Kansas No. 3 in preseason USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball enters the 2017-18 season No. 3 in the USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll released Thursday. This is the third straight year the Jayhawks have opened the season in the top five.
Kansas is ranked in the preseason for the 26th time in time in the 29-year history of the poll. The No 3 ranking marks the eighth time KU has been preseason No. 3 or higher in the coaches’ poll. Additionally, it is the 12th time in the Bill Self era the Jayhawks have been preseason seventh or higher, including each of the last six seasons.
All four teams in the Nov. 14 Champions Classic are ranked in the top four of the coaches’ poll with No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 Kentucky. Last year, KU pulled a rarity and defeated the three other Champions Classic teams during the season.
Kansas will play 12 games against teams ranked or receiving votes in the coaches’ preseason poll this season.
In 2016-17 Kansas opened the year No. 2 in the preseason coaches’ poll and ended No. 4.
2017-18 USA TODAY Coaches Poll (preseason)
Rank. Team (first-place votes) – points
1. Duke (20) – 774
2. Michigan State (9) – 747
3. KANSAS – 723
4. Kentucky – 678
5. Arizona (2) – 654
6. Villanova – 623
7. Florida (1) – 549
8. Wichita State – 543
9. North Carolina – 515
10. West Virginia – 458
11. USC – 396
12. Miami – 383
13. Cincinnati – 349
14. Notre Dame – 305
15. Minnesota – 303
16. Louisville – 295
17. Xavier – 284
18. UCLA – 275
19. Gonzaga – 242
20. Northwestern – 208
21. Purdue – 167
22. Saint Mary’s – 152
23. Seton Hall – 139
24. Baylor – 107
25. Alabama – 82
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 76, Virginia 57, Butler 43, Missouri 35, TCU 32, Rhode Island 31, Wisconsin 21, Providence 21, Maryland 20, Oklahoma 19, Oakland 19, Texas 13, Michigan 13, Virginia Tech 12, Oregon 12, SMU 6, Creighton 6, Georgia Tech 3, Georgia 3, Harvard 2, Arkansas 2, Florida State 1, Nevada 1, South Carolina.
FOLLOW
@KUHoops
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
