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Preseason College Basketball Rankings: North Carolina A Near Unanimous No. 1 In Coaches Poll

The preseason college basketball rankings are out with North Carolina the overwhelming favorite.

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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.