Kansas lands at No. 5 in preseason coaches’ poll

By J-W Staff Reports     Oct 15, 2015

Nick Krug
Kansas head coach Bill Self grins as he waves to the fans following the Jayhawks' 89-76 win over Iowa State on Monday, Feb. 2, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

The nation’s coaches feel almost as strongly about the 2015-16 Kansas University basketball team as those who make their living in the Big 12 do.

The overwhelming conference favorite landed at No. 5 in the preseason USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

The Jayhawks, who also were picked No. 5 in last year’s initial Top 25, come in behind some fellow blue bloods, as well as a surging Big Ten program.

Kentucky landed the No. 1 spot this preseason, but has to share that honor with North Carolina, as both teams earned 749 points. UNC actually had 12 first-place votes, compared to Kentucky’s 11.

No. 3 Maryland and No. 4 Duke also were picked ahead of KU.

Iowa State, whom Kansas coach Bill Self voted as the No. 1 team in the Big 12 (coaches can’t vote for their own teams), came in at No. 7, followed by fellow another conference foe, Oklahoma, at No. 8.

The Big 12’s Baylor (No. 21) and West Virginia (No. 23) also cracked the preseason Top 25.

USA TODAY PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL

(First-place votes) — points

No. 1. Kentucky (11) – 749

No 1. North Carolina (12) – 749

No. 3. Maryland (5) – 723

No. 4. Duke (3) – 686

No. 5. Kansas (1) – 675

No. 6. Virginia – 667

No. 7. Iowa State – 541

No. 8. Oklahoma – 520

No. 9. Villanova – 498

No. 10. Arizona – 477

No. 11. Gonzaga – 468

No. 12. Wichita State – 461

No. 13. Michigan State – 386

No. 14. California – 350

No. 15. Indiana – 312

No. 16. Utah – 250

No. 17. Wisconsin – 181

No. 18. Notre Dame – 172

No. 19. LSU – 163

No. 20. Vanderbilt – 153

No. 21. Baylor – 145

No. 22. Butler – 132

No. 23. West Virginia – 125

No. 24. Connecticut – 110

No. 24. Purdue – 110

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