Kansas Men’s Hoops Ranked No. 4 in Preseason Associated Press Poll

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The University of Kansas men’s basketball team is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press (AP) Preseason Poll, which marks the highest preseason ranking for the Jayhawks since entering the 2009-10 season No. 1.
 
This is the third-straight season KU has been ranked No. 5 or higher by the AP. KU was No. 5 in the AP preseason poll in 2014-15 and 2013-14. It is also the sixth time in the last seven seasons that the Jayhawks have entered the season No. 7 or higher by AP.

Under 13-year head coach Bill Self, this is the 10th time that Kansas enters the season ranked seventh or higher in the Associated Press preseason poll and historically, the No. 4 ranking marks the 18th time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas will enter the season seventh or higher.

Last season, KU entered the year No. 5 nationally in the Associated Press poll and ended at No. 10. The AP’s final poll is released prior to the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were ranked in the top 10 for 14 weeks during the 2014-15 season.
 
Kansas has been ranked in each of the last 124 polls dating back to the 2008-09 season which is the second active streak behind Duke at 156. Arizona is third at 60 and Wichita State fourth at 40.

Kansas will play nine regular-season games against teams ranked in the AP preseason poll: No. 2 Kentucky, No. 7 Iowa State (twice), No. 8 Oklahoma (twice), No. 13 Michigan State and No. 22 Baylor (twice). Additionally, KU could play No. 15 Indiana or No. 18 Vanderbilt in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational Nov. 25.

Kansas enters the 2015-16 season No. 5 in the preseason USA Today Coaches’ poll which was released Oct. 15.

Kansas opens its exhibition play when it hosts Pittsburg State Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. (Central) in Allen Fieldhouse. The game can be seen on the Jayhawk Television Network or ESPN3 outside the state of Kansas.

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2015-16 Associated Press Poll
Preseason
Rank – Team (first-place votes) – Points
1. North Carolina (35) 1,566
2. Kentucky (10) 1,520
3. Maryland (14) 1,487
4. KANSAS (5) 1,410
5. Duke 1,350
6. Virginia (1) 1,347
7. Iowa State 1,185
8. Oklahoma 1,088
9. Gonzaga 1,047
10. Wichita State 1,032
11. Villanova 1,013
12. Arizona 917
13. Michigan State 838
14. California 757
15. Indiana 755
16. Utah 499
17. Wisconsin 433
18. Vanderbilt 521
19. Notre Dame 360
20. Connecticut 307
21. LSU 268
22. Baylor 265
23. Purdue 236
24. Butler 223
25. Michigan 126