The Kentucky Wildcats have been ranked in the top spot of the preseason Coaches Poll for the second straight year, ESPN reports. Kentucky receives the No. 1 overall ranking despite losing in the national title game to Connecticut last season.
The USA Today Coaches Poll was released Thursday, and had the Wildcats in the No. 1 spot with Arizona coming in at No. 2. The Sporting News' preseason ranking had Arizona as its top team. The Associated Press Top 25 is expected to be released later this month.
Duke, Wisconsin and Kansas rounded out the top five. The Badgers fell to Kentucky in the Final Four in April but were selected to win the Big Ten by the league's media on Thursday.
Kentucky and Duke are generally considered to have the most promising incoming class of players in the country. Arizona has retained one of the top returning teams.
North Carolina, headlined by likely first-team all-American point guard Marcus Paige, is ranked at No. 6. Florida, Virginia, Louisville and Texas round out the bottom half of the top 10.
