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The first AP Poll of the 2020-21 basketball season was released on Monday and the Villanova Wildcats will begin the new season at the #3 spot.
Gonzaga and Baylor are the only schools ahead of ‘Nova with a single point separating the top two. The Bulldogs, who are atop the Preseason Poll for the first time in school history, tallied 28 first place votes and the Bears notched 24 while Jay Wright’s Wildcats grabbed 11. The Top 5 is rounded out with Virginia (one first-place vote) and Iowa.
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Kansas (28-3), which finished last season as the AP’s top team, is ranked sixth. Wisconsin , Illinois, Duke, and Kentucky, round out the Top 10.
The BIG EAST is also represented by Creighton at #11- the Bluejays’ highest preseason ranking in program history. Providence, UConn (who is back in the BIG EAST), and Seton Hall are receiving votes for schools in the Conference.
2021 Preseason AP Poll
| Rank | School | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School | Record | Points |
| 1 | Gonzaga (28) | 0-0 | 1,541 |
| 2 | Baylor (24) | 0-0 | 1,540 |
| 3 | Villanova (11) | 0-0 | 1,501 |
| 4 | Virginia (1) | 0-0 | 1,364 |
| 5 | Iowa | 0-0 | 1,273 |
| 6 | Kansas | 0-0 | 1,221 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 1,150 |
| 8 | Illinois | 0-0 | 1,105 |
| 9 | Duke | 0-0 | 1,073 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 0-0 | 1,038 |
| 11 | Creighton | 0-0 | 922 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 0-0 | 919 |
| 13 | Michigan State | 0-0 | 820 |
| 14 | Texas Tech | 0-0 | 790 |
| 15 | West Virginia | 0-0 | 651 |
| 16 | North Carolina | 0-0 | 465 |
| 17 | Houston | 0-0 | 438 |
| 18 | Arizona State | 0-0 | 402 |
| 19 | Texas | 0-0 | 380 |
| 20 | Oregon | 0-0 | 375 |
| 21 | Florida State | 0-0 | 351 |
| 22 | UCLA | 0-0 | 336 |
| 23 | Ohio State | 0-0 | 270 |
| 24 | Rutgers | 0-0 | 190 |
| 25 | Michigan | 0-0 | 160 |