Purdue makes history at No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports preseason men's basketball poll
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Purdue makes history at No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports preseason men's basketball poll
Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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2 min read
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The start of the college basketball season is right around the corner, and the voters in theUSA TODAY Sports preseason coaches pollhave weighed in on who they think will be the teams to beat this season.
We begin today with the release of the men's poll, where Purdue will open the campaign at No. 1. The Boilermakers, who played for the championship two years ago but are still seeking the program's first national title, received 18 of 31 first-place votes. It is the first ever preseason No. 1 ranking for Purdue.
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Houston, last season's NCAA tournament runner-up, begins this year where the last one ended at No. 2. The Cougars were picked first on 12 ballots and will start a position higher than the school that knocked them off in the most recent title game. That would beFlorida, which will open its championship defense with a No. 3 preseason ranking, though the Gators did pick up one first-place nod. Perennial powers Connecticut and Duke round out the preseason top five.
The rest of the top 10 also includes some names quite familiar to hoops followers. St. John's opens at No. 6 followed by No. 7 Michigan, and Kentucky and Louisville hold down the 9 and 10 spots. Then there's Brigham Young, checking in at No. 8 with its highest preseason ranking.
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Several other usual contenders weren't rated quite as high by the voting panel. Kansas opens at No. 19, its lowest starting point since 2008. Michigan State starts with a wait-and-see No. 21 ranking, and No. 25 North Carolina narrowly avoids missing the preseason poll for the first time since 2005.
No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers (2024-25 record: 24-12)
(Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images)
No. 2 Houston Cougars (2024-25 record: 35-5)
(Trevor Ruszkowski, Imagn Images)
No. 3 Florida Gators (2024-25 record: 36-4)
(Bob Donnan, Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
No. 4 Connecticut Huskies (2024-25 record: 24-11)
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
No. 5 Duke Blue Devils (2024-25 record: 35-4)
(Jaylynn Nash, Imagn Images)
No. 6 St. John's Red Storm (2024-25 record: 31-5)
(Brian Fluharty, Imagn Images)
No. 7 Michigan Wolverines (2024-25 record: 27-10)
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
No. 8 Brigham Young Cougars (2024-25 record: 26-10)
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No.17 Tennessee Volunteers (2024-25 record: 30-8)
(Robert Goddin, Imagn Images)
18/25
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No. 18 Iowa State Cyclones (2024-25 record: 25-10)
(Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images)
19/25
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No.19 Kansas Jayhawks (2024-25 record: 21-13)
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)
20/25
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No. 20 Gonzaga Bulldogs (2024-25 record: 26-9)
(James Snook, Imagn Images)
21/25
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No. 21 Michigan State Spartans (2024-25 record: 30-7)
(Brett Davis, Imagn Images)
22/25
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No. 22 Auburn Tigers (2024-25 record: 32-6)
(Dale Zanine, Imagn Images)
23/25
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No. 23 Creighton Bluejays (2024-25 record: 25-11)
(Jordan Prather, Imagn Images)
24/25
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers (2024-25 record: 27-10)
(Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
25/25
Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.
No. 25 North Carolina Tar Heels (2024-25 record: 23-14)
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
The Power Five basketball conferences dominate the Top 25. The Big 12, Big Ten and SEC each have six ranked teams, with three each from the ACC and Big East.
No. 20 Gonzaga is the lone program from outside those leagues that will begin the year with a number.
