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 (and the pre-season AP Poll rank).
| Year | Champ | Pre | T-7 | T-6 | T-5 | T-4 | T-3 | T-2 | T-1 | T-0 |
| 2024 | 1-Connecticut | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | 4-Connecticut | NR | 19 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
| 2022 | 1-Kansas | 3 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1-Baylor | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1-Virginia | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1-Villanova | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1-North Carolina | 6 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| 2016 | 2-Villanova | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1-Duke | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 2014 | 7-Connecticut | 18 | NR | 22 | 24 | 21 | NR | 19 | 21 | 18 |
| 2013 | 1-Louisville | 2 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1-Kentucky | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | 3-Connecticut | NR | 5 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 9 |
| 2010 | 1-Duke | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 2009 | 1-North Carolina | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1-Kansas | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 2007 | 1-Florida | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| 2006 | 3-Florida | NR | 5 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 11 |
| 2005 | 1-North Carolina | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2004 | 2-Connecticut | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 |
| 2003 | 3-Syracuse | NR | 24 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 13 |
| 2002 | 1-Maryland | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2001 | 1-Duke | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1-Michigan State | 3 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 1999 | 1-Connecticut | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 1998 | 2-Kentucky | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| 1997 | 4-Arizona | 19 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 15 |
| 1996 | 1-Kentucky | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1995 | 1-UCLA | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1994 | 1-Arkansas | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1993 | 1-North Carolina | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1992 | 1-Duke | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1991 | 2-Duke | 6 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| 1990 | 1-UNLV | 1 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 1989 | 3-Michigan | 3 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| 1988 | 6-Kansas | 7 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 1987 | 1-Indiana | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 1986 | 2-Louisville | 9 | 13 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 7 |
| 1985 | 8-Villanova | NR | 14 | 18 | 19 | 16 | NR | NR | NR | NR |