The Associated Press released their first men’s college basketball Top 25 Poll ahead of the upcoming season. Michigan State is the top ranked team, followed by Kentucky and Kansas. ACC powerhouses Duke and UNC were ranked 4th and 9th respectively.
| Rank | Trend | Team | Conference | Record | Points | Game scores | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Michigan State | Big Ten | 32-7 | 1,619(60) | _ | Share |
| 2 | – | Kentucky | SEC | 30-7 | 1,497(2) | _ | Share |
| 3 | – | Kansas | Big 12 | 26-10 | 1,457(3) | _ | Share |
| 4 | – | Duke | ACC | 32-6 | 1,399 | _ | Share |
| 5 | – | Louisville | ACC | 20-14 | 1,386 | _ | Share |
| 6 | – | Florida | SEC | 20-16 | 1,313 | _ | Share |
| 7 | – | Maryland | Big Ten | 23-11 | 1,134 | _ | Share |
| 8 | – | Gonzaga | West Coast | 33-4 | 1,096 | _ | Share |
| 9 | – | North Carolina | ACC | 29-7 | 1,060 | _ | Share |
| 10 | – | Villanova | Big East | 26-10 | 1,048 | _ | Share |
| 11 | – | Virginia | ACC | 35-3 | 1,007 | _ | Share |
| 12 | – | Seton Hall | Big East | 20-14 | 863 | _ | Share |
| 13 | – | Texas Tech | Big 12 | 31-7 | 837 | _ | Share |
| 14 | – | Memphis | American Athletic Conference (AAC) | 22-14 | 773 | _ | Share |
| 15 | – | Oregon | Pac-12 | 25-13 | 742 | _ | Share |
| 16 | – | Baylor | Big 12 | 20-14 | 523 | _ | Share |
| 17 | – | Utah State | Mountain West | 28-7 | 491 | _ | Share |
| 18 | – | Ohio State | Big Ten | 20-15 | 407 | _ | Share |
| 19 | – | Xavier | Big East | 19-16 | 356 | _ | Share |
| 20 | – | Saint Mary’s (Cal) | West Coast | 22-12 | 330 | _ | Share |
| 21 | – | Arizona | Pac-12 | 17-15 | 265 | _ | Share |
| 22 | – | LSU | SEC | 28-7 | 234 | _ | Share |
| 23 | – | Purdue | Big Ten | 26-10 | 230 | _ | Share |
| 24 | – | Auburn | SEC | 30-10 | 210 | _ | Share |
| 25 | – | VCU | Atlantic 10 | 25-8 | 193 | _ | Share |
Others receiving votes:Washington 164, Colorado 152, Tennessee 78, Marquette 68, Florida St. 36, Davidson 34, Harvard 24, Illinois 14, Missouri 13, Mississippi St. 12, Houston 11, Georgetown 11, Cincinnati 8, Notre Dame 7, Creighton 4, Syracuse 3, NC State 3, Vermont 2, Alabama 2, Southern Cal 2, Liberty 2, Michigan 2, Dayton 1, Colgate 1, Providence 1.
More than 60 sports writers and broadcasters of AP-affiliated media from around the country help determine the teams that appear in the polls. All voters have extensive backgrounds in covering college basketball. The team rankings are decided by a points system based on how each voter ranks college basketball’s best teams. A team receives 25 points for each first place vote, 24 for second place and so on through to the 25th team, which receives one point. The rankings are set by listing the teams’ point totals from highest to lowest.
Duke will open their season against 3rd ranked Kansas in the State Farm Champions Classic November 5th. The Tar Heels will tip off their season the very next day in a conference matchup against Notre Dame.