Kansas claims top spot in preseason rankings, UConn ranked third

Kansas holds the top spot in the preseason poll released by the Associated Press on Monday, while UConn, the two-time defending national champion, comes in at No. 3.

The Jayhawks received 30 out of 60 first-place votes, with Alabama at No. 2 with 14 votes and UConn at No. 3 with 11 votes. Houston, at No. 4, received four first-place votes, while Gonzaga, at No. 6, received one. Iowa State rounds out the top five.

Duke, Baylor, North Carolina, and Arizona make up the rest of the top 10.

Last season, Kansas was also the preseason No. 1 team, but injuries derailed their season, resulting in a 23-11 record and a second-round loss in the NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Bill Self bolstered the Kansas roster through the transfer portal, adding A.J. Storr (Wisconsin), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State), and Rylan Griffen (Alabama) to a team led by All-American big man Hunter Dickinson and seniors Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams.

\"We are pleased to be ranked No. 1, especially with the return of our key players like Hunter, Dajuan, and KJ, as well as the new additions to our team,\" said Self. \"Our goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the season, so while we welcome this ranking, it is not our ultimate goal.\"

UConn, who lost to Alabama in the Final Four last season, is led by All-American guard Mark Sears and is aiming to become the first program since John Wooden's UCLA dynasty to win three consecutive titles (1967-1973).

The Big 12 conference boasts five teams in the top 10, while the Southeastern Conference leads with nine teams in the top 25.

The remaining teams in the preseason top 25 are:

11. Auburn

12. Tennessee

13. Texas A&M

14. Purdue

15. Creighton

16. Arkansas

17. Indiana

18. Marquette

19. Texas

20. Cincinnati

21. Florida

22. UCLA

23. Kentucky

24. Ole Miss

25. Rutgers