UWM Men's Basketball Finishes 23rd In Coaches' Poll

April 11, 2005

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has capped off its most successful basketball season ever with the first national ranking in school history.

The Panthers, who finished 26-6 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, were ranked 23rd in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, released today. This is the first time the Panthers have ever appeared in either national poll.

UWM's win over Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Tournament wound up knocking the Crimson Tide out of the rankings, while second-round victim Boston College finished 19th in the rankings. At the time of the tournament wins, both schools were ranked and BC was 12th in the coaches poll, giving the Panthers their first back-to-back wins over ranked foes and their first win over a team ranked as high as 12th.

National champion North Carolina was the unanimous top choice in the final poll, while national runner-up Illinois was second. The Illini knocked UWM out of the tournament in the regional semifinals. UWM regular season opponents Wisconsin (10th) and Kansas (15th) also finished ranked in the final poll.

The Associated Press has not yet released its final poll.