The preseason Associated Press poll was released today, and it should come as no surprise that Tom Crean’s Indiana Hoosiers lead the way.
Indiana received 43 of the 65 first-place votes, with No. 2 Louisville (20) and No. 3 Kentucky (2) accounting for the others.
The Big Ten claimed three spots in the Top 5, with Ohio State and Michigan landing fourth and fifth.
The last time a conference held three of the top five spots in the preseason AP poll was in 2008-09, when Connecticut (2nd), Louisville (3rd) and Pittsburgh (5th) of the Big East did.
This is the first time that Indiana has received the top spot in the preseason AP poll since the beginning of the 1979-80 season, a group led by Mike Woodson (now head coach of the New York Knicks) and freshman guard Isiah Thomas.
That group finished the season with a 21-8 record (13-5 Big Ten), but they lost to a Joe Barry Carroll-led Purdue team in the 1980 Mideast Regional semis.
The full preseason AP poll:
Rank | School | Votes | Prev Rank |
1 | Indiana 0-0 | 1592 (43) | NR |
2 | Louisville 0-0 | 1568 (20) | NR |
3 | Kentucky 0-0 | 1453 (2) | NR |
4 | Ohio State 0-0 | 1292 | NR |
5 | Michigan 0-0 | 1290 | NR |
6 | North Carolina State 0-0 | 1270 | NR |
7 | Kansas 0-0 | 1210 | NR |
8 | Duke 0-0 | 1094 | NR |
9 | Syracuse 0-0 | 1062 | NR |
10 | Florida 0-0 | 936 | NR |
11 | North Carolina 0-0 | 904 | NR |
12 | Arizona 0-0 | 902 | NR |
13 | UCLA 0-0 | 840 | NR |
14 | Michigan State 0-0 | 789 | NR |
15 | Missouri 0-0 | 664 | NR |
16 | Creighton 0-0 | 622 | NR |
17 | Memphis 0-0 | 539 | NR |
18 | UNLV 0-0 | 488 | NR |
19 | Baylor 0-0 | 486 | NR |
20 | San Diego State 0-0 | 463 | NR |
21 | Gonzaga 0-0 | 384 | NR |
22 | Notre Dame 0-0 | 297 | NR |
23 | Wisconsin 0-0 | 285 | NR |
24 | Cincinnati 0-0 | 120 | NR |
25 | Florida State 0-0 | 101 | NR |
Receiving votes: Murray State 59, Virginia Commonwealth 58, Texas 46, Saint Louis 46, Minnesota 40, Butler 33, Pittsburgh 32, Saint Joseph’s 25, Marquette 23, Tennessee 15, Oklahoma State 14, Kansas State 12, Georgetown 9, New Mexico 9, Ohio 9, Miami (FL) 8, Saint Mary’s 6, West Virginia 6, Davidson 5, Drexel 5, Northern Iowa 5, Valparaiso 3, Stanford 2, Lehigh 2, Colorado State 1, Oral Roberts 1
Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.