Kansas will enter the college basketball season next month as the No. 1 team in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Polls. The former poll was released last week and the latter was released on Wednesday, with the Jayhawks earning 15 of a possible 31 first-place votes.
Alabama and UConn came in at No. 2 and No. 3 in the poll with six first-place votes and a total of 718 and 717 total points, respectively. Houston was the only other team to earn a first-place vote with four — and it ranked No. 4 in the poll. Duke rounded out the top five at No. 5.
The rest of the top 10 in the Coaches Poll looks similar to the AP Top 25 rankings released last week with Iowa State, Gonzaga, Baylor, Arizona and North Carolina making up the Nos. 6-10 spots. The only major difference between the polls is Duke sitting at No. 7 in the AP Top 25 but No. 5 in the Coaches Poll and Iowa State sitting at No. 5 in the AP Top 25 but No. 6 in the Coaches Poll. Gonzaga is also one slot higher in the AP Top 25 than the Coaches Poll.
Kansas began last season ranked No. 1 in the preseason Coaches Poll Top 25 but finished No. 21 in the final poll after a 23-11 season that failed to live up to expectations. KU under coach Bill Self was also ranked No. 1 in the preseason Coaches Poll ahead of the 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2018-19 seasons.
Preseason Coaches Poll Top 25
1. Kansas (15)
2. Alabama (6)
3. UConn (6)
4. Houston (4)
5. Duke
6. Iowa State
7. Gonzaga
8. Baylor
9. Arizona
10. North Carolina
11. Auburn
12. Tennessee
13. Purdue
14. Creighton
15. Texas A&M
16. Arkansas
17. Marquette
18. Indiana
19. Texas
20. Cincinnati
21. Florida
22. UCLA
23. Kentucky
24. Illinois
25. Ole Miss
Others receiving votes: Texas Tech 60; Rutgers 57; St. John’s 42; Xavier 26; Michigan State 25; Oregon 16; BYU 16; Kansas State 11; Saint Mary’s 9; Boise State 9; Clemson 8; Ohio State 7; Dayton 7; Maryland 4; Grand Canyon 3; Wake Forest 2; Virginia 2; San Diego State 2; Princeton 2; Mississippi State 2; Wisconsin 1;
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