“Everyone on this list is hungry”: Hoops fans excited for March Madness after Hannah Hidalgo’s Notre Dame triumph UCLA in latest AP top 25 poll

The latest AP Top 25 poll for the week has been released and this time around, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are on top. Led by spitfire guards Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, the team has propelled themselves as the No. 1 program in the country, edging out the UCLA Bruins who have held it for some time now.

This comes after the Niele Ivey-coached team defeated the unranked Pittsburgh Panthers 88-57 on Thursday. This was their 14th straight Atlantic Coast Conference victory, extending their undefeated run. @brwsports shared the announcement on Monday via their Instagram account.

According to the stats, this is the first time since 2019 that Notre Dame is ranked No. 1. College basketball fans flooded the comment section, expressing how eager they are to watch this year's upcoming March Madness.

"Everyone on this list is hungry. March is gonna be a movie," one fan claimed.

(image credits: @brwsports on Instagram)

"March Madness is going to be crazy. I can't wait!," another user shared.

(image credits: @brwsports on Instagram)

"March Madness is going to be crazy!!!," a user exclaimed with basketball emojis.

(image credits: @brwsports on Instagram)

"Olivia and Hannah Hildalgo are so fun to watch," another commented.

(image credits: @brwsports on Instagram)

The Notre Dame faithful believe that Hidalgo and Co. truly deserve the top spot now with their recent strings of success.

"Notre Dame is a force. They deserve it. One of my Final 4 picks," one user said.

(image credits: @brwsports on Instagram)

"They beat Texas, UConn, and USC. They deserve it," another user wrote.

(image credits: @brwsports on Instagram)

"They deserve it, best duo out," a user posted.

(image credits: @brwsports on Instagram)

"Wow, what a change," another user reacted.

(image credits: @brwsports on Instagram)

On Monday, the Fighting Irish added another win toppling the Duke Blue Devils by a 15-marker margin, 64-49. Hidalgo once again led the way with a game-high 19 markers, four rebounds and three assists while playing 39 minutes.

Notre Dame inches closer to finishing the season on top

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have four remaining games of the 2024-2025 regular season against one ranked opponent and three unranked ones. On Thursday, they'll face the Miami Hurricanes on the road, followed by an away game against the No. 13-ranked NC State Wolfpack.

Their last two matchups of the campaign will be consecutive home games against the Florida State Seminoles on Feb. 27, and the Louisville Cardinals on March 2. The last time the program ever won the national title was in 2018, as finishing with the top spot could help their bid for a national championship berth.