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College Basketball Season Heats Up with Preseason Rankings

The Associated Press has released its highly anticipated Top 25 preseason men’s basketball poll, and Kansas has taken the top spot. The Jayhawks received 30 first-place votes from a national media panel, edging out Alabama and two-time defending national champion UConn.

A New Era in College Basketball

The upcoming season promises to be one of the most exciting in recent years, with several top-ranked teams vying for the championship title. The Big 12 conference is particularly strong, with three teams in the top five and five in the top 10. The SEC also boasts an impressive nine ranked teams.

Kansas Aims for Redemption

After a disappointing season last year, Kansas coach Bill Self has retooled his team with a talented transfer class, including AJ Storr, Zeke Mayo, and Rylan Griffen. The Jayhawks are determined to prove themselves as a top contender this season.

Other Top Contenders

Alabama, led by All-America guard Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson, earned 14 first-place votes and is ranked second. UConn, which is seeking to become the first school since John Wooden’s UCLA teams to win three straight titles, received 11 first-place votes and is third. Houston, Iowa State, and Gonzaga round out the top six.

Coaches Weigh In

“We welcome being No. 1, especially with our returning players like Hunter, Dajuan, and KJ,” said Kansas coach Bill Self. “The goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the season, and though we welcome this, it is not the end goal.”

Purdue coach Matt Painter added, “We have three starters back from a Final Four team. We have five freshmen. We have a lot of guys with experience outside of those three starters. We’re excited about it. We’re excited about this group.”

The Full Rankings

Here are the top 25 teams in the Associated Press preseason poll:

1. Kansas (30)
2. Alabama (14)
3. UConn (11)
4. Houston (4)
5. Iowa State
6. Gonzaga (1)
7. Duke
8. Baylor
9. North Carolina
10. Arizona
11. Auburn
12. Tennessee
13. Texas A&M
14. Purdue
15. Creighton
16. Arkansas
17. Indiana
18. Marquette
19. Texas
20. Cincinnati
21. Florida
22. UCLA
23. Kentucky
24. Ole Miss
25. Rutgers

The college basketball season is set to tip off on November 11, with the first regular-season poll due out on the same day.