🏀 Kansas No. 3 In Preseason USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Like it was in preseason Associated Press poll released earlier this month, the Kansas men’s basketball team is ranked No. 3 in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll released Oct. 27.

Gonzaga received 29 first-place votes in the poll and is preseason No. 1, while UCLA is No. 2 with two first-place votes. Kansas is No. 3, followed by No. 4 Villanova and No. 5 Texas.

This is the eighth-straight year the Jayhawks have opened the season in the top-five and KU is ranked in the preseason for the 30th time in time in the 33-year history of the poll. With the preseason ranking, Kansas has 577 all-time appearances in the poll, including 312 in the top five.

The No. 3 ranking marks the 11th time KU has been preseason No. 3 or higher in the coaches’ poll, including five of the last six years (No. 2 in 2016-17, No. 3 in 2017-18, No. 1 in 2018-19, No. 3 in 2019-20 and No. 3 in 2021-22). Additionally, it is the 16th time in the Bill Self era the Jayhawks have been preseason seventh or higher, including each of the last 10 seasons.

Kansas could potentially play 15 games against teams ranked or receiving votes in the coaches’ preseason poll this season. Those include: No. 5 Texas (twice), No. 8 Baylor (twice), No. 11 Kentucky, No. 13 Alabama; and receiving votes: Michigan State, Texas Tech (twice), West Virginia (twice), Oklahoma State (twice), Drake and Colorado. Alabama and Drake are potential opponents in the ESPN Events Invitational, Nov. 25, 26 and 28 in Orlando, Florida.

In 2020-21 Kansas opened the year No. 5 in the preseason coaches’ poll and ended No. 16.

2021-22 USA TODAY Coaches Poll (preseason)

Rank. Team – First Place Votes (points)

  1. Gonzaga (29) – 771
  2. UCLA (2) – 709
  3. KANSAS – 705
  4. Villanova – 658
  5. Texas – 634
  6. Michigan – 627
  7. Purdue – 578
  8. Baylor – 542
  9. Duke – 490
  10. Illinois – 466
  11. Kentucky – 438
  12. Oregon – 382
  13. Alabama – 360
  14. Houston – 343
  15. Arkansas – 340
  16. Memphis – 337
  17. Tennessee – 280
  18. Ohio State – 280
  19. Florida State – 225
  20. North Carolina – 224
  21. Maryland – 150
  22. Auburn – 87
  23. UConn – 73
  24. St. Bonaventure – 71
  25. Virginia – 60

Others receiving votes: Michigan State 55, Texas Tech 46, USC 38, West Virginia 18, Indiana 13, Loyola Chicago 9, Virginia Tech 9, Oklahoma State 8, Arizona 8, Creighton 7, Syracuse 6, Colorado State 5, Drake 4, Iowa 3, Richmond 3, Notre Dame 3, Rutgers 2, LSU 2, Colorado 2, Xavier 1, Nevada 1, Butler 1, Boise State 1

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