12:18 PM ET
Associated Press
North Carolina amazed conscionable astir everyone past twelvemonth erstwhile a talented squad led by first-year manager Hubert Davis parlayed a No. 8 effect successful the NCAA tourney into a tally to the nationalist rubric game.
The Tar Heels won't beryllium sneaking up connected anyone this year.
With 4 starters backmost from the squad that mislaid to Kansas successful New Orleans, the Tar Heels are the runaway prime arsenic the preseason No. 1 successful the AP Top 25 released Monday. They earned 47 of 62 first-place votes from a nationalist media sheet to easy outdistance Gonzaga, the apical preseason squad the past 2 years.
The Bulldogs received 12 first-place votes portion No. 3 Houston had 1 and fourth-ranked Kentucky the different two.
"As they opened up their lockers for the archetypal signifier of past year, determination was a representation of the New Orleans Superdome successful there. I wanted them to spot wherever we were headed successful April," Davis recalled past week. "The hard enactment and preparation, the signifier that had to beryllium enactment into spot to enactment ourselves successful presumption to bash that. It's the aforesaid attack this twelvemonth compared to past year. The lone quality this twelvemonth is the extracurricular noise.
"Last year," Davis said, "the extracurricular sound didn't deliberation we had a chance. The extracurricular sound this twelvemonth thinks we do."
It is the 10th clip that North Carolina has been preseason No. 1, breaking a necktie with Duke for the astir successful the past of the AP poll. But lone doubly during those years did the Tar Heels scope the nationalist title game, and lone the 1981-82 squad with James Worthy and Michael Jordan yet chopped down the nets.
"Like Coach Davis ever preaches, a batch of extracurricular noise, and we don't truly interest astir immoderate of that," said Caleb Love, 1 of the 4 returning starters for North Carolina on with R.J. Davis, Leaky Black and Armando Bacot.
"We conscionable absorption connected our team," Love said, "and america getting amended each and each day."
The Bulldogs volition erstwhile again thin connected Drew Timme to present manager Mark Few his elusive nationalist title. Houston has its highest preseason ranking since 1983, erstwhile the 3rd of the Cougars' Phi Slama Jama teams reached its 2nd consecutive rubric game. Kentucky has its champion preseason fertile since 2019, erstwhile the play ended amid the pandemic.
There was a necktie astatine No. 5 betwixt the Jayhawks, who raised their latest nationalist rubric banner wrong Allen Fieldhouse earlier this month, and Big 12 rival Baylor, which raised its ain title banner the erstwhile season.
Duke, wherever Jon Scheyer replaced Hall of Fame manager Mike Krzyzewski, was ranked seventh and UCLA eighth. Creighton has its champion preseason ranking astatine No. 9, followed by Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, TCU and Auburn.
"You don't wage a batch attraction to it erstwhile you're picked ninth," Bluejays manager Greg McDermott said. "You spell to enactment each time and effort to get amended each day. It's important we attack it the aforesaid this year."
The No. 13 Hoosiers person their archetypal ranking since January 2019 and highest successful the preseason since 2016.
Villanova, wherever Kyle Neptune is taking implicit for Hall of Fame manager Jay Wright, is No. 16, the lowest preseason ranking for the Wildcats since 2008. They were followed by Arizona, Virginia, San Diego State and Alabama.
The last 5 are Oregon, Michigan, Illinois, Dayton and Texas Tech.
"When I was successful schoolhouse arsenic a player, I ne'er bought into the rankings, what the media would accidental astir our shot club. You inactive got to spell retired and play the game," Hoosiers manager Mike Woodson said. "Hell, my elder twelvemonth we were ranked No. 1 and we didn't get it done. So astatine the extremity of the time I conjecture it's benignant of bully for our players who haven't experienced that. Again, you got to spell retired and play. I mean, you got to beryllium it connected the hoops floor. That's erstwhile it counts."
CONFERENCE WATCH
The Big 12 and SEC pb the mode with 5 ranked teams. The Big Ten, Pac 12 and ACC person 3 apiece and the Big East has two. The West Coast, Atlantic 10, Mountain West and American Athletic conferences each person 1 squad successful the poll.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
Texas A&M was the archetypal squad extracurricular the poll, followed by UConn, which appeared connected 24 of 62 ballots. Miami, Purdue and Saint Louis were besides eyeing a spot successful the Top 25 erstwhile the archetypal regular-season canvass is released Nov. 14.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
The play begins for astir teams Nov. 7, but arsenic usual, the archetypal gathering of heavyweights volition beryllium the Champions Classic connected Nov. 15 successful Indianapolis: No. 4 Kentucky plays Michigan State, unranked successful the preseason canvass for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row, earlier No. 5 Kansas plays No. 7 Duke successful the nightcap.
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