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The college basketball is just around the corner, and we now have an official look at how programs across the country stack up against each other. On Monday, the Associated Press announced its first rankings of the 2021-22 season with the preseason AP Top 25 poll.
Despite falling short in the national championship game in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the Gonzaga Bulldogs sit atop the rankings with 55 first-place votes. Defending national champion Baylor, meanwhile, checks in at No. 8.
Sitting in the No. 2 spot is the UCLA Bruins, followed by the Kansas Jayhawks, Villanova Wildcats, and Texas Longhorns to round out the top five.
Where does your favorite team stand as we prepare for another season?
The full preseason AP Top 25 Poll can be seen below.
POLL ALERT: Gonzaga is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 men's basketball poll; UCLA, Kansas, Villanova and Texas round out the top five.
Full poll: https://t.co/ZJG5mgWrsa pic.twitter.com/c8XZq3XW1r
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) October 18, 2021
- Gonzaga (55)
- UCLA (8)
- Kansas
- Villanova
- Texas
- Michigan
- Purdue
- Baylor
- Duke
- Kentucky
- Illinois
- Memphis
- Oregon
- Alabama
- Houston
- Arkansas
- Ohio State
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
- Florida State
- Maryland
- Auburn
- St. Bonaventure
- UConn
- Virginia
Others receiving votes: Michigan State 87, Indiana 41, USC 30, Arizona 26, Virginia Tech 25, Oklahoma State 25, Xavier 22, Texas Tech 17, Richmond 13, Rutgers 11, Colorado State 11, LSU 7, Belmont 7, San Diego State 5, St. John’s 5, Mississippi State 5, Syracuse 5, Drake 4, Colorado 4, BYU 3, Notre Dame 3, Louisville 3
About the Associated Press Top 25 Poll
The Associated Press college basketball poll started on Jan. 20, 1949. The original poll had 20 teams, with Saint Louis the first school to hold the No. 1 ranking. From the 1961-62 season through 1967-68 only 10 teams were ranked. It expanded again to 20 teams from 1968-69 through 1988-89. The Top 25 began the next season, and it has stayed at that number ever since. The AP’s final poll is released after the field for the NCAA Tournament is selected.
