2014-15 USA Today Coaches’ Poll
Preseason |
|
| Rank – Team (first-place votes) – Points |
| 1. |
Kentucky (24) |
785 |
| 2. |
Arizona (3) |
746 |
| 3. |
Duke (2) |
715 |
| 4. |
Wisconsin (3) |
706 |
| 5. |
KANSAS |
654 |
| 6. |
North Carolina |
598 |
| 7. |
Florida |
568 |
| 8. |
Virginia |
519 |
| 9. |
Louisville |
507 |
| 10. |
Texas |
479 |
| 11. |
Wichita State |
471 |
| 12. |
Villnova |
439 |
| 13. |
Gonzaga |
423 |
| 14. |
Iowa State |
323 |
| 15. |
Connecticut |
292 |
| 16. |
VCU |
259 |
| 17. |
San Diego State |
251 |
| 18. |
Michigan State |
241 |
| 19. |
Oklahoma |
237 |
| 20. |
Ohio State |
223 |
| 21. |
Nebraska |
156 |
| 22. |
SMU |
149 |
| 23. |
Michigan |
139 |
| 24. |
Syracuse |
128 |
| 25. |
Iowa |
56 |
|
|
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball enters the 2014-15 season at No. 5 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll released Oct. 16, marking the 23rd time in the 26-year history of the coaches’ poll the Jayhawks have been ranked.
The ranking is the ninth time in the Bill Self era that the Jayhawks start the season slotted seventh or higher. Self, the three-time national and five-time conference coach of the year, is entering his 12th season at KU where he has a 325-69 (82.5 percent) record.
Kansas is the 10-time defending Big 12 men’s basketball champion, has won or tied for 14 of the 18 Big 12 regular-season titles and has claimed nine postseason titles. KU returns two starters and 10 letterwinners from last season’s 25-10 team, which went 14-4 in conference play, won the Big 12 regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament third round. KU’s recruiting class is ranked No. 3, which includes Cliff Alexander, the co-Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Last season, KU entered the year No. 6 nationally in the coaches’ poll and finished at No. 14 on the final poll. The Jayhawks were ranked in the top-10 for 13 weeks during the 2013-14 season.
In 2014-15, Kansas could potentially play nine games against teams ranked in the preseason coaches’ poll: No. 1 Kentucky, No. 7 Florida, No. 10 Texas (twice), No. 14 Iowa State (twice), No. 18 Michigan State and No. 19 Oklahoma (twice). Along with KU, Michigan State is competing in the Orlando Classic, Nov. 27-30.
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