Kansas Men's Hoops No. 7 in ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Preseason Poll

Oct. 22, 2010

Kansas men’s basketball is No. 7 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll released Thursday, marking the eighth time in the last 10 seasons the Jayhawks have been ranked seventh or higher in the coaches’ preseason.

Kansas is the six-time defending Big 12 men’s basketball champion entering the 2010-11 season. The Jayhawks have won or tied for 10 of the 14 Big 12 regular-season titles and seven postseason titles. KU returns two starters and 12 letterwinners from last season’s 33-3 team, which went 15-1 in the conference season and won the Big 12 regular-season title and the conference postseason championship.

Last season, KU entered the year No. 1 nationally and held the spot for all but four of the coaches’ polls. The Jayhawks ended the year No. 6 according to the coaches. Since 1993, this is the 14th time Kansas enters the coaches’ preseason poll ranked ninth or higher.

Kansas will face four teams – No. 3 Kansas State, No. 14 Baylor, No. 15 Missouri and No. 25 Texas – which are ranked in the coaches’ preseason poll.

2010-11 ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Preseason Coaches’ Poll

1. Duke

2. Michigan State

3. Kansas State

4. Pittsburgh

5. Ohio State

6. Villanova

7. KANSAS

8. Purdue

9. North Carolina

10. Kentucky

11. Florida

12. Gonzaga

13. Syracuse

14. Baylor

15. Missouri

16. Illinois

17. Washington

18. Butler

19. Memphis

20. Tennessee

21. Georgetown

22. Temple

23. Virginia Tech

24. Wisconsin

25. Texas