Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the second-straight season and fifth time in poll history, Kansas men's basketball enters the season ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press (AP), as the AP released its preseason poll Monday. Kansas received 30 of a possible 60 first-place votes from the AP panel. Alabama is ranked second and had 14 first-place votes, while UConn, Houston and Iowa State round out the top five of the AP preseason poll.
"We welcome being preseason No. 1, especially with our returning players like Hunter (Dickinson), Dajuan (Harris) and KJ (Adams), and then you add the players we brought in," Kansas head coach Bill Self said. "The goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the season, and though we welcome this, it is not the end goal."
All five times KU has been No. 1 in the preseason poll have been in the Bill Self era. Besides 2024-25, the Jayhawks were No. 1 entering the 2004-05, 2009-10, 2018-19 and 2023-24 seasons. Kansas was also No. 1 in the first poll of the 1956-57 season, but preseason polls did not begin in 1961-62. This marks the 60th time Kansas has been ranked No. 1 and the last time KU was No. 1 in the AP poll was Nov. 20, 2023, the third poll of last season. KU was ranked in the top 10 of the 2023-24 AP poll all but three weeks.
For the 13th-consecutive year, Kansas men's basketball enters the 2024-25 season ranked seventh or higher. This is also the 15th time in the last 16 seasons that the Jayhawks have entered the season No. 7 or higher by the AP, including 12 times in the top five and seven in the top three. KU was No. 1 in 2009-10, No. 3 in 2016-17, No. 1 in 2018-19, No. 3 in 2019-20, No. 3 in 2021-22, No. 1 in 2023-24 and No. 1 in 2024-25.
Under 22nd-year and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, this is the 19th time that Kansas enters the season ranked seventh or higher in the Associated Press preseason poll. Historically, the No. 1 ranking marks the 27th time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas will enter the season seventh or higher.
Kansas will play 10 games against teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25, including seven against Big 12 opponents and eight against Top 10 foes. KU will play against No. 4 Houston (twice), No. 5 Iowa State (twice), No. 7 Duke, No. 8 Baylor, No. 9 North Carolina, No. 10 Arizona, No. 15 Creighton and No. 20 Cincinnati.
"To have three Big 12 teams in the top five and five in the top 10 just shows how competitive this league will be this season," Self said. "Every year we talk about the Big 12 being the toughest conference in the nation, and with the four additions, it became even stronger."
Kansas is coming off a 23-11 season where it advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time in the last 34 years, a run that started in 1990. KU returns three starters led by Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Hunter Dickinson, a 2024 Consensus All-America Second Team, All-Big 12 First Team and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year selection. The center was the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double (17.9 ppg, 10.9 rpg) last year. Graduate guard Dajuan Harris Jr. has been the starter each of the last three seasons and was the 2023 Big 12 Defensive player of the Year. A three-time all-league honoree, Harris has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio two of the last three seasons and has ranked in the top five in the conference in assists per game each of the last three years. Two-time All-Big 12 selection and the 2023 Big 12 Most Improved player, KJ Adams, Jr. is also back as a returning starter. Kansas has nine newcomers on its roster that includes six upperclassmen transfers.
2024-25 Associated Press Preseason Poll (Oct. 14, 2024)
Rank. School (first place votes) – points
1. KANSAS (30) – 1,449
2. Alabama (14) – 1,428
3. UConn (11) – 1,345
4. Houston (4) – 1,343
5. Iowa State – 1,177
6. Gonzaga (1) – 1,157
7. Duke – 1,154
8. Baylor – 1,109
9. North Carolina – 1,037
10. Arizona – 905
11. Auburn – 901
12. Tennessee – 775
13. Texas A&M – 737
14. Purdue – 678
15. Creighton – 631
16. Arkansas – 625
17. Indiana – 492
18. Marquette – 484
19. Texas – 332
20. Cincinnati – 271
21. Florida – 249
22. UCLA – 210
23. Kentucky – 191
24. Ole Miss – 132
25. Rutgers - 102
Also receiving votes: Illinois, St. John's, Xavier, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, Kansas State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, BYU, Oregon, McNeese State, Miami (Fla.), Boise State, Saint Louis, Clemson, Providence, Mississippi State, VCU, Wisconsin, Saint Mary's, Louisville, UAB, Arkansas-Little Rock, Grand Canyon, Arizona State, San Diego State, Princeton, High Point, Maryland