March 6, 1956 AP Poll
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco |
| 2 | North Carolina State |
| 3 | Dayton |
| 4 | Alabama |
| 5 | Iowa |
| 6 | Louisville |
| 7 | Illinois |
| 8 | SMU |
| 9 | Kentucky |
| 10 | UCLA |
| 11 | Vanderbilt |
| 12 | Holy Cross |
| 13 | Temple |
| 14 | West Virginia |
| 15 | North Carolina |
| 16 | Oklahoma City |
| 17 | Houston |
| 18 | Wake Forest |
| 19 | Duke |
| 20 | Utah |