The preseason AP top 25 rankings for the 2016-17 NCAA men’s basketball season were released on Monday, with Duke being an overwhelming top pick..
The AP Poll has released its official preseason poll for the 2016-17 NCAA men’s college basketball season.
Not surprisingly, the Duke Blue Devils sit atop the poll thanks to their remarkable mix of exceptional young talent and seasoned veterans. Harry Giles, Marques Bolden, Frank Jackson and Jayson Tatum compose Duke’s youthful core, while the likes of Grayson Allen and Amile Jefferson provide the team with experienced players who have been through the trenches.
Following closely behind are the Kentucky Wildcats, headlined by their own cluster of five-star freshmen in Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo and Wenyen Gabriel.
Kansas, defending champion Villanova and Oregon round out the top five, with national runner-up North Carolina sitting just outside the top five at No. 6.
The ACC and Big Ten lead the way with five teams apiece in the preseason AP top 25. Below is how the entire poll looks.
- Duke Blue Devils – 1,612 points
- Kentucky Wildcats – 1,479
- Kansas Jayhawks – 1,476
- Villanova Wildcats – 1,465
- Oregon Ducks – 1,343
- North Carolina Tar Heels – 1,314
- Xavier Musketeers – 1,167
- Virginia Cavaliers – 1,149
- Wisconsin Badgers – 1,135
- Arizona Wildcats – 1,004
- Indiana Hoosiers – 917
- Michigan State Spartans – 903
- Louisville Cardinals – 755
- Gonzaga Bulldogs – 699
- Purdue Boilermakers – 672
- UCLA Bruins – 540
- Saint Mary’s Gaels – 512
- UConn Huskies – 504
- Syracuse Orange – 464
- West Virginia Mountaineers – 360
- Texas Longhorns – 250
- Creighton Bluejays – 231
- Rhode Island Rams – 199
- Iowa State Cyclones – 168
- Maryland Terrapins – 144
MORE: 2016-17 NCAA Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll Released