(Getty)
The first men’s preseason college basketball poll has been released, and it’s a tie atop the rankings between storied bluebloods Kentucky and North Carolina.
UNC, which received one more first-place vote (12), returns 9 of 10 players who averaged 10.0 minutes per game last season, led by NCAA Player of the Year candidate Marcus Paige. By stark contrast, John Calipari will once again reload with a stacked freshman class that features 5-star standouts Skal Labissiere, Canadian sensation Jamal Murray and Isaiah Briscoe.
Maryland, defending national champion Duke and 11-time defending Big-12 champ Kansas all received at least one first-place vote, as well.
Here’s a look at the complete Top 25, courtesy of NCAA.com. Note, first-place votes are in parenthesis, and the number after the team is total voting points.
1. Kentucky (11): 749
1. North Carolina (12): 749
3. Maryland (5): 723
4. Duke (3): 686
5. Kansas (1): 675
6. Virginia: 667
7. Iowa St.: 541
8. Oklahoma: 520
9. Villanova:498
10. Arizona: 477
11. Gonzaga: 468
12. Wichita St.: 461
13. Michigan St.: 386
14. California: 350
15. Indiana: 312
16. Utah: 250
17. Wisconsin: 181
18. Notre Dame: 172
19. Louisiana State: 163
20. Vanderbilt: 153
21. Baylor: 145
22. Butler: 132
23. West Virginia: 125
24. Purdue: 110
24. Connecticut: 110