The preseason college basketball USA Today coaches preseason poll was released today with the North Carolina Tar Heels being the expected No. 1 and they were also a near unanimous choice by garnering 30 of the 31. The other first-place vote went to the Kentucky Wildcats.
The Colorado Buffaloes are not in the initial rankings, but the do take on three teams that are ranked in this preseason poll who are No. 16 Arizona Wildcats, No. 20 UCLA Bruins and No. 24 California Golden Bears. There is a possible fourth team in No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament.
The Colorado St. Rams and Air Force Falcons also are not ranked, and are not expected to be ranked all year. Air Force's only ranked team is No. 24 Gonzaga Bulldogs and Colorado State has none. Both schools do face the UNLV Rebels and New Mexico Lobos who are receiving votes.
Here is the complete poll:
|
Rank
|
Team (first-place votes) |
2010 Record
|
Points
|
2010-11 Final Ranking
|
|
|
1.
|
North Carolina (30) |
29-8
|
774
|
8
|
|
|
2.
|
Kentucky (1) |
29-9
|
721
|
3
|
|
|
3.
|
Ohio State |
34-3
|
702
|
5
|
|
|
4.
|
Connecticut |
32-9
|
655
|
1
|
|
|
5.
|
Syracuse |
27-8
|
649
|
18
|
|
|
6.
|
Duke |
32-5
|
635
|
7
|
|
|
7.
|
Vanderbilt |
23-11
|
567
|
NR
|
|
|
8.
|
Louisville |
25-10
|
514
|
22
|
|
|
9.
|
Memphis |
25-10
|
482
|
NR
|
|
|
10.
|
Florida |
29-8
|
474
|
10
|
|
|
11.
|
Pittsburgh |
28-6
|
471
|
12
|
|
|
12.
|
Baylor |
18-13
|
358
|
NR
|
|
|
13.
|
Kansas |
35-3
|
331
|
4
|
|
|
14.
|
Wisconsin |
25-9
|
313
|
15
|
|
|
15.
|
Xavier |
24-8
|
277
|
NR
|
|
|
16.
|
Arizona |
30-8
|
269
|
9
|
|
|
17.
|
Alabama |
24-11
|
194
|
NR
|
|
|
18.
|
Michigan |
21-14
|
187
|
NR
|
|
|
19.
|
Texas A&M |
24-9
|
161
|
NR
|
|
|
20.
|
UCLA |
23-11
|
147
|
NR
|
|
|
21.
|
Marquette |
22-15
|
145
|
20
|
|
|
22.
|
Cincinnati |
26-9
|
141
|
NR
|
|
|
23.
|
Gonzaga |
25-10
|
125
|
NR
|
|
|
24.
|
California |
18-15
|
111
|
NR
|
|
|
25.
|
Missouri |
23-11
|
110
|
NR
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Others receiving votes | |||||
| Florida State (23-11) 108; Texas (28-8) 107; Michigan State (19-15) 73; Temple (26-8) 59; Washington (24-11) 29; Butler (28-10) 25; New Mexico (22-13) 22; Creighton (23-16) 19; Villanova (21-12) 18; Purdue (26-8) 17; UNLV (24-9) 16; West Virginia (21-12) 13; George Mason (27-7) 12; Mississippi State (17-14) 11; St. John's (21-12) 11; Saint Mary's (25-9) 5; Virginia (16-15) 5; Virginia Commonwealth (28-12) 4; Drexel (21-10) 2; Kansas State (23-11) 2; Long Beach State (22-12) 2; Brigham Young (32-5) 1; Notre Dame (27-7) 1. | |||||