Kansas No. 4 in preseason Associated Press poll, extending ranked streak
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Receiving one first-place vote, the Kansas men’s basketball team is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press (AP) Preseason Poll, the AP released Wednesday. Kansas has been ranked in each of the last 162 AP polls dating back to Feb. 3, 2009, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I.
The AP ranking marks the fifth consecutive year the Jayhawks have been preseason ranked fifth of higher and the third straight at No. 4 or higher. KU was No. 3 last season in the AP preseason poll, No. 4 in 2015-16 and No. 5 in 2014-15 and 2013-14. It is also the eighth time in the last nine seasons that the Jayhawks have entered the season No. 7 or higher by the AP.
Under 15th-year and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, this is the 12th time that Kansas enters the season ranked seventh or higher in the Associated Press preseason poll and historically, the No. 4 ranking marks the 20th time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas will enter the season seventh or higher.
Last season, KU entered the year No. 3 nationally in the Associated Press poll and ended at No. 3. The AP’s final poll is released prior to the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks have been ranked No. 8 or higher in each of the last 38 AP polls over the two seasons.
Kansas will play six regular-season games against teams ranked in the AP preseason poll: No. 5 Kentucky, No. 11 West Virginia (twice), No. 24 Baylor (twice) and No. 25 Texas A&M.
Kansas enters the 2017-18 season No. 3 in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches’ poll which was released Oct. 19.
Kansas concludes exhibition play when it hosts Fort Hays State Tuesday, Nov. 7 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.
2017-18 Associated Press Preseason Poll (Nov. 1, 2017)
Rank. School (first place votes) – points
1. Duke (33) – 1572
2. Michigan St. (13) – 1520
3. Arizona (18) – 1506
4. KANSAS (1) – 1439
5. Kentucky – 1340
6. Villanova – 1284
7. Wichita St. – 1270
8. Florida – 1100
9. North Carolina – 1047
10. Southern Cal – 995
11. West Virginia – 840
12. Cincinnati – 837
13. Miami – 836
14. Notre Dame – 814
15. Minnesota – 642
16. Louisville – 570
17. Xavier – 544
18. Gonzaga – 500
19. Northwestern – 473
20. Purdue – 362
21. UCLA – 340
22. Saint Mary’s – 333
23. Seton Hall – 274
24. Baylor – 163
25. Texas A&M – 130
Others receiving votes: Alabama 86, Virginia 57, Rhode Island 49, TCU 46, Providence 34, Missouri 19, Virginia Tech 16, Wisconsin 14, Butler 13, Texas 10, Maryland 7, Oklahoma 7, Nevada 7, Michigan 6, Dayton 5, Middle Tennessee 4, Ball St. 4, SMU 3, Oakland 2, Oregon 2, South Carolina 1, Harvard 1, UCF 1.
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