San Diego State cracks Top 25; UConn still No. 1

San Diego State cracked the AP women’s basketball Top 25 for the first time in 14 years, while Connecticut remained a unanimous No. 1 for the 18th consecutive poll.

The Aztecs are ranked No. 23 but will have to prove themselves quickly to stay in the Top 25 with games this week against No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 20 Oklahoma at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.

The Huskies, meanwhile, received all 40 first-place votes Monday from the national media panel. They have been the AP’s top team the past 27 polls.

The first nine teams remain the same after going a combined 19-0 with a 27-point average margin of victory last week. The only game in single digits was Notre Dame’s 68-67 win at then-No. 21 Michigan State.

Stanford was No. 2, followed by No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 North Carolina and Notre Dame. Tennessee was No. 6, followed by LSU, Baylor, Xavier and Duke.

Connecticut breezed through the week with a 25-point win over then-No. 10 Texas followed by an 87-34 rout at Holy Cross. The Huskies have won their three games this season by an average of nearly 50 points. UConn is home for the next month, with a showdown looming against Stanford on Dec. 23.

San Diego State is one of five ranked teams set to play in the Paradise Jam.

“Without question, this tournament and our tournament at the end of the month will be a challenge,” said San Diego State coach Beth Burns, who was coaching the Aztecs when they were last ranked in 1995. “It’s November and we’ll know a lot more where we stand after this upcoming week playing three really good team.”

The Aztecs have four of five starters back from last season’s team that won 20 games for the first time in 12 years. They finished 24-8 and earned their first NCAA bid since 1997.

“We’re excited, as when you’re a young program, anything that gives your team confidence and reinforces and validates the direction you’re going is a good thing,” said Burns.

Texas A&M moved up four spots to No. 11 after wins over Rice and Auburn. The Aggies were followed by Florida State, Texas and Georgia. DePaul and Virginia were tied at 15th.

Arizona State fell three spots to 17th after losing at Xavier on Saturday. The Sun Devils were followed by Kansas. Mississippi State jumped six places to No. 19 after routing Utah Valley and Maryland. The Bulldogs are also playing in the Paradise Jam.

Vanderbilt, California, San Diego State, Pittsburgh, and Michigan State round out the Top 25.

Pittsburgh joined San Diego State as the new entries, with Middle Tennessee and Louisville dropping out.