By Mel Greenberg
Duke and former Texas coach Gail Goestenkors finally parted ways in terms of the Associated Press women's basketball poll Monday when the weekly rankings were announced.
Although after last season she left the Blue Devils for the Longhorns of Texas, another program with a prominent poll history, both Duke and Goestenkors had continued together on one of the longer current streaks in the rankings because of Texas' listing since week one back in November.
On Monday, Duke made it to consecutive week number 197, but Goestenkors, whose overall total is at 240 appearances, did not when the national media panel ejected Texas.
Both streaks would be a little longer had not the Blue Devils and their former coach missed the final poll of the 1996-97 season. That stopped a streak of 44 straight appearances together, beginning with week 10 of the 1995-96 season.
Joseph Joins Elite Company With Georgia Tech
When Georgia Tech joined the rankings for the first time since Jan. 19, 1993, the Yellow Jackets enabled its current coach MaChelle Joseph to enjoy an elite category
A former star at Purdue, Joseph became the 23rd woman to both play for a team ranked in the AP Poll and now also coach one.
Ironically, on the way through the door, Joseph passed Colorado coach Kathy McConnell-Miller going in the other direction when the Buffs slipped out of the poll.
She had qualified for the list several weeks ago as a former member of an AP ranked team at Virginia.
Syracuse Becomes A Poll Debutante
When Syracuse earned its first-ever ranking Monday, the Orange became one of the few women's programs never to have been previously listed from the same school that has had a long history of appearances by the men's team.
Speaking of gender, obviously Orange coach Quentin Hillsman is ineligible for the AP women's coach-player category.
Syracuse becomes the 143rd team to be ranked since the first poll of the 1976-77 season.
The Orange are also the last of the original Big East schools to crack the weekly AP list.
Joseph's and Hillsman, by way of ranking entry, become the 222nd and 223rd coaches with teams in the rankings.
As far as total Big East history in the poll, South Florida, which flirted with an entry last season, is the only current member never to have been ranked. Cincinnati has been ranked, but previously as a member of Conference-USA.
Overall 17 teams made the list as Big East members, including Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, which are now members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
By comparison, every Big Ten school current school has appeared as part of the Big Ten, although Penn State's history also includes former membership in the Atlantic Ten.
Every Pac-10 school has been ranked except Washington State.
The entire Big 12 has made the list with membership currency in the conference.
Every current Atlantic Coast Conference team has been ranked but Miami is the only member to earn its appearance elsewhere.
Other Notable Numbers
If Connecticut beats Notre Dame on Sunday, the Huskies will become the second team in poll history to be No. 1 at least 100 times. The other is Tennessee, which has 111 appearances at the top.
Rutgers tied Penn State this week at 18th for total number of Top Five appearances at 43. That's just two behind Vanderbilt, at 45.
The Scarlet Knights are tied with Baylor at 10th place with 59 appearances this decade, just two behind Georgia, and three behind Louisiana Tech.
Rutgers is also eighth in all-time Top 10 appearances, at two behind Old Dominion at 177. Maryland just moved into ninth place at 167 in the category.
The Scarlet Knights are also ninth in total AP appearance at 309, which is two behind LSU.
Maryland just broke a tie with ACC-rival Virginia and took over 13th place at 293.
-- Mel
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