Football

AP Best 25: Kansas receives No. 1 nod ahead of Alabama, UConn in preseason survey

.Kansas was chosen first in the AP Top 25 preseason males's college basketball survey Monday, getting the No. 1 nod on half of the 60 elections from a national media board to begin the season before Alabama and two-time standing up for national champion UConn.Kansas scooped up 30 first-place ballots from the AP board. The Crimson Trend, led by All-American protection Spot Sears and star forward Jarin Stevenson, gained 14 first-place ballots as well as UConn, which is attempting to end up being the first university due to the fact that John Wooden's staffs at UCLA to win 3 direct labels, received 11 first-place ballots and also is actually third.Houston made four first-place ballots as well as is 4th ahead of Iowa Condition, which returns its own best four markers coming from a group that was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Event. Gonzaga received one first-place vote and is sixth.Duke, led through agreement No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg, is seventh in front of Baylor, North Carolina and Arizona in the top 10. The Jayhawks were preseason No. 1 a year ago, too, yet the time rarely went as considered. They were actually debased by injuries as well as strained in Large 12 play, as well as a team led by All-American facility Seeker Dickinson eventually was actually directed by Cincinnati in the association tournament as well as Gonzaga in the 2nd sphere of the NCAA Tournament.Kansas instructor Expense Personal reconstructed in the offseason, landing among the nation's best transfer classes. A.J. Storr of Wisconsin, South Dakota Condition shield Zeke Mayo and Rylan Griffen coming from Alabama become part of an extremely versatile lot joining Dickinson and fellow elders Dajuan Harris and also KJ Adams-- both component of their 2022 national headline squad-- to create a much deeper as well as more skilled crew." Our company accept being No. 1, specifically with our returning players like Seeker, Dajuan and KJ, and after that you incorporate the gamers our company produced," Self mentioned. "The objective is to become No. 1 at the end of the season, and also though our experts accept this, it is not the end goal." The new-look Major 12, which lost Oklahoma as well as Texas yet welcomed Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado, possesses three of the leading five and also 5 of the top 10 in the preseason AP poll. The SEC leads the way with nine in the Top 25." To have three Huge 12 crews in the top five and also 5 in the best 10 just shows how competitive this game will definitely be actually," Personal pointed out. "Yearly our experts talk about the Huge 12 being the toughest seminar in the country as well as along with the four enhancements it became even stronger." No. 11 Rust, Tennessee and also Texas A&ampM start the 2nd 10, complied with through Purdue and also Creighton. John Calipari has Arkansas at No. 16 along with Indiana, Marquette, Texas as well as Cincinnati-- creating its own initial poll look since 2019-- in the best 20. The Boilermakers are actually making an effort to gain a 3rd straight Major 10 headline after the variation of AP player of the year Zach Edey." Our team possess 3 starters back coming from a Last Four staff," Purdue instructor Matt Artist said. "Our experts possess five freshers. Our experts have a great deal of people with adventure outside of those 3 starters. We're thrilled regarding it. We are actually thrilled regarding this team." Florida, UCLA, Kentucky, Ole Miss and also Rutgers round out the preseason Leading 25." I'm enthusiastic concerning the assumptions," claimed Rutgers trainer Steve Pikiell, whose crew is actually positioned in the preseason poll for the very first time given that 1978. "Our experts constantly had higher assumptions, and right now in an organization with 18 teams, you know, folks are actually saying, 'Just how good are you? There [are] 18 crews. They are actually great instructors.' I do not understand where our team sit. If you involved our practice the other day, you will point out, 'Oh, child.' And also if you came a couple of days previously, you could think, 'Hey, they're going to be actually good.'" [Read more: College basketball positions: Kansas, UConn, Alabama rest atop John Fanta's preseason best 25] Illinois is leadings among others acquiring ballots after connecting with cream of the crop 8. Rick Pitino possesses St. John's on the residence together with Xavier, Texas Technology as well as Wake Forest. The first regular-season poll schedules out Nov. 11. Four institutions that have actually never ever shown up in the Best 25 acquired preseason votes, led through McNeese State, which got back to the NCAA Tournament last time. Minimal Stone, Grand Gulch and High Point likewise acquired votes.Here's the complete leading 25:1. Kansas2. Alabama3. UConn4. Houston5. Iowa State6. Gonzaga7. Duke8. Baylor9. North Carolina10. Arizona11. Auburn12. Tennessee13. Texas A&ampM 14. Purdue15. Creighton16. Arkansas17. Indiana18. Marquette19. Texas20. Cincinnati21. Florida22. UCLA23. Kentucky24. Ole Miss25. RutgersReporting by The Associated Press. [Want great accounts provided right to your inbox? Produce or visit to your FOX Athletics profile, adhere to leagues, staffs and gamers to get a tailored newsletter daily.] Get more coming from College Baseball Observe your faves to obtain info concerning activities, news and also even more.