Kansas No. 5 in USA TODAY Coaches’ Preseason Poll

LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the second-consecutive season, Kansas men’s basketball enters the 2015-16 season at No. 5 with one first-place vote in the USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll released Thursday. This marks the 24th time in the 27-year history of the coaches’ poll the Jayhawks have been ranked in the preseason.

The ranking is the 10th time in the Bill Self era that the Jayhawks enter the season slotted seventh or higher, including each of the last four seasons – No. 5 in 2015-16 and 2014-15, No. 6 in 2013-14, and No. 7 in 2012-13. Self is entering his 13th season at KU where he has a 352-78 (.819) record.

Kansas, the 11-time defending Big 12 men’s basketball regular season champion, has won or tied for 15 of the 19 Big 12 regular-season titles and nine postseason titles. KU returns 11 letterwinners, including four starters, from last season’s 27-9 team, which went 13-5 in conference play and won the Big 12 regular-season title.

Last season, KU entered the year No. 5 nationally in the coaches’ poll and ended up No. 17. The Jayhawks were ranked in the top 10 in 12 times during the 2014-15 season.

Kansas is scheduled to play 10 games against teams ranked in the 2015-16 preseason coaches’ poll: No. 1 Kentucky, No. 7 Iowa State (twice), No. 8 Oklahoma (twice), No. 13 Michigan State, No. 21 Baylor (twice) and No. 21 West Virginia (twice). Additionally, KU could play No. 15 Indiana or No. 20 Vanderbilt in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.

Last season, Kansas played an all-time high 16 games against ranked opponents and its 10 victories against those foes were also a season best.

    1. ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll (preseason)

Rank – Team (first place votes) – points
1. Kentucky (11) – 74
1. North Carolina (12) – 749
3. Maryland (5) – 723
4. Duke (3) – 686
5. KANSAS (1) – 675
6. Virginia – 667
7. Iowa State – 541
8. Oklahoma – 520
9. Villanova – 498
10. Arizona – 477
11. Gonzaga – 468
12. Wichita State – 461
13. Michigan State – 386
14. California – 350
15. Indiana – 312
16. Utah – 250
17. Wisconsin – 181
18. Notre Dame – 172
19. LSU – 163
20. Vanderbilt – 153
21. Baylor – 145
22. Butler – 132
23. West Virginia – 125
24. Connecticut – 110
24. Purdue – 110

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