1. North Carolina Tar Heels
2. Houston Cougars
3. Kansas Jayhawks
4. Arkansas Razorbacks
5. Gonzaga Bulldogs
To gain expert perspective, we reached out to Andy Katz, NCAA basketball analyst for CBS. Here’s what he had to say:
Q: Any surprises in the top 10?
A: I am a bit surprised by Texas coming in at No. 8. They have a new coach and some key departures, so I expected them to be a little lower.
Q: What do you think of North Carolina at No. 1?
A: They have a lot of talent and experience returning, so I can see why they’re the favorite. But it’s a long season, and there are a lot of other great teams out there.
Q: Which team do you think could challenge North Carolina?
A: I think Houston is a serious contender. They have a great coach in Kelvin Sampson, and they return their entire starting lineup from last year’s Final Four team.
In addition to the top 5, here are some other notable rankings:
- No. 6: Purdue Boilermakers
- No. 7: Kentucky Wildcats
- No. 9: Virginia Cavaliers
- No. 10: Indiana Hoosiers
- No. 11: Arizona Wildcats
- No. 12: Tennessee Volunteers
- No. 13: UCLA Bruins
- No. 14: Creighton Bluejays
- No. 15: Texas Tech Red Raiders
The AP Preseason Top 25 Poll has set the stage for what promises to be an electrifying college basketball season. North Carolina enters the year as the favorite, but there are plenty of other talented teams eager to challenge them. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis as the season unfolds!
