The smell of College basketball season is in the air. On Monday morning, the preseason Associated Press Top 25 was revealed, signaling that we’re not too far from tipping off in 2023.
“POLL ALERT,” the AP posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, followed by the news that the Kansas Jayhawks top the first edition of the 2023-24 AP Top 25.
The Top 5 features juggernauts Duke, Purdue, and Michigan State, while the fifth-ranked team is the Big East’s Marquette Golden Eagles. At No. 6, the reigning National Champions, the Connecticut Huskies, stand as they prepare for a back-to-back attempt.
Houston, Creighton, Tennessee, and Florida Atlantic all round out the Top 10.
POLL ALERT: Kansas is No. 1 in the AP Top 25 preseason men's basketball poll, followed by Duke and Purdue. See who else got first-place votes with the season coming up fast on Nov. 6.
Full poll: https://t.co/ZJG5mgWrsa pic.twitter.com/ivoQV4MLp2
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) October 16, 2023
Gonzaga, Arizona, Miami (FL), Arkansas, and Texas A&M comprise teams 11-15. From 16 down to 20 stands Kentucky, San Diego State, Texas, North Carolina, and Baylor.
Rounding out the first poll of the season are USC, Villanova, Saint Mary’s (CA), Alabama, and finally, Illinois.
There aren’t too many surprises here, although seeing FAU in the Top 10 is a pretty eye-popping but awesome sight. FAU went on an absurd run last year to the Final Four last year before ultimately falling short of their epic goal. They will once again be a team to watch this season, along with no shortage of big-time bluebloods.
The college basketball world, excited as ever, couldn’t stop talking on Monday.
The two voters the put UConn first are almost certain to be smart, attractive, and well-respected in their communities. https://t.co/M1oYkS74sv
— No Escalators (@NoEscalators) October 16, 2023
Virginia is sixth in receiving votes, essentially making them 31 overall. https://t.co/8jDDmi7kZU
— Caroline Darney (@cwdarney) October 16, 2023
The preseason AP Poll is out! My biggest discrepancies:
I have Miami and Alabama much higher than where they sit currently. Also lower on Gonzaga and Texas A&M https://t.co/njz1xRJf1o
— Brian Rauf (@brauf33) October 16, 2023
The preseason AP poll is out: Kansas opens at No. 1, followed by Duke, Purdue, Michigan State and Marquette. UConn received the fourth-most first-place votes, but is ranked No. 6. https://t.co/onj9bAmMuf
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) October 16, 2023
UConn is ranked #6 in the preseason AP poll… that’s 19 straight weeks UConn is ranked in the top-25… this is just the beginning of a very long streak. The rest of college b-ball should get used to it. https://t.co/GJUSQsgRS4
— Team of the Century (@HuskyCentury) October 16, 2023
[AP]
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022