. Louisville21-661312
18. Arkansas22-556418
19. Baylor20-747320
20. West Virginia21-645323
21. SMU22-535721
22. VCU21-618225
23. Butler19-816519
24. San Diego State22-6117
25. Providence19-872

Others receiving votes: Georgetown 58, Michigan State 56, Murray State 42, Oklahoma St. 25, Ohio State 12, Valparaiso 10, Texas A&M 8, Rhode Island 3, Stephen F. Austin 2, Oregon 1, Texas 1.

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