Since 1988, all but three of the NCAA Tournament winners were ranked in the top 12 of the AP poll 7 weeks before the first round of the tournament.
The following table shows the AP Poll rank for the championship team each week leading up to the NCAA Tournament.
| Year | Champ | T-7 | T-6 | T-5 | T-4 | T-3 | T-2 | T-1 |
| 2023 | Connecticut | 24 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
| 2022 | Kansas | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| 2021 | Baylor | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2019 | Virginia | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | Villanova | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2017 | North Carolina | 9 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| 2016 | Villanova | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 2015 | Duke | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 2014 | Connecticut | NR | 22 | 24 | 21 | NR | 19 | 21 |
| 2013 | Louisville | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 4 |
| 2012 | Kentucky | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | Connecticut | 5 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 21 |
| 2010 | Duke | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 2009 | North Carolina | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 | Kansas | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 2007 | Florida | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| 2006 | Florida | 5 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 11 |
| 2005 | North Carolina | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2004 | Connecticut | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 |
| 2003 | Syracuse | 24 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 |
| 2002 | Maryland | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2001 | Duke | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 2000 | Michigan State | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 1999 | Connecticut | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 1998 | Kentucky | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| 1997 | Arizona | 11 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 12 |
| 1996 | Kentucky | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1995 | UCLA | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1994 | Arkansas | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993 | North Carolina | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1992 | Duke | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1991 | Duke | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| 1990 | UNLV | 5 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 1989 | Michigan | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 8 |
| 1988 | Kansas | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 1987 | Indiana | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1986 | Louisville | 13 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 11 |
| 1985 | Villanova | 14 | 18 | 19 | 16 | NR | NR | NR |