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Kansas is No. 1 and Kentucky No. 2 in the pre-season AP Poll Top 25, released Monday. This is the first time since the 2009-2010 season that the Jayhawks start the season at the top of the AP poll and only the third time in the history of the program, the other event occurring in 2004- 2005.
The two previous times, KU opened the season at No. 1 and failed to beat the Sweet 16 of the Big Dance.
Kansas is not unanimously the number 1 at the opening of the season. In total, seven teams collected the votes in the first place of voters. Kansas with 37, Kentucky with 19, Gonzaga with 1, Duke with 4, Virginia with 2, Tennessee with 1 and defending champion of the NCAA, Villanova with 1.
The Bill Self Jayhawks have both Lawrence's experience and young talents, giving them a realistic chance to win their 15th consecutive Big 12 title or more. Back is comprised of Udoka Azuibuike, Lagerald Vick, Marcus Garrett and Mitch Lightfoot, as well as new eligible transfers, such as the excellent Memphis veteran, Dedric Lawson, and the excellent Cal impressive, Charlie Moore. The No. 5 recruiting class in the country, starring Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson, five-star, only adds to the hype that it will bring to the season.
Gonzaga, Duke and Virginia complete the top five of the pre-season behind Kansas and Kentucky. Below is an overview of the top 25, with first place votes in parentheses.
AP Top 25
| Rank | School | Last season | Points | previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas (37) | 31-8 | 1,581 | 4 |
| 2 | Kentucky (19) | 26-11 | 1,529 | 18 |
| 3 | Gonzaga (1) | 32-5 | 1,461 | 8 |
| 4 | Duc (4) | 29-8 | 1,452 | 9 |
| 5 | Virginia (2) | 31-3 | 1,286 | 1 |
| 6 | Tennessee (1) | 26-9 | 1,268 | 13 |
| 7 | Nevada | 29-8 | 1,230 | 24 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 26-11 | 1,221 | ten |
| 9 | Villanova (1) | 36-4 | 1,085 | 2 |
| ten | Michigan State | 30-5 | 1,024 | 5 |
| 11 | Auburn | 26-8 | 974 | 19 |
| 12 | Kansas State | 25-12 | 922 | – |
| 13 | West Virginia | 26-11 | 678 | 15 |
| 14 | Oregon | 23-13 | 638 | – |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 21-12 | 630 | – |
| 16 | Syracuse | 23-14 | 620 | – |
| 17 | State of Florida | 23-12 | 530 | – |
| 18 | State of Mississippi | 25-12 | 451 | – |
| 19 | Michigan | 33-8 | 437 | 7 |
| 20 | TCU | 21-12 | 311 | – |
| 21 | UCLA | 21-12 | 297 | – |
| 22 | Clemson | 25-10 | 268 | 20 |
| 23 | LSU | 18-15 | 187 | – |
| 24 | Purdue | 30-7 | 170 | 11 |
| 25 | Washington | 21-13 | 165 | – |
Others receiving votes: Loyola-Chicago 162, Marquette 124, Indiana 98, Florida 71, Nebraska 35, Maryland 28, Wisconsin 24, Notre Dame 22, Cincinnati 21, UCF 15, Alabama 15, Arizona 14, Buffalo 14, Louisville 11, Miami 10, San Diego State 9, Texas Tech 6, Southern Cal 6, Butler 6, Texas 5, St. John's 3, Arizona State 3, Providence 2, Xavier 2, Davidson 1, Missouri 1, Marshall 1, NC State 1.
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